Valentine’s on Ice: When the “Update” becomes its own story

Have you ever gone to the grocery store for just a couple things, but then you leave with a trunk full of stuff that you didn’t even know you needed? Yeah, that’s what this one’s like.

In my last post, I wrote about preparing to photograph the City of Pittsburgh’s 20th annual Valentine’s on Ice at Schenley Park. In that post, I mentioned that I would update that piece after the event with a couple highlights. Well, that was the original plan. This is clearly not just an update. I had to make it its own post because, like the grocery store, I walked away with way more than I intended.

Let me set the scene.

Valentine’s Day this year was a perfect example of Pittsburgh presenting itself in full-on “Pittsburgh” mode. If you’re from around here, you know what I mean—it’s the middle of winter, but the temperatures are in the 50s and 60s for some unknown reason, and the afternoon sun is more like a blinding ball of white pretending it’s July. A beautiful day, for sure, but one that is completely unexpected and out of season for this region, especially after the recent major snowstorm (hence, the full-on Pittsburgh reference). Needless to say, it wasn’t exactly the weather you think of for an outdoor ice skating event.

For the first session (which was a family focused event), a portion of the ice had to be barricaded off because they couldn’t keep it frozen, but Pittsburghers are used to these roller coaster weather patterns, and we cannot be held back. Moms and dads did their best to help their kids stay on their feet while trying to remain vertical themselves. And yet, even with less ice to skate on, smiles were on every face, even if those faces had just come into direct unintended contact with the ice itself!

That was session one.

You know, over the years, I have definitely learned to expect the unexpected, and I have been fortunate enough to encounter a good deal of unexpected happiness. This night was no different.

After the sun went down, the temperatures dropped, the rink firmed back up, and artificial lights kicked on, replacing the harsh daylight with blue fluorescence for the adults-only second session.

A couple arrived for session two, one wearing a sash that read “Just Married.” They had actually gotten married earlier that day and chose to spend part of their wedding day skating under winter lights at a public rink with over 200 strangers. That moment existed exactly once. It wasn’t staged. I certainly didn’t expect it, but I was honored to play a small part in documenting it.

That’s one major aspect of what you want from an event photographer—someone who can keep up with and capture these often fast-paced, happens-only-once moments, and that, my friends, is definitely a difficult skill to master. Maybe that’s obvious, but it’s also the kind of thing that makes the job so enjoyable for me.

But then there are the layers that you might not think about.

Going into this event, I wasn’t aware of just how many off-the-ice crafts and activities were planned.

Caricature artists spent the afternoon and evening drawing couples. ABC Balloon Twisting created incredibly complex balloon sculptures (including an incredible balloon Stitch from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch). Button making stations and face painting artists were on hand for the kids. There was even a berry vendor distributing strawberries and flowers.

One vendor that particularly caught my eye was The Sweet Snap. Remember that thing I said about going to the grocery store and buying something you didn’t know you needed? The Sweet Snap is a photo booth that prints the images directly onto cookies. Right there in front of you. Take your picture at the selfie booth, get it printed on a cookie. They also print photos that already exist, which meant I could not resist airdropping a photo of my wife and kids and having a couple made. I mean, really, who knew? It’s so playful, memorable, and undeniably unique you can’t NOT get one. Or two. Or a dozen.

During the second session, Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh also joined the event with two adorable puppies to promote their mission to rehome homeless animals. Guests gathered to pet them, take photos, and learn about fostering and adoption. That layer expanded the story beyond skating and crafts. It added purpose and heart.

I tell all these stories and showcase all these vendors, not only because they are all amazing people who are so good at what they do, but because they are all part of what goes into an event. And that makes them all part of a story that needs to be told without words.

That’s my job as an event photographer, so when people ask me about pricing, I try to focus on the stories first because value is so often stripped away from the final price tag. People aren’t necessarily thinking about how event photographers need to pivot between a family festival in harsh daylight and an adults-only evening under artificial light or about sponsor visibility, vendor representation, nonprofit outreach, balloon sculptures, or newlyweds who show up unannounced. Most definitely, they are not thinking about the responsibility of photographing events in a way that serves multiple timelines. Some images need to edited and delivered quickly for social media. Others need to live in sponsor reports, internal communications, or next year’s promotional materials.

When you consider all of this and that there are no do-overs at live events, that each moment happens exactly and only once, you start to get a clearer picture of what you actually pay for when you hire an event photographer. You get someone who understands the preparation, anticipation, and scope of the event and has the flexibility and ability to make judgments under pressure that result in timeless images that showcase not only the client’s needs, but also capture memories that are irreplaceable and priceless.

So yeah, photographing an ice skating party is just like going to the grocery store. Change my mind.