Summer North Park Family Photos

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family a few years ago when we had a surprise snow storm at the beginning of November… and this time was much different! Rather than a surprise snow storm, we had a heat wave the day of their session this time, which they muscled through so well! Thankfully, we had some beautiful sunlight and scenery to work with, which made the heat seem not so bad!

Family photo sessions with young ones are so much fun! Of course, I’m always aiming to get some photos of the kids looking at the camera, but often times, it’s important to embrace the more candid-nature of a family session with young kids to get some genuine smiles. We played Simon Says, laughed, yelled, talked about our favorite foods, animals, and colors, and hugged, and ran! And we had a great time. A huge thanks to this family for letting me photograph you all again! ❤️

Pittsburgh Extended Family Photos

This was a special extended family session, featuring both sides of Malorie & Johan's family! These extended family members have come together in support of their newest and littlest member, so it was only fitting to document this sweet season before some head out of state in the place that brought them all together in this season!

Interested in an immediate or extended family session? Feel free to click this link for more info!

Malorie & Johan, thank you so much for the honor of photographing your sweet families during this special time!

Summer Moraine State Park Family Photos

Tracie & Mark are celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year, and they wanted to do so with some updated family photos, and some updated photos of the two of them! One of their favorite places as a family of four to spend time at is Moraine State Park, so it was a no-brainer that that would be the perfect location for their photos… and it did not disappoint!

Aside from some of my usual favorite spots, I noticed some gorgeous bushes in bloom all throughout the park… and I knew we had to use them in their photos! So we parked, jumped across a ditch, and walked across the road to our first beautiful spot. Sometimes it takes a little extra work to make the magic happen, but it’s always so worth it!

From there, we drove to two other locations for photos - one spot with a small field and a wooded area, and the last spot right on the lake. While the lake location is beautiful, the light is best later in the day, when the sun isn’t shining to bright against the water. I think we hit our last spot at the perfect time, and got the most beautiful light!

As an added bonus… the kids played in the lake at the end of our session and caught a fish! (Scroll to the bottom to see the very last photo!). If you’ve ever wondered what a family session is like, I feel like that just about sums it up! Kids have limited attention spans during photos, so at some point, we have to steer into that and go for the more fun, candid, and interactive shots (you’ll see lots of fun ones in this post!). And you know what? Those ones always end up being my favorites anyways!

Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary, Tracie & Mark! Thank you so much for the honor of commemorating such a special season for you four!

McConnell's Mill Summer Family Photos

This sweet family had the most gorgeous day for their mini session at McConnell’s Mill!

We’ve known Darren & Kim for a number of years, all the way back to before they were married! We’ve run in many of the same circles and have had the pleasure of seeing them get engaged, married, and grow from a family of two to three, then from a family of three to four.

I love the colors these four chose for their photos! They opted for lighter, summer-themed tones, which popped perfectly against the sun-lit forest background. I’m so excited about how these images turned out!

Kim & Darren, thank you so much for the honor of taking these photos for you. You two (and your two boys!) are a blessing to our lives! ❤️

Interested in booking a family session for yourself? Feel free to click here to get some more info, or email me directly at: jhidingerphotography@gmail.com.

Spring Mini Sessions 2022 Recap

We had a beautiful afternoon for our back-to-back mini sessions at Moraine State Park!

It was an absolute joy to be able to photograph three beautiful families - two of whom I photographed weddings for just a few years ago! And one of whom I used to work with!

Mini sessions are a great option for families who want a few updated images as their kids grow - but they are also great for a short engagement session, a quick headshot, or even a quick extended family photo! I try to offer them a few times throughout each calendar year. I hope to offer Christmas tree farm mini sessions this fall! (Check out my last set from 2022 here!)

Interested in knowing when mini sessions events are happening? Feel free to click here to sign up for my email newsletter so you can be in the know!

And for now - enjoy a few of my favorite images from our mini session day!

Introducing Spring 2022 Mini Sessions at Moraine State Park!

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be hosting a round of Spring mini sessions this year at a favorite park of mine, Moraine State Park!

These sessions will be 15 minutes in length and will take place at the Pleasant View Picnic Area on the South Shore of Moraine. These mini sessions will include 10 digital files (that you will be able to choose from your online gallery!), and will be priced at $275, +6% sales tax. We’ll be using a natural, forest-y backdrop for the photos (see example photos below!)

If you are interested in booking or in checking out what timeslots are still available, click here!

If you are someone who might be interested in a JHP mini session in the future, I’d love to encourage you to sign up for my email list! People on my email list are the first to know about upcoming mini sessions, and when my full session time slots are released, seasonally. Plus, I only send a few emails per year (I promise! 👏). Click here to join the mailing list!

Historic Harmony Family & Maternity Photos

Oh how I adore this family! I've photographed Amanda & Chris for quite a few milestones - engagement, elopement, and when they were expecting their first child - and this Spring, I had the pleasure of photographing them once again, along with their sweet girl Kennedy, as they grow their family! It is such a treat to get to work with the same families as they grow!

And you may not be able to tell from these photos (because they hide it so well!!) but it was lightly raining for the majority of their session! And they pushed through it SO well, and we still got some lovely images for them to remember this season. I am so thankful!

We took these photos in one of my favorite locations, Historic Harmony! There are so many lovely backdrops within a short walking distance that can be used while taking portraits here.

Amanda & Chris, congratulations on the growth of your family! ❤️

North Shore Pittsburgh Family Photos

We had a blast photographing this family in downtown Pittsburgh on a bright & beautiful March afternoon! The family’s eldest sibling, JR, was scheduled to get his senior photos taken, so the family opted to add on a “family mini session” prior to the start of JR’s senior session!

I would venture to say that senior photos are also the perfect time to update family photos, and a family mini session means that it will be quick and painless for everyone involved ;) One member of the family is already going to be photo ready, and typically one parent (and possibly a sibling) will be coming to the photo session for moral support anyways... so why not just get some photos of everyone together before your senior heads off to college or trade school?

A huge thanks to this sweet family for the honor of capturing this season for them! ❤️ We had a blast with you guys!!!

And if you’d like to see JR’s senior photo session, click here!

Winter Mellon Park Family Photos

We had a beautiful, snowy day for this lovely family’s photos! Mellon Park truly looks magical in the snow. The real feel was 10°F, so our time together did not last long, but it was so much fun, and we were still able to get some beautiful and unique images! ❤️

Fall North Park Family Photos

Oh what a lovely November evening we had for this sweet family's photos! We had the BEST time running around North Park with these four... and we even had some sunlight to work with, which is often a rarity in Pittsburgh in November!!

I met this family a few months ago at the church plant we’re a part of, New Horizon Church, so it was super fun to get to spend some time with them walking, running, jumping, dancing, and playing Simon Says (oh the things we do for those candid kid reactions at a family session!! They are always so much FUN!).

Enjoy a few of my favorite photos below, and thank you so much to these four for letting me document such a sweet season!