PhiladelphiaPhotojournalism.com is the NEW BLOG

I have very much appreciated Google's Blogger for my needs the past two years, but it's time to switch to a great blog to display the work of JPG Photography. As of today, the new site to keep up with JPG Photography is: www.philadelphiaphotojournalism.com

Over the next six weeks, you'll see lots of great visual changes for JPG Photography. I hope you'll check back weekly to see what we've been working on.

But as of Dec. 17, Blogger is NO LONGER being used. Please change appropriate bookmarks and links as necessary.

Here's to wishing you lots of love, luck and laughter in 2009!

Best,
Joe G
JPG Photography

Photojournalistic Family Portraits in Bucks County

OK, one of the best parts of being a photographer is documenting your friends and family grow up with you. Last month, I had this very opportunity with Sara Franco and her family. Sara and I were friends in high school, me at La Salle and her at Gwynedd-Mercy and I had the pleasure of her company during one of my dances. I think it was junior year, right Sara?

Anyway, as a very sweet gift, her, and her two great sisters, decided to give family portraits to her Mom. Despite some of the cold weather, we went out to Tyler State Park in Bucks County, PA, and just had an amazing time. We found wonderful light and candid moments with everyone.

When everyone has fun and is truly happy, (NOT cheesy), is the time when the best images are captured. And that’s photojournalism…

We had a great afternoon. Thanks Franco’s! Happy birthday to Mom!

Puppy photographs from Virginia

With the holidays coming near, no doubt a lot of people will be picking up new puppies, and that, of course, means a ton of puppy pictures will be clogging e-mail from coast to coast.

Count me among those people.

Meet Bear:


Kristen and I got him as an early Christmas gift from my parents over Thanksgiving. He's a chocolate lab. The name fits since he looked kind of bear-ish in the first photos we saw, and he has a bit of a ferocious streak when he's playing hard. Plus, it's a name he'll grow into, too; his father weighs 100 pounds. All in all, he's a good little fella.

One thing about him, though, is he's hard to photograph. Composing an image involving a critter that wiggles this much and this randomly really is challenging, and it's not like I haven't dealt with moving subjects before -- wedding dance floors can get pretty crazy! So, I'm challenging myself to capture the moments that describe Bear as he is in puppyhood. That way when he's nearly the size of a real bear we can look back at how goofy he was as a tot.

For those of you also wrangling with a little fur ball, don't be afraid to grab your camera and roll on the floor with him (or her). You'll be glad you did.

Here are some of the shots I've pulled off so far. Hopefully the images get better as I get up to his speed!


He still hasn't learned to walk down the stairs, but he's hop down a few with some encouragement from Kristen.


It's a love bite. ... Promise.


This is pretty much the only time he REALLY listens.


This is a new thing he's doing. He gnaws on the bowl hoping morsels will magically appear.


Nap time. ... And Kristen, by the way, is utterly smitten.


So admit it, he's freakin' adorable.


I'm sure we'll be busy over the holidays keeping up with Bear. We'll keep y'all posted in the coming months as he grows and (hopefully) matures.

Have a wonderful, safe holiday, and a prosperous New Year.

Warmest Regards,
Dan (& Kristen & Bear)