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!

What is the Best Time of Day for Senior Pictures? Answered by a Pittsburgh Senior Photographer

Is there a “best” time of day for senior photos?

The answer to this question might vary from photographer to photographer, but generally, the answer is yes! There is a “best” time of day for taking photos - or in my case, there are two times of day that are my personal favorites for taking photos! These times of day help me…

• Make sure my client’s skin looks its most flattering (almost luminescent!)

• Make sure my client is not squinting their eyes during their session

• Have an easier time controlling the available light

• Not have to use off camera lighting (my preference is natural light, paired with a reflector!)

A few important things to note: as a primarily “natural light” photographer (or in other words, as a photographer who uses the sun as her main light source usually without the addition of artificial lights!), I plan my sessions around when the natural sunlight is best. And for the way I prefer to shoot, the best light of the day is generally found within two hours of sunrise and two hours before sunset. This is when the sun is lowest in the sky, which gives me the ability to maneuver it a bit easier! It’s also softer and warmer within both of these time frames - the higher the sun gets in the sky, the harsher the light becomes, creating harsh lines, highlights, and shadows on my subjects (and makes them squint!)… and I want every person I photograph to have that beautiful, flattering soft light that can be found at those two times of day, so that is typically when I plan my sessions for!

However, on a cloudy day (we get lots of those here in Pittsburgh!), the rules can change a bit.

On a cloudy day, the clouds act as a giant soft box for the sun - meaning that the light is less harsh, and doesn’t create harsh lines, shadows, and highlights on my client’s face… so we can get that beautiful soft light throughout the entire day! There are even times when the cloud coverage is so heavy (blocking so much of the sunlight, effectively creating an “earlier” sunset) that I actually have to move my session up an hour or so.

But because I plan my sessions so far out in advance (usually a few months out), I always schedule my sessions within two hours of sunrise, or two hours before sunset. That way, we know we will always have the best light of the day whether it’s sunny or cloudy! And then I watch the sunlight and cloud coverage throughout the day to see if the timing needs to be adjusted.

Below are some photos that were taken within two hours of sunrise, or two hours before sunset!

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What Time of Year is Best for Senior Pictures? Answered by a Pittsburgh Senior Photographer

Believe it or not, there’s not a one size fits all answer to the question “what time of year is best for senior pictures?”

The most popular time of year here in Pittsburgh for senior photos is no doubt the fall, usually in October. We are blessed with some beautiful foliage in the autumn months here in Western Pennsylvania, and many seniors want to take advantage of that for their photos! And it’s always nice to not be sweating during your senior pictures, which is often the case in summer.

However, instead of telling you what the best time of the year is for senior pictures, I’d love to help you figure out when would be the best time for YOU by walking you through some questions:

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

Does being really hot or really cold bother you?

I know, kind of a weird question, but stay with me! If you aren’t a fan of hot and humid weather, you’ll probably be miserable during a summer session. On the flip side, if you aren’t a fan of the cold, waiting until mid November for your senior photos probably isn’t a great option, either. But if you’re a huge fan of summer and can’t wait to wear a sun dress or shorts and a T-shirt for your photos, then summer might be the perfect time for your photos! Which leads me to my next question…

What kind of clothing do you picture yourself wearing for your photos?

This might help you decide what season you want your photos taken in! If you aren’t fan of short sleeves/pants and prefer long sleeves and/or layers, a cooler timeframe might be better for you - think early spring or mid to late fall! However, if you really like summer attire and want to show off your summer tan, a warmer month (June, July, August) might be perfect for you!

What is your preferred type of scenery?

This one might be obvious, but I think it’s worth throwing in here anyways, because there are some types of scenery that are “best” during certain times of year. For example - if you want lots of beautiful blooms in your photos, spring is a must! Summer can also be a good time for photos with flowers, especially at a location like Hartwood Acres Mansion, because their garden is in full bloom by late summer. But you won’t find many flowers in the fall (obviously! ;) ).

When do you actually have time for your photo session?

Last but not least, what does your schedule look like? Is the school year super crazy for you with sports and extracurriculars? Then it might be best to have your senior photos taken over the summer! Or is summer super crazy for you? Will you be traveling all over the place without much of a break? Then consider booking a senior session for the school year! Whatever the case, having an idea of when you’ll have a bit of extra time is important. Senior photos are meant to be fun and relaxing - a celebration of the end of a season and the beginning of a new one! So if trying to schedule your session during a certain time of year stresses you out, then don’t even go there. Choose a time where you’ll actually get to enjoy the experience without being too rushed!

STILL UNSURE?

If you’ve considered all of these questions and you’re still not sure, know that you can’t go wrong with any season, really! Spring, summer, fall, and winter all have their pros and cons when it comes to scheduling a senior session during any one of them - and the “best” time is different for each senior based on their personal needs, preferences, and schedule!

MY PERSONAL OPINION

But if you want to know what I think… my (personal) favorite months for senior photos are end of April/early May (with the beautiful spring flowers!), August (right before school starts, everything is so green, and seniors are less stressed), and end of September into all of October (fall foliage and cool weather is my absolute favorite!). I also love winter senior sessions when there is snow… because it’s such a unique backdrop! The cold isn’t always so fun, but the beautiful scenery makes it worth it!

Pictured below from left to right: spring, summer, fall, winter.

4 Ways to Incorporate Fresh Flowers into Your Senior Photos

Fresh flowers are one of my favorite “props” for seniors to incorporate into their senior photos! As a senior photographer in the Pittsburgh area, there are a few locations around the Pittsburgh area that are known for having beautiful gardens to work with - including two of my favorites, Hartwood Acres Mansion and Mellon Park!

But what happens when you want to incorporate those glorious florals into your photos, but the garden isn’t in bloom? Or maybe you live in an area that just doesn’t have a lot of blooming florals.

Let me tell you a little secret… you don’t have to have access to a garden or field of flowers in order to get that pop of flower color in your photos! In fact, all of the ideas found in this blog post do not require access to a garden or a field of flowers, but will still help you get that “pop” that you want. So let’s dive in with some of my favorite ideas!

1. Hold a bouquet or single stem flower.

This might be the easiest option, because you can buy a bouquet of flowers from the local grocery store, from a farm, or from a florist! A simple bouquet of flowers never goes out of style. Just make sure to take color scheme into consideration when choosing, you’ll want to make sure the bouquet goes with your outfit choice! I often have seniors hold the bouquet or set it on the ground near where they’re sitting for a quick pop of color.

You can also opt for a single stemmed flower - I personally love a large single stem sunflower, since it has a bit more volume than some other types of flowers! But even a rose would be a beautiful addition.

2. Off with their heads!

Quite literally - cut the heads of the flowers off and lay them on the ground! This is one of my FAVORITE shots to get when someone brings fresh flowers. But of course, I would suggest doing this shot near the end of your session so you can use the stemmed flowers for other photos! I also sometimes love to have seniors throw the cut off heads in the air for something a little fun and different! (Kind of like confetti… but with flowers!)

Another option would be to use flower petals instead of full heads of flowers - if you don’t want to waste quite as many!

3. Find a cute basket or carrier.

This is another fairly easy (and fun) option! If you have a cute basket that can be slung on your elbow, or a bike with a cute basket that could fit an arrangement, those are both great options that help incorporate another prop into your photos!

4. Borrow some large potted flowers.

I’ve had a few moms of seniors bring some large potted florals to their daughter’s sessions… and they have turned out SO beautifully! You could bring large mixes in the spring/summer, or mums in the fall. As a side tip - it can be nice when the pots aren’t super visible and are more covered by overhanging flowers/greenery (unless they’re really pretty!).

And there you have it! Four of my favorite ways to incorporate fresh flowers into a senior session. Really, though - these could be easily applied to any session! An engagement session could easily be enhanced with a floral arrangement or bouquet, and even a family session could be beautiful with a few large flower pots set up in a pretty area to enhance the scene. Don’t be afraid to get creative with those beautiful blooms!

Location Ideas for Spring Senior Photos in Pittsburgh

Lots of seniors choose to have their senior photos taken the Spring of their senior year so that they’re able to get those gorgeous fresh blooms in their photos! And when it comes to locations in and around the Pittsburgh area that have beautiful blooms in the Spring, there are two to me that stand out above the rest over my 10 years of photographing seniors: Hartwood Acres Mansion and Mellon Park!

I have found that both of these locations tend to have trees that bloom late April to early May, depending on how soon it starts getting warm. All of the sample images below were taken mid-April through the first week of May, but I typically suggest those who want Spring blooms boom within the last week and a half of April through the first few days of May!

As a side note, you’re familiar with Hartwood Acres Mansion, they also have a beautiful garden area, but it usually doesn’t start really blooming until June. So if you would rather wait until the summer for senior photos, fear not - you can still get some gorgeous florals in your photos June, July, August, and September at Hartwood! AND if you weren’t aware, Phipp’s Conservatory allows room rentals of their Broderie Room for 1 hour, which is filled with beautiful florals year round. That’s another great way to get some gorgeous blooms! Click here to see a session from there!

But today, I’m here to show off the beauty of Spring at both of these iconic locations in the photos below. Enjoy!

1. HARTWOOD ACRES MANSION

2. MELLON PARK

Interested in a spring senior session in the Pittsburgh area? Feel free to click here for more information about Pittsburgh Senior Photos! Use the “Contact” tab to inquire or email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com as well to say hello and start the conversation!

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How to Take a Good Senior Yearbook Picture

Taking a good senior yearbook picture can be a daunting task. Not only will your senior yearbook photo will live on in the yearbooks of hundreds (possibly thousands) of your fellow students, but it will also represent who you are during one of the biggest seasons of your life… for the rest of your life.

So no pressure, right?!

Hopefully I haven’t scared you off yet! But if you are feeling a bit nervous about what you might need to take into consideration to have a great photo to submit to the yearbook - fear not! That is exactly why I created this blog post - to walk you through all of the necessary components of getting the perfect shot for the yearbook that you will LOVE for years and years to come!

Without further ado, let’s start right at the very beginning. The first thing you need to do is…

KNOW THE YEARBOOK REQUIREMENTS

This includes knowing…

1. When your yearbook photo is due. This information usually gets sent out at the end of junior year, over the summer between junior and senior year, or at the beginning of senior year.

2. What the requirements are for the photo. Is it required to have your photo taken on a white backdrop? Can your photo be taken outside with outdoor scenery? Are your hands allowed to be in your photo? Most schools send out a list of requirements when they send out the date that the yearbook photo is due.

3. What the requirements are for the actual photo submission. The school will also let you know what format they want the photo to be submitted as. Usually, they want the photo submitted as a JPEG, portrait orientation, sized at 300 dpi for print - that’s all fancy file talk, but your photographer will be able to help you make sure you have the correct format!

4. Who needs to submit the photo. Does the senior photographer have to submit the photo, or can the student or parent? This is also something that varies from school to school.

5. How the photo is to be submitted. Most senior photos are submitted nowadays via email, but I work with a few schools that still accept photos on a USB drive, so be sure to know how that photo needs to be submitted!

6. Where the photo is to be submitted. In most cases, the yearbook photo will be submitted to a yearbook advisor or member of the yearbook staff.

After you know the requirements, it’s important to find (and book!) a photographer who can help you look and feel your best! But with SO many senior photographers to choose from… how do you go about finding the right one for YOU?

FIND A GREAT SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

1. Figure out the style of photography you’re looking for. Start looking hashtags on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest and save all of your favorite senior photos to a folder. After you’ve saved 25-50, come back to that folder and look at what those photos have in common. Is there a specific editing style you saved more of than others? Are the majority of the photos you saved more candid, more posed, more fashion inspired, more casual? Make a note in your phone (or elsewhere) of the characteristics that stand out as themes, and then start looking for photographers in your area that have that style!

2. Find a photographer who specializes in that style, or in a location you like, in your area. This one is probably the easiest in our technologically advanced day, but start looking for photographers in your area! Many of my clients find me through hashtags on Instagram (#pittsburghseniorphotographer), and sometimes through Googling/searching a specific location that they are interested in using for their senior session. For example - I photograph a TON of seniors at a very popular location in my area for senior photos, Hartwood Acres Mansion. I’ve had many seniors book with me because they’ve seen photos I’ve taken at that location… I know that spot so well, and sometimes that helps seniors and parents of seniors feel confident that they will be able to get awesome photos at that specific location, too!

3. BOOK ‘EM! Be sure to reach out when you find them - you don’t want to miss out! If you’re interested in reading more about how far in advance you should schedule your senior photos, check out this blog post, where I list out all of my tips: When Should I Have My Senior Photos Taken?

PREPARE YOURSELF

If you book with an experienced senior photographer, they will most likely give you lots of guidance on what to wear, what not to wear, and how to prepare for your senior pictures to make sure you love the results! One general tip I love to give my clients is to look at my senior photo galleries before their session so they have an idea of what poses/prompts I might use for them during their session. This familiarizes them with what they can expect during our time together!

On top of all of that, I give my clients a general timeline for how to prepare in the months, weeks, and days leading up to their session. Take a peek below!

One to Three Months Out:

• Schedule any hair, makeup, or nail appointments you might want!

• Start thinking about what you might want to wear - go through your closet in advance to see if you’ll need to purchase any additional garments

• Choose a location where your senior photos will take place (click here to see some of my favorites for Pittsburgh Girl Senior Photos, and click here to see some of my favorites for Pittsburgh Guy Senior Photos!)

The Week of Your Session:

• Finalize and steam or iron all of your outfit choices (wrinkles be gone!) & props!

• Drink LOTS of water! This is good for your skin and will give it a nice glow!

• Make sure you are applying chapstick, especially if you are prone to chapped lips! (Chapped lips can’t be fixed in photoshop!)

• Make sure your nails are clean or, for the ladies, painted!

• Refrain from wearing sunglasses for the week leading up to your session so you aren’t squinting during your session!

The Day of Your Session:

• Give yourself plenty of time to get ready – more than you think!

• Don't forget to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before our scheduled start time. Your session will begin at the time we set in advance, not at the time you arrive.

• Eat a snack before you come – it’s not fun getting your photo taken while you’re hangry!

What to Bring:

• Any outfit changes you might have

• Any props you may want to include (an instrument, soccer ball, pet, etc.!)

• A change of comfortable shoes to walk in

• A hair brush or comb (or anything for on location touch ups!)

• A parent or friend (moral support is always a good thing – plus, if you’d like they can step in for a few photos at the end!)

TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

This piece is crucial! You hired them… now trust them to do what you hired them to do! If you’ve seen their work in advance, you have an idea of how they’ll pose you… so trust them! Some poses and prompts might feel silly, but sometimes what looks the best in a photo feels a little funny… like pushing your forehead out and tilting your chin down. Yeah, definitely not something you’ll do in real life, but it looks great on camera and you won’t be able to tell that you’re in a wonky position!

However - if a pose/prompt makes you feel really uncomfortable, be sure to voice that to your photographer. The worst thing a subject can be while having their photo taken is uncomfortable. It always shows in the final images!

CHOOSE YOUR YEARBOOK PHOTO!

So now you’ve made it through your actual senior session - congrats! Once your senior photographer delivers your gallery, the hard part begins… choosing the actual photo that will go in the yearbook!

Hopefully you’ve given your yearbook requirements to your photographer in advance of your session so that you’re able to have a solid handful of images to choose from that fit your yearbook requirements. Like I mentioned above, most yearbook pictures are portrait orientation, and most of them are closer up (typically at least head to chest, sometimes closer). You’ll be able to narrow down your favorites within your gallery by looking at options that are shot closer up!

Something to note: if there is a photo you really love and want to use for the yearbook but is the wrong orientation (horizontal) or isn’t cropped in as close as the yearbook requires, ask your photographer about a re-crop. I have many seniors ask me about this, and usually I’m able to make it happen for them! The only times I am not able to make it work is whenever the photo is too far away to begin with. As you crop in on a photo, you lose quality, and if you crop way too far in, sometimes the photo can become pixelated. Trust me… you do not want a pixelated photo in your yearbook, especially if you paid good money for your senior photos! Try to steer away from asking your photographer to crop in full body photos to just head & shoulders.

Below are a few examples of what some of my seniors have submitted as their senior yearbook photo!

And there you have it! I hope that this blog post has given you the confidence you need to KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that you can (and will) have an awesome yearbook photo!

If you’re based in the Pittsburgh area, I would absolutely love to take your senior photos. Please feel free to click here to reach out to me via my online contact form, or email me directly a jhidingerphotography@gmail.com for more information about senior photos!

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

One of my favorite ways to prepare my clients for their senior sessions is through my blog! Check out the popular blogs below to see if any of your senior Q’s can be answered, or reach out using the contact tab in the navigation above to start a conversation! ☺️

• Pittsburgh Area Location Ideas for Senior Girl Portraits

• Pittsburgh Area Location Ideas for Senior Guy Portraits

• 4 Tips for Preparing for Your Senior Photo Session

• When to Have Your Senior Photos Taken

• 4 Ways to add more “Umph” to Your Senior Photo Outfits!

• 4 Reasons to Have Your Senior Photos Taken Over the Summer

• Why Professional Prints are Worth the Investment

Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2022

This year, I had the privilege of photographing another amazing round of seniors, including some seniors from the class of 2022 and some who will be graduating in the spring of 2023!

I photographed seniors at a variety of beautiful locations, including: McConnell’s Mill State Park, Moraine State Park, Hartwood Acres Mansion, Succop Nature Park, Mellon Park, the Strip District, the North Shore, the Mellon Institute, Phipp’s Conservatory, the Cathedral of Learning, Historic Harmony, and Preston Park! The most popular location choice by far was Hartwood Acres Mansion, which accounted for 38% of location choice, followed up by Mellon Park at 20%. The rest were distributed pretty evenly!

I also photographed seniors from a wide variety of different schools. The full list from greatest number of seniors photographed from that school to the least includes:

• Seneca Valley High School (23%)

• North Allegheny High School (20%)

• Pine Richland High School (12%)

• Mars Area High School (12%)

• Franklin Regional High School (8%)

• North Catholic High School

• Butler Area High School

• Upper St. Claire High School

• Canon McMillan High School

• Portersville Christian School

• Homeschool

A few of my favorite things about this year’s senior photo sessions…

• Hartwood Acres Mansion opened back up after over a year of being under construction, so I was able to hold sessions there again! The only downside was that they were MUCH busier this year, which mean the mansion area was closed many more evenings due to private events. I guess that’s what happens when you’re popular event venue that is closed for a full year!

• I photographed my first college senior (Erica) – who was the first in her family to graduate from college! College senior photo sessions should totally be more of a thing. They are so much fun!

• I had a senior who wanted photos in the snow… and they turned out to be some of my favorites from the year! (Thanks for letting me take them for you, Megan!)

• I photographed two seniors in the same family for two families who had two different seniors graduating (each family had one in 2022, and one in 2023). Also, that sounds really confusing but I hope it makes sense! It was such an honor to be able to take senior photos for each of these families twice!

• I had my first senior session inside Phipp’s Conservatory – and it was amazing, and so much fun! Did you know that you can rent a room out for an hour there?! This is such a great option for getting some beautiful, colorful plants in the background of your photos during the colder months! It also makes a great rain plan!

• I photographed a set of triplets for the second time in my career!

It was such a fun year… seniors are my favorite type of session to photograph, so it’s always a blessing to get to work with so many seniors and families!

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! And Congratulations to the Jenna Hidinger Photography Class of 2022 ✌🏼

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If you are a Class of 2023 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2024 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!

Check out senior photo highlights from past years: 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017

Sarah W: Mars Area High School Senior Photos at Mellon Park

Meet Sarah! She's a part of the Mars High School class of 2023! We had such a beautiful evening for her photos at Mellon Park for her senior photos. I was especially excited to see that there were still some beautiful leaves and fall color to work with... as well as some gorgeous light! Early November light is always so pretty and golden, and the images I take during the first week of November always end up being some of my favorites!

Sarah, thank you so much for the honor of taking these photos for you! Congratulations on your senior year!!

Abby H: North Allegheny High School Senior Photos at Hartwood Acres Mansion

Abby is a field hockey playing senior at North Allegheny! She is graduating with the class of 2023. She loves sushi & Italian food, and she had the BEST day I think I've ever experienced for a senior session in November - she was even able to go barefoot for some of her photos! I could get used to this 70+ degree weather in Pittsburgh in November!

I absolutely adored all of Abby’s outfit choices for her session - especially her red boots the last dress she chose (but that gray dress is so beautiful, too)! In addition to some adorable fall outfits, Abby’s mom brought some beautiful bouquets of flowers and mums to incorporate into her photos. Because we were shooting in November, we weren’t sure how much color we would have to work with - but those bouquets and potted mums added a beautiful touch that really brought an extra element to her images!

Congratulations on your senior year, Abby! Thank you so much for the honor of taking your senior photos for you!

Sophia L: Portersville Christian School Senior Photos at Preston Park

Meet Sophia! She's a senior at Portersville Christian School who's graduating with the class of 2023! She brought her pup and her guitar to incorporate into her senior session at Preston Park - which was a beautiful fall backdrop for her photos!

Congratulations on your senior year, Sophia!