Jenna & Nick's Christmas Maternity Photos in Harmony!

Who does a photographer call when they need photos taken?!

We have so many amazing photographers in the Pittsburgh area - so many of whom I would trust with taking photos for my family! But for this particular occasion, I opted to set my camera up and hand it it off to my sister-in-law to take a few quick photos of Nick and I to commemorate this season of ours!

I knew I wanted some photos around one of my favorite little towns - Historic Harmony - while it was all dressed up for Christmas! The Christmas season is one of our favorites, and it just so happens that I was at the 33 week mark when these were taken, which worked out perfectly! Before this, I didn’t have too much of a bump, so I was glad that we waited until my 8th month before taking these!

I was SO EXCITED to find the dress I had been envisioning for these photos at Madewell. Green is one of my favorite colors to wear, and such a lovely color for Christmas photos!

We had planned the day of our shoot a short while in advance, and sadly, it looked like it was going to be a complete wash out! But we decided to go for it anyways, and even though we had bouts of rain and lots of wind (hence my crazy hair in some of the photos 😂) we made it happen! And I’m so glad we did. I am so excited about how these turned out!

This was also a really great reminder of how my client(s) think and feel leading up to the day of their session(s). Getting your photo taken takes some vulnerability! Even as someone who photographs people for a living, I found myself getting a little nervous about how I would decide what to wear, what the weather would be like, and how the photos would end up turning out (and how I would look in those final photos - there’s a reason I enjoy being behind the camera!). But I was also reminded of how important, precious, and fleeting these seasons are that we choose to have photographed. The moment I saw these photos, they had already become so precious to me - even when I see my windy hair and remember the bouts of rain! It makes them even more memorable for us ❤️

Again, a HUGE thank you to my sister-in-law Alisha, who was willing to press the shutter button for us!

Also, if you’re someone who’s in need of some maternity photos, I would LOVE to take them for you! Please feel free to click here to get in contact, and click here to learn more about the maternity photography package that I offer!

Jen & Brandon: Heinz Chapel & Grand Hall at the Priory Wedding Photos

Jen & Brandon's wedding (or 2 year vow renewal/celebration!) marks our very last Covid wedding reschedule for us. These two have waited SO long to celebrate with their friends and family - over four years from the time they originally got engaged! And boy, have they had quite a few unexpected events come up. First, their original wedding venue shut down, forcing them to change their date and find a new venue. Then - Covid hit, and different rounds of closures forced them to reschedule not only once, but twice.

But they still decided to officially tie the knot back in 2020 in a very small ceremony, which I love. They didn't let all of the reschedules and closures keep them from celebrating what truly matters - a union of two in marriage! But of course, they still wanted to celebrate with their friends and family, so they decided to keep their reception plans and celebrate a two year vow renewal instead.

And there's even more to celebrate this year - they have a baby on the way, and they just closed on their first home. What a joy! It only made their celebration that much sweeter.

Jen & Brandon, thank you for letting us photograph your beautiful wedding celebration. It was an honor to celebrate so many huge milestones with you alongside your friends & family! You two are a joy, and I'm sad that our time of working together has come to a close!

Vendors: Heinz Memorial Chapel, Grand Hall - Priory, Just Hitched Wedding Films, McCandless Floral, Prantl's Bakery, JL Makeup Studio and Beauty Boutique, Bridal Beginning Pittsburgh, Magnet Street (invitations),

Cleveland Keys Dueling Pianos (made their reception SO FUN and unlike any other we've been to!)

Cara & Johnny: Grove City College Engagement Photos

Leading up to the day of their session, we weren’t sure what the weather was going to look like for Cara & Johnny’s Grove City College engagement photos. It looked like a rain out until about 48 hours before - then all of a sudden, the forecast switched from rain to SNOW!

I was SO excited when Cara told me that they were willing (and excited!) to brave the snowy weather for their session. I always love the outcome of photos in the snow… but I know it’s not for everyone! And boy did it snow during their session. It literally snowed the ENTIRE 90 minutes we were together. But it definitely added a fun, unique element to their photos!

Cara & Johnny, it was such an honor to take these photos for you - and I couldn't be more excited for your wedding day!

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!

Pittsburgh Christmas Tree Farm Mini Sessions 2022

This year marked the third annual Pittsburgh Christmas Tree Farm Mini Session Event for Jenna Hidinger Photography at Lake Forest Gardens in Fombell, PA! These sessions have become some of my favorites that I look forward to each year and are one of my favorite ways to ring in the holiday season!

This year, we hosted 9 couples and families at Lake Forest Gardens - many of whom I’ve had the privilege of photographing before (some even this year!) The weather was surprisingly warm, reaching a high of 76°F - so it may not have felt like Christmas, but it was nice to not be too cold - even if it was a little windy at times! Praise the Lord for providing some beautiful weather for us!

I want to say a HUGE thank you first and foremost to Lake Forest Gardens, who has let me host these sessions three times now. They have the most beautiful tree farm, in my opinion!

I also want to say a huge thank you to my husband Nick, and my mom Jean for helping. I photographed these sweet families while in the third trimester of my first pregnancy, and I most definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without their help!

If you have any interest in future mini session offerings, please feel free to sign up for my email newsletter by clicking here!! This is where I announce mini session dates, as well as regular session booking availability.

Past Christmas Mini Session Photos - 2019 // 2020

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!

Isabella S: Upper St. Claire High School Senior Photos at Moraine State Park

Meet Isabella! She's an Upper St. Clair High School senior who's graduating with the class of 2023!

Isabella was an absolute gem to photograph. She chose one of my all time favorite fall locations for her photos - Moraine State Park! Moraine State Park is one of my favorite senior photo locations north of Pittsburgh. It has lots of trees, fields, a lake, rocks, a dock, a bridge - so many different spots to work with, which always helps me create more variety for my clients! Not to mention, still had so much gorgeous fall color to work with.

Congratulations on your senior year, Isabella!

Fall Family Photos at Moraine State Park

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family at the Christmas mini sessions I hosted at Lake Forest Gardens back in 2020, and this year, I had the honor of photographing them for a mini session at Moraine State Park! Even though the fall color came a bit earlier this year, there were still a few trees throughout the park that had lots of leaves left - like this beautiful one you’ll see below! 😍

Moraine State Park is one of my favorite locations for fall photos in the Pittsburgh area - it is always so beautiful and colorful, and many of the trees change at different points throughout the fall, which makes it easy to get that iconic fall color earlier or later in the season!

A HUGE thank you to this family for the honor of taking these photos for you!

Vibrant Fall Equestrian Photos in Valencia at Applewood Farms

It was a beautiful fall afternoon when I took these photos of Laura and her horse, Remmy, at Appleworks Farm in Valencia, PA. So many fall colors were at their peek - and we had the farm almost completely to ourselves!

Laura was excellent in front of the camera, and so was Remmy! You never know how a horse might decide to behave or how well he might cooperate when taking photos - but Remmy was a gentle giant and complied with everything we wanted him to do. What a fun day!

If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also enjoy…

Lutherlyn Equestrian Center Horse Portraits

Barberry Horse Farm Senior Photos

Washington Equestrian Portraits