Arielle A: Barberry Horse Farm Senior Photos

My goal during every session: get at least a few photos of some genuine, natural smiles. Arielle made it sooooo easy to hit my goal with her naturally bubbly and bright personality! This sweet senior is in the midst of her senior year at Eden Christian Academy, and one of her favorite hobbies is horseback riding! So, of course, it was only natural that we would utilize the beautiful location where she rides (Barberry Horse Farm in Sewickley) for her senior session!

Arielle - you are beautiful inside and out, and it was such a pleasure to get to know you (and Ferrari! ;) ) Congratulations on your senior year!!

Maddy L: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

Maddy was an absolute JOY to photograph from start to finish! We had a beautiful day for her senior session, which took place at one of my favorite places - Hartwood Acres! For all of the times I’ve had sessions at Hartwood, I still never seem to get sick of it - there’s always a new angle to find and use. But what really makes a photo session amazing isn’t the location - it’s the person in the photo! And let me tell you - Maddy is such an incredibly kind human with so many awesome aspirations!

Maddy, you are lovely inside and out and it was so fun getting to know you! ☺️

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!!

Taylor D: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

We had the most BEAUTIFUL evening for Taylor's senior portraits at Hartwood Acres Mansion! The sun was in hiding for most of the time, but it came out RIGHT at the end and brought the most beautiful, golden light!

Taylor is heading into her senior year at Seneca Valley. She loves Disney (we got along just fine! ;) ), homemade ranch dressing (none of that from the bottle stuff!), and has aspirations of becoming a lawyer! Congratulations on your senior year, Taylor! 

Rachel C: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Rachel is a soon-to-be Seneca Valley senior who plays the saxophone and absolutely loves ice cream (especially birthday cake from Brusters)!! Her senior session took place in Historic Harmony, which was actually the perfect location, considering she's been taking music lessons right in town for years! We also found out during her session that she works at the same pool that I worked at as a lifeguard when I was her age - which was so fun to learn, and brought back so many good summer job memories for me!

Rachel, you were a joy to photograph and I wish you nothing but the best heading into your senior year! 💛

Jacob C: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

Jacob is a senior at Laurel Highlands High School and is probably one of the nicest senior guys you'll ever meet! I have absolutely loved working with this awesome family throughout the last few years (see Jacob's brother's senior photos from 2014 here!) and was SO excited when they contacted me again, this time for Jacob's senior photos!

Since Jacob's friends call him "soup," (quite fitting since his last name is "Campbell"), Jacob incorporated some Campbells-themed attire into his session, including a bow tie and some Converse shoes! And, since Jacob plays soccer, we incorporated some of those items, too!

Wendy, Jacob, and Brielle (his soon-to-be sister-in-law!): we absolutely LOVED hanging out with all of you. It was such an honor to take these photos for you! Jacob, you're going to do amazing things!

Kylee A: McConnell's Mill Senior Photos

Kylee is an incredibly ambitious soon-to-be senior who is actually right in the middle of getting her cosmetology license! This down to earth senior has a love for Chick-fil-A (same, girl) and Gray's Anatomy, and is truly just one of the sweetest people. I'm so excited for you, Kylee! You are going to do AMAZING things!

Get a Dose of JHP Straight to Your Inbox!

JHP FINALLY has an email list and I couldn't be more excited about it!! Over the course of the last year, I've had numerous current, former, and soon-to-be clients ask if there is a way they could stay updated on a monthly to bi-monthly basis with things like mini-session dates, cancellations, print specials, the latest blog posts new offerings, discounts, and the like, and I'm finally excited to open up this email list to anyone who would like to join!

With all of that being said, let me tell you a few things this email list is not:

• Spam (I cannot STAND when people send me useless emails!)
• A constant sales pitch (who wants to be sold to all the time?! Not me!)

If you are someone who is looking to stay updated on all things JHP, then this email  list is certainly for you. Sign up below!

Montana F: Winter Mellon Park Senior Photos

How brave is Montana for scheduling a winter senior portrait session?! Luckily enough, her session ended up falling on one of the few 50+ degree days we had in January - which was a huge blessing, considering we had rescheduled multiple times for rain and extremely cold weather! The wait was truly worth it for such a warm, beautiful January day!

Montana actually currently attends Westminster College and is right in the midst of her freshman year! (It's never too late to have senior photos taken!). This sweet lady loves reading, along with gothic architecture, making Mellon Park the perfect location for her photos. Montana also has the most beautiful green eyes that popped SO well in her photos!

Thanks so much for a wonderful session, Montana! And good luck with the rest of your freshman year! :)

The Pros & Cons of Scheduling A Photo Session During the Winter Months

Have you ever considered having family, senior, or engagement photos taken during the winter months? Here in Western Pennsylvania, where winters can be long and cold, not quite as many people venture out on location for photos in the dead of winter when they can curl up in front of the fire with a cup of coffee instead (I’m totally putting myself in that group of people!!). BUT if a winter photo session has ever peeked your interest as a possibility, I’ve put together a little pros and cons list to share the good and the not so good of scheduling a winter photo session!

Pros:

We’ll get to utilize breathtaking and unique backgrounds. When I’m driving past a mountain of freshly snow covered trees, I often stare in awe. There’s something so beautiful about freshly fallen snow that makes for a clean, gorgeous backdrop, not just when you’re driving to work but when you’re having your photos taken!

You’ll have that “cozy feeling” in your photos. There’s something about having your photos taken in the winter that immediately creates a “cozy” feeling, especially during engagement and couple sessions where you are going to be close and cuddled up anyways!

You’ll have more times to choose from with a higher probability of weekend dates being available! Because there’s less demand for photos in the winter, I usually have more timeslots available, both during weekdays and on weekends. Essentially, scheduling in the winter means you’ll get a fast pass to the front of the scheduling line!

Cons:

The obvious one: it’s COLD! Consider this test: does thinking about being out in the cold for 60 to 90 minutes make you want to never leave your house again? Then a winter photo session might not be the best choice for you. While some people don’t mind being out in the cold for an extended period of time, others would much rather wait until the warmer months (which is completely understandable!).

There’s a higher chance that your session might be cancelled or postponed due to extreme temperatures or inclement weather. Flexibility is key for winter sessions. There’s a chance your session could be snowed out (while snow is beautiful in photos, it’s not worth endangering your life for) or postponed due to freezing temperatures (who even likes to walk to their car in -5 degree weather?!). Being flexible is KEY!

It might not be the most enjoyable hour/hour and a half of your life. This one kind of speaks for itself – hanging out in the park in 15 degree weather isn’t nearly as fun as watching the sun set on a 70 degree day. The truth is, having a photo session the winter means you might be cold to your core!

What do you think? When considering the pros and cons - where do you fall? I write none of this to persuade anyone out of a winter session, but only to educate based on what some clients wish they would’ve known in the past. If you’re still interested in a winter photo session, be sure to check out my blog post “How to Prep for Your Winter Photo Session” for tips on preparing for a cold weather shoot!