Elena L: Hartwood Acres Senior Photos

I think senior sessions at Hartwood will always be some of my favorites - but a senior session at Hartwood in the SPRING with beautiful, fluffy, pink trees totally takes the cake! And of course - so does Elena!

Elena is graduating from Fox Chapel High School this spring and is headed to the University of Pittsburgh to continue her education! These sweet lady plays tennis, loves Chinese food, and obviously has an amazing sense of style (you have to see her two amazing dresses and pant suit she wore for her session - literally the perfect outfits!). I LOVE when seniors show up with some beautifully colored outfits - and Elena's fuschia dress happened to perfectly compliment the pink trees!

I can't wait for you to see this session! And congratulations to Elena on her last few weeks of high school! :)

Koreen + Kurt: Hartwood Acres Mansion Engagement Photos

There are few things I love more than a couple that are best friends - and these two most certainly are! Koreen and Kurt laughed their way throughout their entire engagement session, which made my job SO dang easy!! And really, we couldn't have hit up Hartwood at a better time. The trees were in all of their pink, spring glory - which perfectly complimented Koreen's gorgeous dress from Altar'd State!

And now, for a little back story from Koreen and Kurt!

How did you two meet?

We went to high school together. We met a few years later at a party, and the rest is history!

What do you and your fiance like to do for fun?

"We really enjoy getting to go for a walk together in the evenings. It's a great way for us to find out what is happening in our day to day lives. It's better than sitting on the couch kind of talking and staring at our phones. [Can I get an amen there?! - Jenna] We also enjoy going out to eat and watching movies."

How did he pop the question?!

"He took me out to my favorite restaurant (A Taste of India). Slid the ring in a box across the table and said 'that's for you' I thought that it was maybe another charm for the Pandora bracelet he has been filing up for the past few years. Once I opened the box and saw it was a ring I was shocked! I had every emotion happening all at once. He said 'well what do you think?' I said 'Yes! I can't believe this is happening right now!' When we got home he got down on one knee and asked me."

And now, without further ado - a few of my favorites from Koreen and Kurt's engagement session! Thank you two for trusting me with these precious memories - I cannot wait for the wedding!!

Stark Family: Cranberry Township Family Photos

What an incredible pleasure it was to take photos for this family!! You might recognize Chance from his Baden senior photos last year (featuring a motorcycle and fire - see more here!), and as always, it is always such a blessing to be able to work with the same clients multiple times! :)

For a location, we decided on one of my favorites for family photos - Cranberry Township Park! This spot in particular is one of my secret favorites. The light is always so beautiful there! As a side note, if you're interested, I'll be hosing a mini session date as this EXACT spot on Friday, May 11th. If you're interested in learning more or signing up, click here!

We had SO much fun during this session for so many reasons. This sweet family is so laid back and easy going, and quite obviously love spending time together. Because Chance and Cooper (the boys) both play baseball, and Kyle (dad) works for the Pittsburgh Pirates, they decided to bring along some baseball gear to incorporate into their photos (which I love!). A couple of bats and a few gloves were the perfect personal touch for their portraits! During the session, there was also some intermittent frog catching in the pond nearby - Chance quite literally caught one with his bare hands!

I just love this family and am so excited to share their photos! Check out a few of my favorites below!

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!

Another Embarrassing Story & Lesson Learned

I'm heading to a wedding in May (as a guest - yay!) and stopped at the mall a few weeks back to try to find a dress. Inevitably, I ended up in Macy's because I couldn't find anything fancy enough anywhere else. Big department stores make me so nervous - I don't know why!! I guess I'm more of a small store kinda girl.

This Macy's in particular has three floors, so I needed to use an escalator to get upstairs. So, I walk up to the escalator, jump on, and think to myself, why is it so hard to get up this escalator?! So I start running up it, finally realizing that I was running up an escalator that was actually going DOWN. What the fudge?! I'm not sure why I didn't stop when I realized that I was actually headed in the wrong direction, but, regardless, a few older women cheered me on (I kid you not!!) as I finally reached the top in a flop sweat.

I looked around and saw a couple of people chuckling to themselves. I can't imagine how absurd I looked running up that escalator in 2.5 inch heeled boots and my giant winter jacket, purse flailing, arms pumping. Actually - I can imagine it, I just don't really want to! I'll leave that mental image to the people who were "blessed" enough to witness my fight or flight response kick into action ;)

I realized soon after that whole ordeal feel like I did on that escalator in my everyday life.

I take the wrong direction towards a bad thought pattern or feeling because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to how it would (or could) affect me – then I have to work twice as hard to get through something that wasn’t even a problem to begin with. Anyone else? I basically made my own problem, just like I did that day in Macy’s on the escalator.

Thank the good Lord for his reminders, though - "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life," Proverbs 4:23 (CSB). Another version (CEV) says "Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life." It's amazing how not guarding our hearts and minds can lead to much more strife and unrest than God intended us to live with.

What about you? What piece of your mind or heart needs some guarding today from a destructive thought patten? Whether you believe what the Bible says or not, I would contend that the implementation of this single piece of truth could make a huge impact on your day to day life.

Kayla + Colin: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photos

Kayla and Colin were so much fun to photograph at McConnell's Mills! Their bubbly personalities and kind demeanor made them so easy to get along with right from the start. We even figured out right before the session began that not only did Colin graduate from the same college as my husband (Geneva College), but that these two also go to the same church as we do (Grace Community Church)! There were so many connections happening, which always makes sessions that much more fun!

Also - Kayla brought the most adorable "love" shaped balloon with her that we were able to incorporate into the photos - so cute! (And just in case you were wondering, it's from Target!)

So without further ado - here are a few of my favorites from their golden light filled session!

Nick M: Historic Harmony Senior Photos

Nick is a senior (graduating this May!) from North Catholic who loves Chipotle and "The Office." He's planning on attending Penn State (main campus) in the fall to study business. Thanks for the honor of taking your senior photos, Nick! Congratulations on your last year of high school!

Four Ways to Add More "Umph" to Your Senior Photo Outfits!

It’s hard enough to get dressed in the morning, but getting dressed for senior photos is a whole ‘nother story - am I right?! Trying to find the perfect outfits that your mom will lovingly adorn her walls with for the rest of time - no pressure, right?!

Well, the good news is this: even though there’s no “one size fits all” formula for choosing outfits for your senior session, there are four tips I love to share with my seniors (and anyone for that matter!) who are trying to narrow down and/or decide what to wear for their senior photos. I recommend incorporating these four things:

1. Textures

I always LOVE to encourage my seniors to opt for unique textures in their clothing choices. Textures add additional dimension to photos, and all around more visual interest! They can also be a great (more subtle) alternative to a patter

Lace texture on her sleeves

A sweater pattern texture

A subtle line pattern

A subtle polka dot texture on Angelica's pants

2. Layers

Layers are anyone’s best friend during senior photos! You could: layer a skirt and a shirt, a shirt and a jacket, a jacket and a dress, a sweater and a collared shirt - the possibilities are endless! Layers, much like textures, will add more visual interest to your photos.

3. Accessories

Accessories can totally make an outfit! Hats, belts, necklaces, bracelets, rings, flower crowns, earrings, and scarves can add more visual interest to any outfit - plus, bringing a clothing accessory (like a hat or scarf) helps add some variety to your photos!

4. Subtle Patterns

A subtle pattern can take a boring outfit and make it come alive! I personally love a tasteful, subtle pattern in photographs. Try choosing a scarf, shirt, skirt, or dress (or, if you're a guy, a tie!) to add a little more interest to your outfit!

So, how do you put these four suggestions into action? For your senior photos, choose three outfits:

1. One outfit focusing on texture.

2. One outfit focusing on layers.

3. One outfit focusing on a subtle pattern.

4. *Incorporate one to three unique accessories into each outfit!

And there you have it - the formula for three unique and distinct outfits that will offer variety throughout your entire senior session! If you’re looking to add even MORE variety to your photos, choose one casual outfit (jeans and a blouse), one nicer outfit (sun dress, maxi dress, or a skirt - I’m partial to maxi dresses/skirts for the way they flow gorgeously in photos!), and one wild card outfit (Something totally unique that represents you!) - or, just repeat a casual or “nicer” outfit!

Kristin + Brian: Allegheny Commons Park Engagement Photos

Have you ever met people that are just so instantly comfortable to be around?! Kristin and Brian are most definitely those people! Not only are they easy to be around, but they are incredibly gracious and kind! These two wanted warm weather photos, and if you live in Pittsburgh, you know that we had one of the longest reaching-into-spring winters in a while. So we pushed back their engagement session date once - then twice - and you know what they say - third time's a charm, and it was SO worth the wait!

We met up at Allegheny Commons Park on a chilly morning, but lucky for us, there were some pink blossom trees that were in bloom, which is exactly what Kristin had envisioned (along with lots of green!).

And if you can't tell how adorable and in-love these two are from their photos, listen to how they met: Brian was a teller at a bank, and Kristin was a server at Eat'n Park (a little over three years ago). Kristin would come into the bank to deposit her tips, which is how she met Brian. After she met him, she tried to purposely make sure she would end up going to his counter (doesn't it sound like something out of a movie?!) - and a short while after, they had their first date (on St. Patty's Day!) which included some Eat'n Park grub!

Besides being such fun and kind people, Kristin is actually an incredibly talented wedding and senior photographer herself (check out her work here!!). It is always such a HUGE honor when someone else in the industry trusts me with their precious memories!

Without further ado, check out a few (or, okay, a LOT ) of favorites from Kristin and Brian's session! Cannot wait to celebrate with you two next month!!

Sam + Anthony: Pittsburgh Marriott North Wedding Photos

Sam and Anthony have been waiting a long time for this day to come - five and a half years, to be exact! Their stories (and families) were intertwined long before their wedding day - Anthony was actually good friends with the bride's older sister before they even started dating! Ever since I photographed these two at Moraine State Park last spring (see their engagement photos here!) I've been counting down the days til their wedding day!

Sam wore the most gorgeous, flowing (and not to mention spin-worthy) Pnina Tornai gown (bought from Kleinfeld Bridal - yes, the bridal store from "Say Yes to the Dress" 😉). As a bride who loves details possibly just as much as I do, Sam had the most gorgeous lavender and purple bridal details to compliment the color scheme of her wedding day! While Sam was putting on her wedding shoes, she noticed a surprise note left by Anthony on her shoe, too - so thoughtful!!

These two opted for a traditional first look inside the church (with Anthony seeing Sam for the first time coming down the aisle!) and let me tell you - I was choking up behind my camera as they BOTH started tearing up. Then Sam's dad started tearing up, watching Sam's HUGE smile through her tears of joy. Then I look over and see Sam's mom and almost every single bridesmaid crying - all of the happy tears!!

After the ceremony, we snuck off to one of my favorite little spots near the Pittsburgh Marriott North for photos, then back to the Marriott (where I used to work and serve food at weddings - small world!) for a reception with a live band (shout out to Bachelor Boys Band for doing an amazing job!). I am SO excited to share this wedding and couldn't be more excited for these two as they being their lives together. Congratulations, Sam and Anthony! You two are the best!

Vendors:

Ceremony: St. Bernadette Roman Catholic Church

Reception: Pittsburgh Marriott North

Bride's Dress: Kleinfeld's Bridal, Pnina Tornai

Bridesmaid Dresses: The Exquisite Bride

Hair: Hair Masters (Maryanne)

Bride's Makeup: Camille Comfort (bridesmaid)

Live Reception Entertainment: Bachelor Boys Band

Cake: Tin Man Sweets

Florist: Holiday Florist

Videographer: Just Hitched Wedding Films

Mensware: Jack's Tuxedo

Invitations:Dianne Campbell (a family friend)

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography