Gavin S: North Catholic High School Senior Photos at McConnell's Mill

Meet Gavin, who's graduating this Spring with the class of 2022 from North Catholic!

Gavin is heading south for college, and plans to be a part of the medical field - his choice was inspired by his own personal experience and diagnosis.

Gavin also plays hockey and has a car that he's proud of - so of course, we had to incorporate it into some photos! We had the perfect night for photos at McConnell's Mill, and were able to get lots of variety and unique shots during our time together!

Congratulations on your senior year, Gavin! And thanks so much for the honor of taking your photos!

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!

Lauren M: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

I think it's safe to say that it's REALLY feeling a lot like fall here in Western Pennsylvania And I am ALL for it!

Lauren's senior session a few weeks ago at McConnell's Mill was the first shoot of the year (for me!) that felt like fall! We were able to get two totally different looks in during her session - one fall, and one a bit more summer! She even jumped in the water for some photos at the end of her session… It was so much fun!

Besides being quite adventurous, Lauren is just the sweetest! I've known her family for quite some time and adore them. It's such an honor and blessing to get to work with families throughout the years! Congratulations on your senior year, Lauren!

Location Ideas for Photo Sessions Near Cranberry Township & Zelienople

Looking for a location for photos near the Cranberry Township/Zelienople area? Look no further than this blog post! Below, you’ll find a few of my favorite locations in this specific area north of Pittsburgh. All of these locations are within a 20 minute drive of Zelienople, PA. Enjoy!

1. Historic Harmony

 

This is a long time favorite photo location of mine! Historic Harmony is a little historic German town North of Cranberry Township, right near Zelienople. It has many different backdrops with bright colored buildings and doorways. There’s also a little park area nearby that can be used to get some more nature focused shots!

I would recommend checking in with the Harmony Museum if you plan on using this location for a photo session (unless you are scheduling a session with me - then I will happily check in with them for you! ;) ). They own a few of the buildings in town and require advance permission if you wish to shoot in front of them. They can give you the full scoop!

Check out some of my favorite sample images from Historic Harmony below!

2. Moraine State Park

 

Wide open lake views paired with fields and forest - this location has so much variety to offer for a photo session! Besides lakes, fields, and forests, this location also has several docks scattered throughout the park. The park itself has a “North Shore” and a “South Shore.” Personally, I prefer the “South Shore” for photo sessions, and all of my photo sessions have taken place throughout the park area on the South Shore.

3. McConnell’s Mill

 

Thick forest, an old mill, and large rocks along the river/creek area make this location a great spot with lots of variety! McConnell’s Mill also has a covered bridge that can be utilized for photos.

4. Cleland Rock

 

While Cleland Rock is technically a part of McConnell's Mill, it’s actually about a 12 minute drive from the “central” area of McConnell’s Mill. This location features fields (at different times throughout the year - thought sometimes they are barren!), as well as some tree lines and a large rock overlooking a beautiful Pennsylvania skyline. This is a simple location, but it always has gorgeous light!

5. Zelienople (in town)

 

Looking for a more urban look? Zelienople has so many beautiful spots to offer! Brick walls, historic buildings, and new storefronts make this location a great spot for a more urban look.

6. Lake Forest Gardens

 

This location is the perfect spot if you’re looking for a location for your Christmas cards! Lake Forest Gardens is location in Fombell, PA, right outside of Zelienople. It features rows of Christmas trees and a beautiful, mountain backdrop! You do need to call ahead for this location to get permission and pay a $25 fee for the use of their property. It is most definitely worth it, though!

7. North Boundary Park

 

North Boundary Park is located right in the heart of Cranberry Township! This park features lots of soccer fields, baseball fields, a pool, and a walking path circling around it all. Though it doesn’t have an ample amount of spots for photos, there are some willow trees that make for a great backdrop against some of the large rolling hills! There are also some fenced areas, as well as the pathway itself, that make for some cute backdrops!

8. Cranberry Township Community Park

 

This is another spot I don’t absolutely love, but it does have a few nice spots for photos! I’m going to let you in on a little secret: my favorite spot to take photos here is right across from the dog park! The trees get some beautiful light there, and there’s a large log and small pond/lake with a willow tree that can work for a shorter session! I wouldn’t say that it is full of spots for photos… but there are definitely a few spots to work with!

Gracie D: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

One of my absolute favorite things I learned about Gracie during her senior session at McConnell’s Mill is that she is named after “Gracie Lou” (played by Sandra Bullock) from Miss Congeniality! And really (in the short time I got to spend with her!) I can tell that she’s much like the character she’s named after - kind and sweet, but tough and more than able to hold her own!

We had the most beautiful day for Gracie’s senior portraits, and were even able to find some flowers around the park to incorporate into her photos. Congratulations on your senior year, Gracie!

Anthony W: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

We had the most gorgeous morning for Anthony’s fall senior photos at McConnell’s Mill! As you’ll be able to tell from the photos below, Anthony is a football player and has a pretty sweet ride! It was such an honor to take his photos around the park. Congratulations on your last year of school, Anthony! 🎉

Bella P: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

Oh man, this was a fun one! Bella is a reader, Harry Potter lover (duh!), and just an all-around fun human to hang out with! She got a little extra creative with her senior photos, and decided to bring along some of her favorite Harry Potter gear to incorporate into her photos - which I was SO excited about, considering that I’m currently reading through the series for the first time ever!!

Congratulations on your last year of school, Bella! ☺️

Rebecca M: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Rebekah’s senior photos a few weeks ago at McConnell’s Mill! Rebekah's family recently moved fairly recently from Tennessee to Pennsylvania - she's a fan of German food, is the only sibling in her family (one of four!) not named after a book of the bible, and is an ice skater! ⛸ Congratulations on your last year of school, Rebekah!!

Rebekah’s family joined us for a “mini” family session after her senior photo session! A mini family session can be added on to any senior session for an additional fee. If you’re interested in adding a mini session to your senior session, email Jenna directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com for more details!

McConnell's Mill Family Photos

It was an honor to take these photos for this beautiful family! They braved the heat, humidity, and threat of rain looming on the horizon for these photos together, and it only started raining just as we finished up and started packing up our cars - which I am so thankful for! It was especially an honor to take photos for this family because Andrew & Mackenzie are also photographers in the Pittsburgh area - what an honor it is when another photographer trusts me with their memories!

Thank you both so much for the honor of documenting this beautiful time in your lives!

Best of Senior Photos 2018

Senior sessions are always one of my FAVORITE parts of my entire year! With all of my seniors, I have two goals: to capture them authentically, and for them to feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I love seeing seniors who might not feel comfortable in front of the camera initially walk away feeling encouraged and loved - and like they are totally capable of doing whatever they set their hearts and minds to!

I had so many sessions at lots of beautiful locations this year, but when I went back through my records, I could hardly believe that just about 50% of all of my senior sessions this year happened at Hartwood Acres Mansion. And for good reason! It is such a beautiful location with so many different spots that lend themselves to amazing backdrops!

My seniors had their sessions through freezing temps (in the single digits!!), rain, snow, thunderstorms, humidity - and all of them handled their shoots like pros. To all of my seniors: I am so incredibly grateful for you! You are going to do amazing things - I hope you believe it! 💛