Josh K: Hartwood Acres Mansion Senior Photos

Josh is graduating this Spring with the class of 2023!

He's a super smart guy who's planning on studying biomedical engineering after high school at Duquesne University. And as you can tell, he came dressed to impressed in a suit and one of his favorite bow ties!

Congratulations on your senior year, Josh, and thanks so much for letting us celebrate with you!

Reese D: Mars Area High School Senior Photos at Mellon Park

Congratulations to Reese on her senior year!

Reese is a soccer playing soon-to-be Mars senior who is going to St. John's to play soccer! We had the most beautiful night for her photos at Mellon Park for her senior session... and I LOVED her bright red pop of color for her second outfit. It stood out so well against the more neutral Mellon Park architecture!

If you’re unsure whether to go more bright & vibrant or neutral with outfits for photos, if you’re a senior who’s session is with me… try one of each, like Reese! She had the best of both worlds in terms of color (vibrant/neutral) and style (casual/more dressed up). It’s a great way to get lots of variety within your session!

Thanks so much for the honor of taking your photos, Reese! ❤️

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!

---

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!

Daniel C: North Park Senior Photos

We had the best time hanging out with Daniel at North Park a few weeks ago for his senior photos... AND this is the first session of mine in a while where it actually didn't rain for the entire time! For that, I was so thankful!

Daniel is a Pine Richland senior who loves Astronomy and cooking! He hopes to study culinary science post high school. He's an all around super kind and fun guy! Congratulations on your senior year, Daniel!

I also had the pleasure of taking Daniel’s brother’s senior photos last year - feel free to check them out here! It’s always such an honor to get to work with families multiple times!

Collin H: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

It's been so much fun to get to photograph a handful of seniors from my high school alma mater within the last few months - and Collin is one of those seniors!

We had a foggy, cloudy morning for Collin's senior photos, but it made our light all the nicer to work with, and the colors of the trees, grass, and shrubs even more vibrant! Moraine State Park is one of my absolute favorite spots for fall photos in the Pittsburgh area. The colors are always so striking against the beautiful lake!

Congratulations on your senior year, Collin!

Brooke K: Mellon Park Senior Photos

Brooke is a senior at Sewickley Academy who hopes to pursue a career as a lawyer post-high school! Besides being a talented dancer, she also loves graphic design, and is one of the chief creative forces behind her school's yearbook!

We had the prettiest morning for her senior photos at Mellon Park, with a few bursts of gorgeous sunshine!

Congratulations on your senior year, Brooke!

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!

Cece H: Seneca Valley Senior Photos at Mellon Park

Cece had the most perfect evening for her photos at Mellon Park! The air was slightly crisp, and there was barely any humidity... and the LIGHT! It was unbelievable.

Cece is a rising senior at Seneca Valley who is involved in cheer & track! She's also a former gymnast, whose favorite food is sushi

Congratulations on your senior year, Cece!

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!

Sam H: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

Sam is an Eden Christian Academy senior who is a part of the class of 2021! I do not exaggerate when I say that Sam is truly one of the nicest guys we’ve had the pleasure of photographing. It sometimes takes a little while to get guy seniors to “open up” in front of the camera, but Sam was there from the start - comfortable, talkative, and cooperative!

Post high school, Sam hopes to work as a youth pastor. He’s also a (very talented!) photographer - which made taking his photos even more of an honor!

Sam, congratulations on your last year of school! You are going to do great things!