I think one of my favorite things about how Harmony and I approach photography at SayerMotter Photography is our willingness to try things. A typical maternity picture isn't one taken on the streets or in a reflection of a store front window, but we think--why not. It may not be a great picture...but it could be....so we try it. I admit, I wasn't feeling 100% Sunday morning and a few things we tried didn't really pan out(I took them into the giant culvert pipe I've photographed in before--that just didn't really work). And these street shot I think have potential, but the wonderful mirror image that I was hoping for didn't work because of the recent sidewalk work done in the city put a sign right where the edge of the glass reflection met its real visual counterpart...thus destroying that affect I wanted to exploit. I liked this picture because of Eric kissing Scout in the background with Aimee looking all Jackie O in the foreground. SayerMotterPhotograph by Richard Sayer

I first photographed Rowan Scout Reinagel before she was born when I did Aimee's maternity portraits.This was my fourth time photographing her(Once in a chance meeting just after she was born I stole a few frames). This occasion was for Aimee's maternity portraits for Reinagel child number two to arrive in the not so distant future. We tried a few different things again today, some worked and some didn't, but it was really good seeing them again. They are very good people and I enjoy sharing in their lives and hopefully making pictures for them that they'll like. We like to capture fleeting moments, so we set up situations and then just try our best to record them when they come about, a glance here or there makes all the difference in making an intimate portrait. It far more than just lighting and backgrounds. SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer

The other day I was asked to get pictures of the Meadville Track athletes heading to states. We don't cover track heavily so several of the people going we hadn't even photographed this year. I met Chaykala Lindsey when she showed up for a few practice throws in the Javelin. One of the things I was told was the writer was going to do a feature on Chaykala and I could do something ' a little more artistic.' I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but when I saw the position of the sun I thought I might try getting a shot somehow with her throwing the javelin with the sun in it. I positioned myself in three different spots and when I looked through my take I liked how the sun appears at the point of release in this frame as if energy is charging through the throw. I didn't think it would reproduce well in the paper so I gave another, less 'artistic' frame and thats the one that ran in the paper. I love trying to make a picture a little different, in hopes I get something special. Most times it doesn't really work out, sometimes it does. This one was sort of in-between. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer 

I wasn't going to post this, its a sketch for a piece I'm working on based on a song by the Electracons for an idea for a book good friend George Stabile is working on. George is the drummer in the band. Its sort of a parody of a piece I made earlier in the month. Its silly! But the more I look at it the more it makes me laugh and I felt---why the hell not share the laugh. We can all use one right? I think everyday should be pancake day(even if just figuratively). Hope you get a smile out of it! Its not completely done yet--I'm thinking about trying to make the eyes out of blueberries--we'll see. By Richard Sayer

I made these photos this morning with my cousin, Rebecca in mind.  Becky has been living in Australia for awhile now and she is due to come home for a visit soon.  I know the feeling of being miles and miles away from the place you call home.  All of these photos were made in Motterville!! The irises were grown by Grandma Phyllis, the tractor and the chicken were in Dave's backyard, a few scenics of Acel Road are included and some tall grass growing from Justin's pond. So this is for you Becky-Boo!  I won't be able to make the barbecue because, I will be out of town.  So this is my way of saying...welcome home!!!  
Photos By: Harmony Motter

Its always hard to say for sure who your influences are. We take from people and make it our own and somehow the influence that originally pushed us in a direction seems so far away that it didn't exist in the first place. Enrico Pinardi (Henry) was one of the first people who made me feel like what I was doing was worthwhile and that ... just maybe I was an artist. You have to realize, I've been skeptical of this my whole life as I always have surrounded myself with people whose talents far outshine mine. When I was at Rhode Island College and began taking classes with Henry, I found myself exploring image making in a way I never knew of before and Henry supported and really helped me with this. My wife Sam and I have often talked about how Henry took us both in as if we were his own projects(and he had many of these projects). We said it was as if he was the leader of the Island of misfit toys and were a couple of those odd little toys that didn't quite work perfectly, yet still were able to be functioning toys if you had enough imagination to play with us. Today I had a few photographs I wanted to post here, but didn't bring them home, maybe tomorrow. But for now it was nice to look at this picture of Henry taken about 18 years ago. Photograph by Richard Sayer taken out

Photo By: Richard Sayer

I photographed Miss. Crawford County, Brittany Samler this morning for our 4 seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) shoot.  We had fun with pink umbrellas, purple flowers and a zillion bubbles.  In this shot Richard Sayer takes the opportunity to dance with Miss. Crawford County on the Allegheny College Campus in Meadville, Pennsylvania.  
Photo By: Harmony Motter

Ahhh the prom...It is a rite of passage for every American teenager and it's all about the hair and the shoes!  On Saturday, May 22, 2010 I hung out with Amanda Palmer and Charles Reyes.  Amanda is a Junior at Meadville High School in Meadville, Pennsylvania.  I followed the couple from early in the afternoon and well on into the night.  I photographed a hair appointment, a make-up facial, prom portraits and even Charles blow-drying his hair.  It was a great day!  See their day in a slideshow below.
Photographs By: Harmony Motter

I know this picture has a lot of similarities to a picture I took last week and posted here. I guess they are a like and yet different. I like this because its not a little kid playing ball, its an older woman who was just enjoying her chance to shoot a basket from the free throw line today at the YMCA. I was very happy that despite it being pretty much a silhouette you can still see the emotion. This is the sort of thing that makes documenting Crawford County so much fun. I would've been happy with just a nice silhouette frame, but to get something with a little more in it, thats the fun part. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer