Abby H: North Allegheny High School Senior Photos at Hartwood Acres Mansion

Abby is a field hockey playing senior at North Allegheny! She is graduating with the class of 2023. She loves sushi & Italian food, and she had the BEST day I think I've ever experienced for a senior session in November - she was even able to go barefoot for some of her photos! I could get used to this 70+ degree weather in Pittsburgh in November!

I absolutely adored all of Abby’s outfit choices for her session - especially her red boots the last dress she chose (but that gray dress is so beautiful, too)! In addition to some adorable fall outfits, Abby’s mom brought some beautiful bouquets of flowers and mums to incorporate into her photos. Because we were shooting in November, we weren’t sure how much color we would have to work with - but those bouquets and potted mums added a beautiful touch that really brought an extra element to her images!

Congratulations on your senior year, Abby! Thank you so much for the honor of taking your senior photos for you!

Mykaela S: Seneca Valley High School Senior Photos at Hartwood Acres

Mykaela is a part of the Seneca Valley High School class of 2023, and was a joy to photograph on the most beautiful of fall evenings! She's in chorus, loves Sheetz (same), and has the prettiest ice blue eyes - which her first outfit helped pop SO well!

To me, one of the best things about being a Pittsburgh senior photographer is getting to photograph people in the fall! It’s always for clients (and for me!) to not work up a sweat while taking photos, and there’s just something so pretty about that fall light… not to mention the beautiful, vibrant foliage on the trees. It’s the perfect combination!

Congratulations on your senior year, Mykaela! Thank you so much for the honor of taking these photos for you!

Alexis B: Franklin Regional Senior High School Photos at Hartwood Acres

Meet Alexis! She is a part of the class of 2023 - she's a tap dancer, cookie dough ice cream lover, and was a joy to photograph on a beautiful early fall night at Hartwood Acres Mansion!

On the way to her session, it started raining - and I could hardly believe it, as I had checked the weather forecast just that afternoon and had seen no chance of rain! When we arrived to the mansion, it was pouring and looked like it was going to rain all the way until sunset - but we decided to wait 20 minutes to see if the weather would lighten up. And thankfully... it DID! AND we were able to shoot for her full 90 minute timeframe, which was such a blessing. It always amazes me how fast Pittsburgh weather can change! A huge thanks to Alexis and her parents for being willing to give it a shot… you never know what might happen!

For her session, Alexis brought a few bouquets of fresh flowers to incorporate into her photos… which I LOVED! Fresh flowers add some vibrancy and life to images, so I always love when seniors bring them. They’re such an easy prop to incorporate!

Congratulations, Alexis, on your senior year!

Heidi W: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

This was such a fun session because it was so unique - and so personalized to Heidi! I had the pleasure of taking Heidi’s sister’s senior photos a few years back, and was so excited to get to work with such a sweet family again!

Heidi brought two ballgown/prom style dresses to her senior session - a beautiful lilac one, and a sleek black one! They were absolutely GORGEOUS against the Hartwood Acres Mansion backdrop. We also incorporated her car into her photos, which was so fun! There are so many different angles you can get (from a photo perspective!) with just one vehicle.

As we were taking photos, little girls stopped and stared at the “princess” that was walking by. It happened so many times - and was so, so sweet!

All in all, it was a beautiful & fun evening that really got my creative juices flowing! Heidi, congratulations on your senior year, and thank you so much for the honor of celebrating this next season of your life!

Dylan N: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

Good old Hartwood Acres… it was good to be back after a few month hiatus!

Dylan is a North Catholic senior who's graduating as a part of the class of 2021. He's a fan of Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, and - fun fact - works at Giant Eagle and is a wicked fast shopper (the fastest at his store!). Congrats on your senior year, Dylan! Thanks for the honor of taking your senior photos!

Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2020

Another year, another highlight post for the seniors I’ve photographed in 2020! Some represented the Class of 2020, some the Class of 2021 - but all were an absolute pleasure to work with!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how many senior sessions I would get to photograph this year with the ongoing pandemic - but, thankfully, it’s easy to photograph people outdoors with long lenses, even in the midst of so many changes and regulations! 😉To all of the parents and seniors who still trusted me to capture this season for you: THANK YOU! I really can’t say it (or type it!) enough. Thank you for letting me be a part of this year with you! And a huge congratulations again to the seniors and parents of seniors who made it through this crazy year!

If you are a Class of 2021 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2022 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!

Mareena P: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

It’s rare to have the opportunity to capture the beauty of two different seasons in one session… but Mareena’s session was perfectly time to capture the end of summer (and the colorful gardens of Hartwood!) and the beginning of fall (with a few trees starting to change colors!). That’s what an end of September/early October session timeslot will get you! 😍

We also had a beautiful, overcast day for her photos, which made the sunlight extra soft and diffused through the clouds! Don’t be afraid of having your photos taken on an overcast day. Your photos will still be bright and colorful!

Mareena is a class of 2021 Seneca Valley senior who is in the JROTC, is involved in concert choir, and loves to draw and paint! We used a few music sheets from her collection to throw in the air for a couple of shots, as a very subtle ode to her love for music!

Congratulations on your senior year, Mareena! It was an honor to photograph you!

Lauren G: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

One essential thing you need to know before looking at these photos and seeing Lauren’s perfect hair - she told me that she curled it THAT MORNING and that it stayed that well throughout the ENTIRE school day. Our shoot didn’t start until 6PM. Ladies… need I say more?! What kind of miracle is this!

Besides being beautiful, Lauren is incredibly smart and is a natural born leader! She attends Portersville Christian School, loves participating in musicals, and is student body president. She was an absolute pleasure to photograph! Congratulations on your senior year, Lauren!!! 🎉

Payton C: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

We had a beautiful later summer evening for Payton’s senior photos at Hartwood Acres Mansion! Payton is so joyful, and was so much fun to photograph. She attends Butler High School, is a life long dancer, and hopes to find a career in math or engineering post high school. She is wicked smart, talented, and beautiful! Congratulations on your senior year, Payton. You are going to do great things!!

Olivia Y: Hartwood Acres Park Senior Photos

I had to include so many photos in Olivia’s blog post, because she just rocked her session that much! Olivia is a gymnast who plans on continuing her gymnastics career at Penn State next year!

I was so very thankful for a sunny evening for Olivia’s session. She had requested less photos with the Hartwood Acres Mansion, and more with the natural scenery (woods & garden) surrounding the mansion. Hartwood Acres is still a great spot, even if you’re looking for more natural scenery! There’s a beautiful little wooded area that gets the prettiest light on a sunny evening, and we were able to take full advantage of it, along with some garden shots, and a few shots with the mansion as the background!

I could’ve photographed this lovely lady alllll day long! Congratulations on your senior year, Olivia!