Karissa & Dave: McConnell's Mill & Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

Meet Karissa & Dave ❤️

These two started dating during the 2020 pandemic! Because so many indoor locations were closed down at the time, they had their first date at North Park - and it turns out, that was a defining part of their relationship! Years later, they still love hiking and being outdoors together

In addition to having a mutual love of the outdoors, Karissa & Dave also figured out early on in their dating that they have lots of mutual acquaintances in common - it turns out they've been just a few degrees separated almost their whole lives!

I truly loved getting to know this sweet pair, and getting to explore some of my favorite spots at McConnell's Mill and Moraine State Park with them! They are SO easy to talk to and connect with, and I couldn't be more excited for their wedding day this upcoming summer!

Congratulations on your engagement, Karissa & Dave!!!

If you enjoyed Karissa & Dave’s session, you also might enjoy…

Anna & Henry: Summer Cleland Rock & Moraine Engagement Photos

Amanda & Chris: Winter McConnell’s Mill Engagement Photos

Katie & Jake: Summer Cleland Rock & Moraine Engagement Photos

For more blog content, including Pittsburgh seniors, families, couples, and weddings, feel free to check out the posts below! If you are interested in scheduling a photo session with Jenna, feel free to click here to get in touch!

Kathi & John: McConnell's Mill & Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

Kathi & John have been together for 8 years! Interestingly enough, Kathi & John grew up a very short distance from each other, but didn't meet until freshman orientation at St. Vincent College - which is also where John proposed back in February of this year!

Kathi & John's favorite go-to date is ordering a round of milkshakes and just talking - the simple dates are somehow always the best, and the most memorable.

For their engagement session, Kathi & John chose the combo of McConnell's Mill and Moraine State Park... two beautiful spots with so much gorgeous scenery! We had an absolute blast taking their photos and getting to know them.

Congratulations on your engagement, Kathi & John! We cannot wait to celebrate you on your wedding day!!!!

Anna & Henry: Cleland Rock & Moraine State Park Engagement Photos

This engagement session has it all - a dog, flowers, water, fields, and a gorgeous couple who is totally and completely in love!

Anna & Henry have been together for about three and a half years, and are tying the knot next year at one of my favorite venues - the White Barn! They love the beach and have the cutest little pup named Fin, who joined us for some photos!

Congratulations on your engagement, Anna & Henry! I am so excited to photograph your wedding day next year!!

JHP Engagement Photo Highlights 2019

Engagement sessions are one of my favorite types of sessions EVER! It is so much fun to have people in love in front of my camera, and this year, there were some seriously amazing ones! 💛

To all of the couples who trusted me with their engagement photos: You are the BEST! I am so thankful to be the one you’ve trusted with these precious memories!

If you’re looking for more information about engagement portraits or would like to schedule a session, visit my pricing page here, and my contact page here!

This was my first time photographing a couple at Fellows Riverside Gardens and I totally fell in LOVE! Props to my couple for introducing me to this epic location!

Brielle and Stephen came dressed to kill! An engagement session is always a good time to kick up the style a notch!

Photographing my cousin and his fiance was definitely one of the biggest highlights of all of my engagement sessions this year! And getting to take photos in the sunflower fields at Soergel’s was just icing on the cake!

I mean, have you ever seen flower bushes so beautiful?!

I was wondering why all of the sunflowers were facing in one direction, and learned that they grow facing towards the rising sun. Fun fact!

Winter engagement sessions are always, ALWAYS my favorite. 💕 Specifically when there’s snow!

Technically this was an anniversary session, but we adore these two so I had to include them!

Ed and Meghan incorporated a car that’s been in Ed’s family for quite a few generations. It was so much fun!

This was one of my favorite locations of the entire year! Everything just came together seamlessly - the sky, the light, the couple.

Brielle & Stephen: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photos

I love all of my couples and engagement sessions, but this session in particular was one I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time!

Brielle is the daughter of one of my dad's best friends, and I took both Brielle and Stephen's senior photos in 2013 and 2014 when I was first starting my business. I couldn't be more thankful that they trusted me as I was just starting this journey, and I'm so excited to be the one documenting this new adventure of becoming husband and wife!

For their engagement session, we hit some of my favorite outdoor locations, including McConnell’s Mill, Cleland Rock, and Moraine State Park - and we had the most BEAUTIFUL day with gorgeous, sunny weather, which is always a gamble in Pittsburgh!

Brielle and Stephen, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate your marriage next year! 🎉 Congratulations again on your engagement! We love you guys!

Spring & Summer Outfit Inspiration for Engagement Photos

Spring is right around the corner, which means lots of beautiful, colorful, spring engagement sessions! But, let’s be honest, here - one of the best and toughest parts of any engagement session is figuring out what to wear - especially when you have to coordinate outfits for not one, but TWO people. While an upcoming engagement session may be a good excuse to head to your favorite local boutique, it can be frustrating not knowing what to wear with so many different options!

Today, I want to share some styling tips specific to spring and summer sessions for engagement photos. Below, you’ll find a few ideas to say “yes” to, and a few you might want to consider passing on. Below these two categories, you’ll find a link to my engagement spring & summer inspiration board (which I update on the regular!), as well as some inspiration from past JHP couples. But above any of these ideas, make sure you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear for your engagement session. Confidence in front of the camera can be hampered whenever you’re not fully sold on (or comfortable in) what you’re wearing! And trust me… you’ll be moving around a lot for your engagement photos, so you’ll want to make sure you feel comfortable!

Without further ado, here are my top styling tips for engaged couples!

SAY YES TO…

• Bright colors - I LOVE bright colors for spring engagement sessions! Whether you choose a bright top or colorful sundress, your brightly colored outfit will most likely compliment the new spring blooms beautifully! 🌷

• Neutrals - As much as I love bright colors, there’s something sophisticated about some well coordinated neutrals. For example - white dresses and a neutral blazer are both classic and pretty much never go out of style!

• A Light Button Down (for Him) - I’m a big fan of guys in blazers for engagement sessions, especially if the lady is wearing a sun dress, maxi dress, or skirt! They’re SO classy and immediately “upscale” an outfit (and they’re flattering for guys!), but if it’s TOO hot for a blazer, I recommend a nice button down shirt - whether short sleeve or long sleeve (but rolled up, of course, for some breathing room!)

• Three Quarter Length Sleeves - Did you know that three quarter length sleeves are the most flattering type of sleeve length for both men and women? They’re also the perfect length for those temperate spring mornings and evenings!

• Floral (for Her) or Other Patterns (for Him) - Floral patterns for the spring are always a hit! Whether you go with a top, sundress, or maxi dress (my personal fave!), floral patterns (and even other patterns) work well to make someone “pop” off of the background of an image with a simple background. If you’re working on styling your guy, a shirt or tie/bowtie with a slight pattern can add some extra visual interest and make your outfits pop!

• Accessories - Watches, tie clips, bowties, or ties for him, and hats, kimonos, watches, and jewelry for her. Both can go a long way and add a lot of visual interest to your photos!

• Maxi Dresses/Skirts - Maxi dresses and skirts are oh-so beautiful in the spring and summer! They’re light and breezy and do a wonderful job of naturally elongating the body in photos! Plus… they’re fun to twirl! 💃 Which, for an engagement session, is always so dreamy!

• White Jeans - White jeans are a great compliment to a brightly colored or patterned top, and can be nice to throw into the mix if your S.O. is wearing jeans. White jeans are sleek and give a bit of an upscale look!

CONSIDER PASSING ON…

• Fluorescent Colors - Neon colors don’t tend to photograph quite so well, so pass on any colors that are a bit too fluorescent (not to be confused with the aforementioned bright colors - examples in the photos below!).

• Shirts with Logos - Shirts with logos don’t usually look that nice. Try opting for a shirt without a logo to keep your photos classic!

• Being too Matchy Matchy - Focus on coordinating your outfits, not matching them. Coordinating outfits means choosing complimentary colors, patterns, and textures between the two of you - not wearing the exact same thing! (i.e., both of you in a white shirt and jeans)

• Super Short Shorts and Dresses - Shorts and dresses are totally fine (and encouraged!), but sometimes when they get way too short, they’re tough to move around in, especially for engagement photos (you’ll be moving around/sitting on the ground quite a bit!)

• Too Many Heavy Layers - There are few things more uncomfortable then being bundled up in 90 degree weather for an hour and a half while getting your photo taken! Wearing too many layers in the summer particularly can result in lots of sweaty portraits - so be careful how many layers you and your S.O. add particularly for really hot days!

A FEW MORE RESOURCES:

If you’re looking for some more help preparing for your engagement session, check out the posts below!

• 4 Tips for Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Session

• 5 Ways to Pamper Yourself for Your Engagement Photos

• How to Choose Outfits for Your Engagement Session

• 3 Must Read Tips for Bringing Your Dog to Your Engagement Session

• Creative Outfit Ideas for Your Engagement Photos

Amanda & Chris: McConnell's Mill Winter Engagement Photos

You’ve gotta love Pittsburgh, where temperatures can go from 4 degrees to 40 degrees in less than 12 hours! We rescheduled Amanda and Chris’s engagement session twice due to the freezing temps, which ended up being a great choice with the “real feel” and wind temps dipping below zero both times ❄️And in turn, we were rewarded with an almost 40 DEGREE winter afternoon for their winter afternoon session at McConnell’s Mill! And let me tell you - these two totally rocked it!!

ABOUT AMANDA & CHRIS

Amanda and Chris met over the phone, when Chris was working as a tech support rep. Chris quickly became Amanda’s go-to teach support guy, and as they say - the rest is history! But that first call was a pretty significant one, because when I asked these two when they knew each other was ‘the one,’ Chris said: “The first support phone call I had with her. I never wanted to stop talking to her.” Cue the happy tears!

I have a lot of questions I love to ask couples, but one of my favorites is: “What do you admire most about your significant other?” And because Chris and Amanda’s answers to this question are just so sweet (and so telling of how much they love each other!), I just have to share!

Chris: “Her ability to always make me smile or laugh. She managed to do it on our very first phone call, every call after that, and even every day since."

Amanda: “His determination to teach himself anything he puts his mind to. It’s quite wonderful to watch him figure something out that he’s never done before and then successful (with some trial and error) accomplish what he set out to do. It makes me want to learn from him everyday.”

THE SESSION

One of my very favorite things about Amanda and Chris’s entire session is how much they laughed together! They literally laughed through the entire session - which, I know, sounds so simple. But it made my job so easy! It’s always so fun to see two people who are truly and genuinely best friends loving their time together!

We started off their session at the main park section of McConnell’s Mill, and did a little bit of perilous hiking throughout the snow-covered trails, then headed over to one of my favorite sections of McConnell’s Mill - Cleland Rock! It’s about a 12 minute drive from the main Mill section - but SO worth the drive, especially when it’s covered in snow 😍

Without further ado - I am so excited to share some of my favorite images from Amanda and Chris’s engagement session! 💛

Best of Engagement Photos 2018

One of the best parts about engagement sessions is getting to know my wedding couples beforehand, and this year I’ve had the pleasure of photographing so many amazing couples in so many picturesque places! The very first engagement session of the year was in JANUARY, with the sweetest couple who had the most perfect January day! (It was like, 50 degrees and sunny - it doesn’t get much better than that in January in Pittsburgh!). The very last engagement session was with a couple who braved the rain and cold for some unique shots in some of my new favorite locations! All and all, this year was a blessing from start to finish.

To all of the couples who trusted me with their engagement photos: You are the BEST! I am so thankful to be the one you’ve trusted with these precious memories!

5 Reasons to Consider a Morning Photo Session

Photographing people on location with natural light is a bit of a science. A session in the middle of the day could lead to harsh light and dark shadows under the eyes of the subject, while a session close to sunrise or sunset creates an opportunity for soft, even light that flatters any subject in front of the camera.

While about 90% of all of my sessions take place in the evening (close to sunset), one of my absolute FAVORITE times to shoot is in the morning. So, why might you want to consider scheduling a morning session timeslot opposed to an evening one? Well, for one…

1.  If you’re a morning person, a morning session might be the perfect fit for you (and possibly more enjoyable!)!

If you’re already a morning person, why not have your photo taken in the morning?! I’m a BIG fan of getting the most important things crossed off my to do list early in the day – and having your photo session done in the morning will let you have the remainder of your day to work or play! Which leads me to my next point…

2.  You’ll be all ready to go for the day – looking gorgeous from the start!

I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but I really dislike “getting ready” near the end of the day (aka doing 20 minutes of hair and makeup – ha!). I love being able to get ready in the morning and then have my hair and makeup last throughout the entirety of the day. The great thing about having your photo session in the morning? You can do just that! After your session, you’ll be looking real nice for the remainder of the day – so (unless you have work or school!) plan something fun to do afterwards so you can get a bit more longevity out of your look!

3.  You could go out to BREAKFAST afterwards!

Something fun you COULD do is go to breakfast afterwards! Going out to breakfast is literally one of my favorite things in the world, which is why I had to mention it. And really, having your photos taken in the morning means you’ll probably need a little fuel for the rest of the day – no better excuse to stop over to First Watch or Bartram House Bakery! (Or wherever your favorite breakfast place might be ;) ).

4.  You might be able to miss just the first hour or so of work or school.

Sometimes, weekday photo sessions mean you might have to miss a little bit of work at the end of the day. But depending on how early you’re willing to have your photos taken, we might be able to get your photo session in before work or school (this depends on the time of year and how early the sun rises). Whatever the case, missing just a little bit of work or school in the morning can be better than missing half a day in the afternoon!

5.  The light is killer.

Morning light might just be my favorite. Something about it is so soft and sweet – even though sunset light is always gorgeous, I’ve created some of my favorite images using morning light!

8 Uses for Your Engagement Photos

Having your engagement photos taken is one thing, but doing something with them is a whole ‘nother story! It can be easy to have your engagement photos taken, maybe use them for a save the date, then put them in a drawer. (I know the feeling – it took me a year to print my engagement photos after we had them taken, besides our save the dates!). So, I made a little list of a few of my favorite ways I’ve seen my clients use their photos to inspire a little creativity!

1.   CREATE SAVE THE DATE CARDS.

 Truth be told, this is why most people have their engagement photos taken, but I think it’s worth mentioning any way! Save the dates can come in so many unique varieties personalized to you and your significant other. Instead of just creating a card with a photo, you could go with a bookmark, a magnet, or even a sticker for someone to put right on their calendar!

2.  DESIGN A WEDDING GUEST BOOK.

Most certainly one of my FAVORITE ways to see engagement photos used! A wedding guest book is the perfect way to feature lots of photos from your session and knock out something on your wedding to-do list.

3.  MAKE SOME GIANT PRINTS OR CANVASES!

This might be another more obvious thing to do with engagement photos, but it’s one that doesn’t always necessarily happen. Printing out your photos is the best way to preserve your memories to hang around your house as daily encouragement. Plus – a giant canvas of an engagement photo looks AMAZING right outside the doors of your wedding reception!

4.  DESIGN A WEDDING WEBSITE.

Engagement photos are perfect to use on a wedding website. Pro tip: wear colors for your engagement session that compliment your actual wedding colors to build a cohesive look throughout your wedding website!

5.  USE THEM AS "THANK YOU" CARDS (OR POSTCARDS) FOR YOUR SHOWER.

How easy (and how much cheaper!) would it be to use one of your engagement photos on the back of a postcard for thank you cards for your shower?!

6.  GIVE THEM AS GIFTS TO PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AND RELATIVES.

Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day – whatever you can think of, your next holiday is covered! Sentimental gifts are always a win with relatives. One of my personal favorites to make for my relatives is a Christmas ornament! (I also love to make at least one photo Christmas ornament for myself each year to commemorate whatever took place that year!)

7.  USE THEM AS DECORATION FOR YOUR SHOWER OR WEDDING DAY.

Get the most use out of those photos by actually using them in your shower and wedding décor! Framed prints and canvases integrate beautifully into any wedding style or theme.

8.  MAKE PHOTO STAMPS OUT OF THEM!

This is one of my FAVORITES and one of the most unique uses I’ve seen! Before I saw Rachel and Paul’s stamps (below) on their save the dates, I didn’t even realize you could make customized stamps from something like engagement photos! Customized stamps are a great way to add a little personalized touch to your save the dates, shower invites, thank yous, or wedding invites!

What are some other ways you plan on using (or have used) your engagement photos? Is there anything you would add to the list?