Viewing entries tagged
hartwood acres senior photographer
Daniel is a Mercer Area High School senior who loves basketball, baseball, golfing, hunting and fishing! As you can tell - he’s quite a busy guy! I was so honored to take his senior portraits at Hartwood Acres Mansion. Congratulations on your last year of school, Daniel! You are going to do great things!!
There are a couple of reasons I will never forget the day we took Bainer’s senior photos. Okay, maybe just one: PRINCESSES!
That’s probably not the first word you thought of when you saw the photo above this little caption, right? Well, believe it or not, the day of Bainer’s senior session at Hartwood Acres, there were TONS of people gathered at the Hartwood mansion for a photography workshop - and the subjects were little girls dressed up as princesses!
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were close to 100 people there, because they took almost every nook and cranny of the mansion up! And I do not mean that at ALL in a spiteful way - it looked like a great workshop! I just couldn’t get over the irony of this workshop happening on Bainer’s session day. But he was such a trooper, princesses and all!
As you might be able to tell, Bainer plays the guitar and loves music. Besides bringing his guitar to his session, he also brought his dog, “Fozzie,” who I kept calling “Fonzie” throughout the session 🙈
Congratulations on your last year, Bainer! It was such an honor to take these photos for you!
I met Cassidy and Dylan for their engagement session on the MOST beautiful fall afternoon! For their session, they chose a combination of two of my favorite locations - McConnell’s Mill and Moraine State Park! McConnell’s Mill ended up being the perfect location, especially with Dylan’s background of growing up around farms! And the lake at Moraine State Park was another subtly perfect location choice, because these two love to fish together!
Cassidy and Dylan, I am so thankful to have been able to get to know you both a little better and take these images for you! 💛 I cannot wait for the wedding!!!
It’s hard enough to get dressed in the morning, but getting dressed for senior photos is a whole ‘nother story - am I right?! Trying to find the perfect outfits that your mom will lovingly adorn her walls with for the rest of time - no pressure, right?!
Well, the good news is this: even though there’s no “one size fits all” formula for choosing outfits for your senior session, there are four tips I love to share with my seniors (and anyone for that matter!) who are trying to narrow down and/or decide what to wear for their senior photos. I recommend incorporating these four things:
I always LOVE to encourage my seniors to opt for unique textures in their clothing choices. Textures add additional dimension to photos, and all around more visual interest! They can also be a great (more subtle) alternative to a patter
Layers are anyone’s best friend during senior photos! You could: layer a skirt and a shirt, a shirt and a jacket, a jacket and a dress, a sweater and a collared shirt - the possibilities are endless! Layers, much like textures, will add more visual interest to your photos.
Accessories can totally make an outfit! Hats, belts, necklaces, bracelets, rings, flower crowns, earrings, and scarves can add more visual interest to any outfit - plus, bringing a clothing accessory (like a hat or scarf) helps add some variety to your photos!
A subtle pattern can take a boring outfit and make it come alive! I personally love a tasteful, subtle pattern in photographs. Try choosing a scarf, shirt, skirt, or dress (or, if you're a guy, a tie!) to add a little more interest to your outfit!
So, how do you put these four suggestions into action? For your senior photos, choose three outfits:
One outfit focusing on texture.
One outfit focusing on layers.
One outfit focusing on a subtle pattern.
*Incorporate one to three unique accessories into each outfit!
And there you have it - the formula for three unique and distinct outfits that will offer variety throughout your entire senior session! If you’re looking to add even MORE variety to your photos, choose one casual outfit (jeans and a blouse), one nicer outfit (sun dress, maxi dress, or a skirt - I’m partial to maxi dresses/skirts for the way they flow gorgeously in photos!), and one wild card outfit (Something totally unique that represents you!) - or, just repeat a casual or “nicer” outfit!
I started attending Grace Community Church with my family when I was in eighth grade. I remember in particular visiting the Sunday after our school musical had ended – I always LOVED being a part of them, but for those of you who might’ve been involved in school musicals growing up, you know how exhausting they can be.
That Sunday after our musical ended, in particular, my parents decided to visit a church that we had visited a number of years ago – Grace Community Church. To be honest, I wasn’t excited. I was mad that I had to wake up so early after such a long week of late nights, but nevertheless, I pulled myself out of bed and we made it to the service… which ended up being pretty dang amazing.
Directly following the service, I met the youth pastor there, who introduced me to a girl a couple of years younger than me. Her name was Alisha, and it seemed like she knew everyone. I followed her around the lobby as she introduced me to tons of different people, finally stopping near the restroom where I met her mom and the rest of the members of her small group.
I remember thinking how kind she was. After that initial meeting, we talked a few more times, but didn’t hang out with each other too much.
Fast forward a year, and someone had convinced this shy introvert to go down to Panama City Beach, Florida to a camp called “Bigstuf” with the rest of the youth group. I had one close friend who went to the same youth group at the time, so when she decided to go, I decided to go, too. So we hopped on a bus with everyone else and drove down.
I kid you not, that camp changed my life. It changed the way I saw God. It opened my eyes to the things I needed so desperately to change in my life and opened up a new community of friendships to me (which, let’s be honest, for an introvert is like, one new person). But nonetheless – I was making connections and I was excited!
The very last day of camp, we were all waiting while the guys were loading our bus to had back up to PA. Our youth pastor at the time must’ve seen me standing shyly on the edge of the group, so he came over and introduced me to one of the most extroverted people on the entire trip. He had long, red, Justin Bieber hair, tons of freckles, and was very sun burnt. “Nick,” he said to the boy with the red hair, “doesn’t Jenna look like Pam from ‘The Office?’” which I later learned was Nick’s favorite show.
Immediately, I felt put off. I didn’t like ‘The Office,’ and, at the time, meeting new people made me incredibly nervous. I smiled, chatted politely about how cool The Office was (I’ve never actually liked it!) and walked onto the bus. Nick and I ended up sitting near each other – we exchanged a few words to each other throughout the trip home, and even though he was kind of loud, I decided I liked this guy named Nick.
When I got home, I saw I had a message waiting from Nick on Facebook. It’s like he had read my mind – being the shy introvert that I was, I always loved getting to know people via messengers. That night, we talked until, like, two in the morning (and trust me, I’m not a girl who stays up late!). We talked about the camp and how God I worked in both of our lives. I remember, at the end of that conversation, thinking this is a guy I could actually see myself dating.
It’s amazing to see how all of the dots were connected from my very first day at Grace. Alisha, the very first person I had met at Grace, I later found out was Nick’s sister. Thinking back to that small fact alone is such a testament to my heart – God was involved right from the very beginning. God does that – he whispers into the details of our lives to point us towards our future, even when we don’t know it. It reminds me of a story of Elijah:
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
I think it’s powerful when we can hear God whispering to us, but it’s just as powerful – and encouraging - when we can look back and see where God was whispering to us.
*Banner photo by Gabrielle Halle Photography.
I've heard a lot from seniors and soon-to-be high school seniors over the years about how painfully awkward senior sessions can be. And let me be the first to say raise my hand and agree because MINE was! But I truly believe that having your photo taken is mean to be a fun, encouraging experience from start to finish! Can senior photos be awkward, and boring? Absolutely. But you'll find that the mom and senior's experience below was the complete opposite! This review is to show you one thing: pictures can (and should be) be fun!
"Jenna,
I just want thank you from the bottom of my heart, for making this one of the best days ever for Meg. You made her feel so beautiful and confident during your session, she felt and looked like a movie star. I looked through these amazing photos, shedding tears of happiness and pride as to what a beautiful young woman Meg has become. I am also thankful that we picked you to share this day with all of us to capture her senior year and savor it forever. You are truly gifted and I will recommend you to everyone I know. Thank you so much. Love my Megpie - Lincoln High Class of 2018!!"
A huge thanks to this sweet mom for her incredibly kind and encouraging words. They mean so much!
I have to give Morgan MAJOR props. The morning of her session, it was just about 16 degrees outside. To be honest, if it was me, I probably wouldn't have been able to be out in the cold that long, but Morgan was such a trooper!! Not only did she rock her chilly session, but she did so with a smile the entire time! Lucky for us, the restrooms at Hartwood were toasty during her session - so we took a couple of close up headshot style photos in there while Morgan was warming up - haha!! That is definitely one of my all-time favorite senior photo memories! (Also, the last photo in this blog post is from our bathroom break! ;) ) Thank you so much for being such a trooper, Morgan! You are a champ - congratulations on your last year of school!
Sharon was a champ at her senior session in the cold! This girl brought her A-game (and the most beautifully colored outfits) to her session just a few weeks ago! We were even able to catch some gorgeous golden light right near the end of her session. This girl was an absolute blast to work with, and I'm so excited to share some of my favorites from her session with you today!
Is anyone tired of seeing Hartwood sessions yet?! I have to be honest - I'm definitely not tired of photographing them! I think every time I go (which has been a lot this spring/summer!) I fall a little bit more in love with it. (Plus, I feel like I need to get in all of these brightly colored flower photos before winter time hits!). But beyond all that - I had the complete pleasure of photographing Maddie yesterday evening! Her sweet, outgoing personality made her a dream to photograph (and her love for grapefruit and Conley cookies from Monte Cello's is out of this world!!). Check out a few of my favorite photos from her session below!
Ohhh do I love this girl! I know I say that all of my seniors are the sweetest - but they all truly are, and Twesha was no exception! This girl is naturally gorgeous, incredibly talented, and if it tells you anything about her dedicated, hard-working personality, her name means "intelligent." For her wardrobe, Twesha brought two street outfits along with an authentic Indian dress, which was SO much fun to photograph! Never be afraid to incorporate something that represents your personality or your background into your shoot. The results are always awesome!
Thank you so much for an amazing time, Twesha! You are a rockstar!
