Adri D: Seneca Valley High School Senior Photos in Historic Harmony

We had the BEST time photographing Adri on Saturday around Historic Harmony! She brought the most beautiful, bright & colorful outfits that made her photos POP!

Historic Harmony is a great location for senior photos if you live near the Cranberry Township area, especially for Seneca Valley High School seniors (it’s literally right down the road from the high school!). Or, if you live a bit further… it’s still worth the drive! The colorful buildings and historic architecture provide SO MANY beautiful backdrops within a very short walking distance. You can also make a night of it and go to dinner afterwards at The Harmony Inn (German inspired brewery) or grab a sweet treat at Neff Haus (German ice cream!).

Adri is a soccer playing senior who plans on going into the medical field post high school! She grew up near Harmony, so it made her location a little extra special.

I've known Adri through her mom, Ada, for quite a few years - who is such an excellent photographer! So of course, when she asked me to take Adri's senior photos, I was completely honored.

Adri, a huge congratulations to you on your senior year! I am so excited for you!!!

Historic Harmony Triplet Senior Session

What a joy it was to photograph this sweet set of triplets - Paige, Ethan, & Jeremy! We had a beautiful day for their photos in Historic Harmony, and had a “mega” senior session to accommodate taking photos of all three of them separately, and some of them together!

I’ve learned that, when choosing a location for senior photos with multiple seniors (see my last triplet senior photo session from back in 2017 here!), it’s so important to have a solid variety of backdrops. While using different types of poses can make each senior’s photos look different, it really does help to have a wide variety of backdrops to choose from to differentiate each senior a little bit from the other!

I was SO excited when these three decided on Historic Harmony for their photos. It is such a versatile location with so much variety to offer!

Besides photographing these three - I loved getting to know them, too! A few fun facts: Paige is heading to school after graduation to become a pastry chef, so of course we had to use the bakery sign as a little nod toward her future career! Also, the blue floral dress she is wearing in some of these photos was her mom's when she was in college... So sweet!!

Ethan and Jeremy are headed to Slippery Rock post high school - they love ultimate frisbee and are both musically talented - one plays the violin and one plays drums!

In the post below, I’ve tried to break up their photos into groups - first Paige, then Ethan, then Jeremy! Then, of course, some photos of all three of them together ☺️

Congratulations on your senior year, Paige, Ethan, and Jeremy! ☺️ Thank you so much for the honor of taking these photos for you!

Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2021

I love taking the time to round up some of my favorite photos from a year of shooting - it’s easy to forget how many incredible seniors I had the privilege of photographing after such a long stretch! But in today’s blog post, that’s exactly what I want to do - remember, reminisce, and refocus towards a whole new year of seniors in 2022!

This year, I photographed more seniors than I ever have in the previous 9 years I’ve been in business. Which I am so incredibly thankful for - considering the fact that senior photos are one of my favorite types of sessions to photograph! Also, though I will continue to photograph weddings, I do hope to transition to filling more of my schedule with senior portraits within the next few years. So getting to photograph more seniors was so exciting!

I photographed my seniors in many different locations, including Historic Harmony, McConnell’s Mill, Hartwood Acres Mansion (which was sadly closed for the majority of 2021!), Zelienople (my home town!), Moraine State Park, the Strip District, Oakland, Mellon Park, Succop Nature Park, Camp Kon-O-Kwee, North Park, the North Shore, and even on someone’s own property. There are so many fantastic options for senior photos in and around Pittsburgh!

One of my surprising favorite locations of this year was the Strip District. Shooting in the city can pose some unique challenges (limited parking, extra traffic, lots of walking, random people on the street who want to chat!), but I have truly loved getting to know the Strip District area better from a photo-perspective, and love how many unique (and colorful!) backgrounds there are within a relatively short walking distance!

More than any specific location, my favorite part (by far) of photographing seniors is getting to know them during their session, and helping them feel comfortable in front of my camera. Every senior brings something unique and different to their shoot, and it’s fun to be able to encourage them in such a pivotal time in their lives!

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!

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If you are a Class of 2022 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2023 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!

Sydney T: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Sydney’s session took place during one of the rainiest weeks in October! But thankfully, we were able to bypass the rain and get some amazing photos in one of my favorite locations! The setting was perfect, her outfits were so perfect for fall… I love when everything comes together!

Sydney is a Seneca Valley senior and a dedicated field director/drum major! She loves science, and hopes to study within the medical field post high school. And she's just an all around sweetheart!

Congrats on your senior year, Sydney!!

Bryce W: Snowy Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Bryce is a Seneca Valley senior who loves music… and the snow! Which is great, because we had a LOT of it the day of his session. We were able to get some super unique images in one of my favorite locations for him because he was willing to push through the cold!

Congratulations on your senior year, Bryce!

Nate T: Historic Harmony Senior Phots

Nate is a 2021 senior who plays football, loves camping, and tacos! This was another cold weather session, but Nate was a champ, and I think you can barely even tell how cold it really was! Congratulations on your senior year, Nate!

Kam G: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Kam is my very first senior of the season, and we had one of the nicest March days ever for his senior portraits in Historic Harmony!

Kam is a senior at Knoch High School and is graduating this spring! He plans on attending IUP in the fall. Congratulations on your senior year, Kam! You are going to do amazing things!

Sam M: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Sam is a surfer, guitar player, music writer, book reader, and Boston Market mac'n cheese lover! We had the pleasure to taking Sam's senior photos not too long ago in one of my favorite places (especially for guys!) - Historic Harmony! Throughout the session, we had so much fun getting to know Sam (and of course, his mom, Jennifer!), hearing about their adventures to the beach, and Sam's impressive recovery from not just one, but TWO knee surgeries (yes, he still runs!). Thanks so much for a great session, Sam! Have an amazing senior year!!

Four Ways to Add More "Umph" to Your Senior Photo Outfits!

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:

1. Textures

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

Lace texture on her sleeves

A sweater pattern texture

A subtle line pattern

A subtle polka dot texture on Angelica's pants

2. Layers

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.

3. Accessories

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!

4. Subtle Patterns

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:

1. One outfit focusing on texture.

2. One outfit focusing on layers.

3. One outfit focusing on a subtle pattern.

4. *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!

The Illingworth Triplets: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

I have to say, this was a first for me!! I've never photographed more than one senior at a time, so when Sarah, Dan, and Ashley's mom contacted me about senior photos for her TRIPLETS I was SO excited for the challenge! And let me say, I don't think I could've asked for a better trio to photograph. All three of these Seneca Valley seniors were SUPER easy to work with and were totally meant to be in front of the camera! We even had an unseasonable warm day for their Historic Harmony session, which made things all the better. Congratulations on your last year of school, you three! Thank you for an awesome time!