Luke B: Preston Park (Butler) Senior Photos

Meet Luke!

I have been loving the opportunity I've had over the past few months to photograph so many seniors in so many different locations! I took Luke's senior photos at Preston Park in Butler on a warm November afternoon... Preston Park is a great park that always has such beautiful light! Don't sleep on late fall sessions... they are always some of my favorites, and this one is no exception!

Luke is a senior at Butler High School who loves boxing. He was a total natural in front of the camera and made my job so easy!

I loved Luke’s approach to his outfit changes, too - he had three different flannels for his session, but kept his base layers the same (the sweatshirt/jeans). The flannel change was easy, quick, and allowed him to get a little variety without spending too much time changing during his session!

Congratulations on your senior year, Luke!

Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2022

This year, I had the privilege of photographing another amazing round of seniors, including some seniors from the class of 2022 and some who will be graduating in the spring of 2023!

I photographed seniors at a variety of beautiful locations, including: McConnell’s Mill State Park, Moraine State Park, Hartwood Acres Mansion, Succop Nature Park, Mellon Park, the Strip District, the North Shore, the Mellon Institute, Phipp’s Conservatory, the Cathedral of Learning, Historic Harmony, and Preston Park! The most popular location choice by far was Hartwood Acres Mansion, which accounted for 38% of location choice, followed up by Mellon Park at 20%. The rest were distributed pretty evenly!

I also photographed seniors from a wide variety of different schools. The full list from greatest number of seniors photographed from that school to the least includes:

• Seneca Valley High School (23%)

• North Allegheny High School (20%)

• Pine Richland High School (12%)

• Mars Area High School (12%)

• Franklin Regional High School (8%)

• North Catholic High School

• Butler Area High School

• Upper St. Claire High School

• Canon McMillan High School

• Portersville Christian School

• Homeschool

A few of my favorite things about this year’s senior photo sessions…

• Hartwood Acres Mansion opened back up after over a year of being under construction, so I was able to hold sessions there again! The only downside was that they were MUCH busier this year, which mean the mansion area was closed many more evenings due to private events. I guess that’s what happens when you’re popular event venue that is closed for a full year!

• I photographed my first college senior (Erica) – who was the first in her family to graduate from college! College senior photo sessions should totally be more of a thing. They are so much fun!

• I had a senior who wanted photos in the snow… and they turned out to be some of my favorites from the year! (Thanks for letting me take them for you, Megan!)

• I photographed two seniors in the same family for two families who had two different seniors graduating (each family had one in 2022, and one in 2023). Also, that sounds really confusing but I hope it makes sense! It was such an honor to be able to take senior photos for each of these families twice!

• I had my first senior session inside Phipp’s Conservatory – and it was amazing, and so much fun! Did you know that you can rent a room out for an hour there?! This is such a great option for getting some beautiful, colorful plants in the background of your photos during the colder months! It also makes a great rain plan!

• I photographed a set of triplets for the second time in my career!

It was such a fun year… seniors are my favorite type of session to photograph, so it’s always a blessing to get to work with so many seniors and families!

To all of the seniors who gave me the honor of taking their senior portraits this year - THANK YOU. Truly, I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of such a sweet season of your life! And Congratulations to the Jenna Hidinger Photography Class of 2022 ✌🏼

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If you are a Class of 2023 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2024 senior who is looking to have their photos taken, feel free to reach out via the contact tab above, or directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com. I’d be more than happy to give you some additional information!

Check out senior photo highlights from past years: 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017

6 Ways to Make Senior Photos Less Awkward & Uncomfortable

When I talk to people my age about their senior photo experience, they will often say things like….

“It was SO awkward.”

“I felt so uncomfortable the entire time.”

“I couldn’t wait for it to be over.”

“What am I supposed to do with my hands?!”

Let’s face it - senior photos can sometimes have a bad rep for being uncomfortable, awkward, and simply an experience that you have to “get through” in order to get what you really want in the end - the images.

Well, let it not be so for my clients! I strive to create an environment that is laid back, relaxed, and comfortable - like you have a friend taking your photos!

But I know that those pre-session nerves can sometimes still get the best of anyone. So today, I’m sharing some of my TOP tips and recommendations for ways to make your senior photos less awkward and uncomfortable! First up…

1 - Consider doing them alongside a friend!

These twins opted to have their photos taken together, simultaneously! We had such a blast!

Have a friend who needs their senior photos taken, too? Consider having your senior photos taken simultaneously! I’ve done a few “best friend” senior photo sessions, where two separate seniors have booked me together - and because they are doing their senior photos together, they can encourage each other, share outfits, and even have some photos taken together! Plus, that session will be a fun experience and memory for the two of you to have together!

2 - Bring a friend or trusted family member with you.

The person you bring to your session doesn’t necessarily have to be having their photo taken, too. Bringing a friend or trusted family member to your session is a great way to feel a bit more comfortable, rather than having your photos taken on your own.

3 - Have your senior photos taken at a familiar location.

This senior opted to have her photos taken at a camp she had attended and counseled at for years!

We all feel more comfortable in places we’re familiar with, right? The same is true for a photo session! If you want to keep things comfortable, consider locations for your session that are meaningful to you in some way. Maybe there’s a park that you visit often with your friends. Maybe you grew up visiting the Strip District with your family and feel comfortable there. Maybe your parents, grandparents, or a family friend have a picturesque property that you’ve visited many times - that could be a great spot, too! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!

4 - Consider a morning senior session vs. an evening senior session.

As a more natural-light style photographer (meaning that I don’t generally use off camera/artificial lights to light my senior subjects), I take senior photo sessions within two hours of sunset, and two hours of sunrise when the natural light is at its best. There are a few advantages to morning senior sessions that might help a senior feel more comfortable!

First, you can get your session done. Instead of waiting around all day for it, you can wake up, getting ready, and get it finished before lunch time! That way, you don’t have to spend the day thinking about it.

Second, there are generally less people in public spaces in the morning. Lots of popular photo locations have WAY less people early in the morning, rather than later in the day (especially on a nice evening, when we’re bound to run into lots of other photo sessions taking place!). If you want more privacy for your senior session, I would recommend a morning time slot!

5 - Look at your photographer’s work in advance.

All photographers have different ways they pose and direct images. To be more familiar with the poses your photographer might pose or direct you into during your session, be sure to look through some of their photo sessions in advance! That way, when they ask you to do something, you might be able to recall how it looks on camera based on what you’ve seen of their work - whether in their portfolio or on their blog.

Personally, I love sharing blog posts from my senior sessions with my favorite 10-25 images! I love giving upcoming seniors a feel of how they can expect to be posed/directed through the work that I share, in advance, so they can feel more comfortable and confident going into it!

6 - Talk with your photographer beforehand.

Whether it’s over the phone, by email, or by text, having a conversation with your photographer prior to your session might alleviate some of your pre-session jitters! They can reassure you, provide outfit advice, give tips for what to expect, and even quell some of your specific fears that you’re willing to share.

I always love to prep my seniors as much as possible before a session! Every senior who books with me gets digital access to a “Senior Style & Experience Guide,” which is meant to walk seniors through the process of what a shoot with me will be like, introduce who I am, and give tips for what to wear, what not to wear, and how to get the most out of their session.

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I truly hope this blog posts helps you feel more comfortable and confident heading into your senior session! Can having your photo taken be awkward and uncomfortable? Of COURSE, because it’s something we’re not always used to doing in a professional setting! But by implementing one, two, or all of these steps, you’re sure to have a great session and feel more confident going into it!

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Collin H: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

It's been so much fun to get to photograph a handful of seniors from my high school alma mater within the last few months - and Collin is one of those seniors!

We had a foggy, cloudy morning for Collin's senior photos, but it made our light all the nicer to work with, and the colors of the trees, grass, and shrubs even more vibrant! Moraine State Park is one of my absolute favorite spots for fall photos in the Pittsburgh area. The colors are always so striking against the beautiful lake!

Congratulations on your senior year, Collin!

Lila Z: Golden Hour Mellon Park Senior Photos

Mellon Park at golden hour is a magical place to behold.

And Lila was an absolute gem to photograph during her senior photo session! She came dressed to kill, and was a natural in front of the camera. She is simply lovely inside and out!

Congratulations on your senior year, Lila!

Alex M: Succop Nature Park Senior Photos

Succop Nature Park may be becoming a new favorite spot of mine for senior photos! There are SO MANY great spots to use - a beautifully lit wooded/grassy area, piles of logs, a newly renovated barn, a willow tree and pond… the possibilities are endless! And for a one hour senior session, it can be so helpful to choose a location that has so much variety within such a short walking distance.

Another perk of this location specifically for Alex is that it is right down the road from his family farm! Yes, his family has a sweetcorn farm that the whole family helps out with. Isn’t that amazing? How many high school seniors in the year of 2021 can say that they help out on the family farm?!

In addition to helping out on the farm, Alex is very involved at his church, where he plays guitar and sings. He also has a plethora of other activities he’s involved in at school (honestly - so many that I can’t even remember them all! 😂 Sorry, Alex!!)

When I chat with seniors during their session, I’m always reminded of what a busy time of life the last year of high school is - and, in turn, I’m always thankful to give the seniors (and their parents!) the opportunity to slow down for even a short period of time to reflect on the significance of this season, and the significance of the new season ahead.

I am honored to be the one who was able to capture the significance of this season for you, Alex! Congratulations on your senior year!

Lilli M: Pinehall at Eisler Farms Senior Photos

Where to begin with this one?! I love so many things about this session! I wouldn’t have even shot it if it wasn’t thanks to Lilli’s older sister, Megan, who just so happens to be a wedding coordinator for The Atrium and Pinehall at Eisler Farms! We connected over our mutual love of Disney (duh!) during a wedding earlier this year, and she recommended me to her mom to take her sister’s senior photos! I was SO honored!

Because Megan is a coordinator at Pinehall, we were able to use the venue for Lilli’s senior photos! And it ended up being SUCH an amazing & unique spot, with so many great little locations! We had a little entourage with us of Lilli’s sister, mom, and my assistant (my husband, Nick!), and laughed and laughed together throughout the entire session!

Lilli, you are a gem - congratulations on your senior year!!! ❤️ And thank you SO much for the honor of taking these photos for you!

Haley A: Succop Nature Park Senior Photos

We had the BEST time hanging out with Haley at Succop Nature Park back in August! Haley is a Mars Area High School senior who loves to dance and play the piano, and who enjoys art and photography! She has a bubbly personality and sweet soul, and it was just truly a pleasure to get to work with her and her mom!

Haley, you are one lovely lady! It was such an honor to take your senior photos! 💛