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

Unique Blog Post Ideas for Wedding Photographers

Is blogging dead in 2023?

While I consider myself a fairly consistent blogger (I blog about 70 times per year), I’ve wondered this myself as we enter the golden age of apps like TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube. Does blogging have any value for a small business owner, and maybe more specifically for photographers, in 2023?

I might be biased, but I say a resounding YES! And I say this emphatic “yes” because of some simple (yet compelling) reasons:

• Content from my blog STILL drives TONS of traffic to my website (especially when I’m consistently sharing and keywording images from my sessions), which is great for my SEO rankings on Google. Google likes activity, and they reward websites with “good” activity with higher rankings (meaning that when someone searches for you, your website/blog post will pop up on or closer to that coveted first page of Google!)

• Blogging is an easy way for me to answer frequent questions that clients have for me, and in turn, allows me to serve my clients better. When they email me, I simply send them the blog post I’ve already written instead of typing out that answer again and again and again. Plus - answering your clients questions positions you as an expert in your field. Imagine someone Googling “where should I have my senior photos taken in (insert your town)?” and YOUR blog post pops up with some beautiful images from your favorite locations. Do you think that person is going to trust that you are an expert and that you know what you’re doing? Of course! And that puts them in a great position to want to invest in your services and experience. Score!

For me, those are two awesome reasons to continue blogging, even into 2023 and beyond. And I believe that anyone can “up” their rankings on Google by consistently posting to their blog, even beginning in 2023. It’s not too late to start!

One of the most difficult things about having a blog can be the age old question of “but what do I write?” As someone who has been blogging for 10 years, trust me, I GET IT. I feel like I’ve written so so many blog posts throughout the years that I barely have any content left to write about. But then I get a question from a client or photograph a wedding at a new venue, and suddenly, I have an idea for content!

In this particular blog post, I’d love to share some ideas with you for blog posts that will actually help you rank on Google and that will help you serve your clients well. Because you need those inquiries… and you need to take care of those clients who have already trusted you with their memories and money!

First up, I’m going to share some blog post ideas specifically for Wedding Photographers.

UNIQUE BLOG POST IDEAS FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:

• Highlight the best images from every wedding you photograph. Yes, every single one. Chances are, you’re most likely editing some sneak peeks for your client, so go the extra mile and throw those sneak peeks in a blog post - but don’t forget to keyword those images (that’s the secret sauce!). This one is such good low hanging fruit, too, because these blog posts basically write themselves. Share the images, share a list of what vendors were involved in the wedding day, and even a little bit about the flow of the day itself (people love reading about the behind the scenes of a wedding day!). If you really want to go crazy - share a little bit about the couple’s story, too!

• Highlight your favorite venues in their own blog posts. Are there any places you LOVE shooting weddings at? Consider featuring those venues in their own blog post! Couples tend to book their venue before their wedding photographer anyways, so being able to offer professional insight about a wedding venue positions you as an expert, and could give you an upper-hand on other photographers who haven’t photographed events there before.

• Why should your client do/not do a first look? List out the pros and cons of a first look between a bride and groom. How will it help their wedding day flow better or worse?

• How you handle rain on a client’s wedding day. Do you bring umbrellas with you? Are you an off camera lighting aficionado who could make any indoor space look amazing? What types of locations do you look for to use during a wedding while it’s raining?

• Share a sample wedding day timeline - you could even do this for different “types” of wedding days (i.e., with a first look, without a first look, 8 hours of wedding coverage, 10 hours of wedding coverage, with a reception exit, without a reception exit, etc.)

• Share your favorite vendors. You could do multiple blog posts with different vendor categories: florists, makeup artists, DJ’s, etc.). Don’t forget to link to their websites, too!

• Think about the most difficult parts of the day from the client perspective, and offer a solution from your expertise. For example, ways to not keep your guests waiting too long during cocktail hour photos, how to work through family formals quickly, etc.

• Why should your client consider having engagement photos done? Are there any benefits of them getting to work with you beforehand?

• How can they prepare for their engagement photos? Is there anything they should do beforehand that will help them show up more prepared?

• Share your favorite locations for taking engagement photos.

• Are there any details you want your client to have ready for you when you arrive on their wedding day? Most of the time bridal detail photos are the first thing a photographer photographs - what should they have ready for you? (Tip: you can also make a blog post listing groom detail photo ideas!)

• How can your client maximize their portrait time on their wedding day? This would be a good place to talk about sneaking out of the reception for those beautiful golden hour photos!

• If you offer albums, create a blog post featuring some of your sample albums. Show them what options you have available! Cover materials, page designs, sizes, etc.

• Write about a challenge you experienced on a wedding day, and how you overcame it. This, again, will position you as an expert in your field! Wedding days are FULL of problems that need to be solved quickly by professionals.

• Share your favorite locations for taking wedding photos. If you photograph weddings in a city, you might have some locations you prefer over others. Share why you love those spots so you can begin to steer your clients towards those favorable locations!

• Share a compilation of your favorite ___________ photos. What I mean by this is: if you LOVE photographing epic night photos, share a compilation blog post featuring your favorite epic night shots. If you love taking wedding couples out for golden hour photos, share a blog post featuring your favorite golden hour photos. You could basically do this for every part of a wedding day!

• At the end of the year, share your favorite wedding images from that particular year. It’s fun to do a little round up of the year prior! I try to choose at least one image from each wedding I photograph to share in my yearly round up blog post. I find that my clients enjoy seeing everything else I photographed that year, and I enjoy seeing and remembering all the hard work that went into that year!

I hope this list is helpful for giving you at least one idea for how you can get started writing your wedding photography blog! And remember - even if a blog post has been written before, it hasn’t been written from your unique perspective. YOUR clients want to hear from YOU! Happy writing!

Christmas Themed Baby Shower

I’m so excited to share some photos featuring some of the beautiful details from my Christmas themed baby shower! (Of course, I had to bring my camera to photograph all of the beautiful details!)

My mom and mother-in-law graciously threw us a baby shower to celebrate the pending arrival of our baby, Lucy Mae. Because I am due mid-January (and because the fall timeframe is so busy with photo season!), we thought it might be fun to have a Christmas shower in early December. And it was such a sweet time!

The shower took place at the Harmony Opera House above Wunderbar in Historic Harmony, PA.

My mom was the creative force behind all of the details and signage, and it all turned out so beautifully! I am so grateful. Some of my favorite details were: Rapunzel themed cupcakes made by a friend (featuring her tower from Tangled!), a hot chocolate bar, opening gifts while sitting in the rocking chair that my mother-in-law rocked my husband in when he was a baby, and getting to have my husband there for the entirety of the shower! It was so special that he was able to enjoy the whole day, too. Lucy is just as much his kid as mine! ;)

A HUGE thank you again for our moms for throwing such a beautiful shower. We are so thankful, and Lucy is so blessed!

Bridal Shower & Baby Shower Event Venues Near Cranberry Township (North of Pittsburgh)

As a north of Pittsburgh wedding photographer, I have had lots of opportunity to get to know available event venues north of the city, in locations including: Cranberry Township, Mars, Wexford, Zelienople, Harmony, Warrendale, Butler, and Renfrew. A common question I am asked by friends, family, and clients is: what bridal shower or baby shower event spaces are available north of the city?

Thankfully, there are so many great options to chose from with a variety of price ranges and accommodations! Today, I’m going to share a few of my favorites that I’ve come across. This is by no means a completely comprehensive list, but certainly features a variety of different spots. I’ve worked events at some of these locations, and others I have only heard about, but all have their own unique features with their common thread being rentable spaces north of Pittsburgh.

With each venue listed below, I’ve listed approximately how many guests can be accommodated, if the space is indoor or outdoor, and other important notes. Each venue listed is linked to their website with additional information, including points of contact if you would like to learn more.

I hope this list is helpful to you as you plan your special event! And if you’re in need of any event photography coverage, please feel free to reach out to me by clicking here or by emailing me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com. I would love to work with you!

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP

Cranberry Highlands Golf Course

• Accommodates 24-150 guests indoors, or up to 100 guests on their outdoor patio

• Ballroom style with natural light

Domenico’s

• Features an indoor dining space and outdoor patio near their restaurant seating area

Camelot Event Center (Warrendale Location)

• Three hour space use with a 70 guests minimum

Bravo Italian Kitchen

• Features indoor dining space in a private room near their restaurant seating area

Pittsburgh Marriott North

• Accommodates 40 to 600 guests indoors, based on chosen room

• Hotel ballroom style, but also have smaller private rooms available

DoubleTree by Hilton

• Accommodates 16 to 900 guests, depending on chosen room

• Hotel ballroom style, but also have smaller private rooms available

Hilton Garden Inn

• Accommodates up to 150 guests indoors in their largest ballroom

MARS

Johnston Tea Room

• Accommodates up to 38 guests in largest room

• Intimate gathering setting inside the tea house with private rooms

Twelve Oaks Mansion

• Accommodates up to 250 guests in their ballroom, up to 80 in their library room

• Features an outdoor patio space

• Ballroom style with lots of windows for natural light

Springfield Grille

• Accommodates up to 20 guests in their private dining room near their restaurant seating area

• Indoor space only

Bloom Cafe at Quality Gardens

• Garden patio available for rental

ZELIENOPLE/HARMONY

The Center of Harmony & Opera Hall Venue (Located in Harmony, PA)

• Accommodates up to 150 guests

• Important note: no kitchen available, but you can bring your own caterer

• No handicap entrance available (all stairs leading up to the second floor Opera House space)

• Indoor space only

• **Note: I had my own baby shower here, so if you have any specific questions for someone who has rented this space before, please feel free to reach out!

Steamfitters (Located in Harmony, PA)

• Accommodates up to 600 people in their largest ballroom style room

ShuBrew (Located in Zelienople, PA on Main Street)

• Accommodates 36 to 50 guests comfortably, depending on the event

• Indoor private room separate from restaurant space

ELLWOOD CITY

Chapel Valley Estate Bed & Breakfast

• Indoor multipurpose room holds up to 70 guests

• Outdoor patio space can hold many more guests!

• Outdoor tented option available

Shakespeare’s Restaurant & Pub

• Accommodates 25 to 250 people indoors

• Event space is located on the second floor (restaurant on first floor) but is handicap accessible

• Also features an outdoor patio space off of the main ballroom area

WEXFORD

Camelot Event Center (Wexford Location)

• Accommodates up to 250 guests

• Indoor only

The Chadwick

• Accommodates groups of 15 to 500

• Ballroom style

• Indoor and outdoor spaces available

RENFREW

The Stables at Conoquenessing

• Rustic two story barn with indoor and outdoor spaces available

• Accommodates groups of 50 (outdoor patio) to 175 (indoor space)

BUTLER

The Atrium

• Accommodates groups of up to 300 in their main banquet area

• Other spaces available include: the greenhouse, the atrium, and the outdoor gardens

Succop Nature Park

• Indoor mansion/house area and outdoor covered patio area available for event rentals

• Medure’s Catering is the exclusive caterer

Are there any venues that you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments below! And thanks so much for reading!

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

PITTSBURGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER: WEDDING PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

What a beautiful year FILLED with amazing couples it has been! These highlight posts are always some of my personal favorite blog posts from the entire year, because I get to see not only all of the beautiful couples I’ve worked with, but also because I get to see highlights from my full body of work throughout the year – that in itself is so rewarding!

It’s hard to believe that I photographed my first wedding 10 years ago this year… so much has changed since 2012! At the time, I never thought that photography was something I would do full time. In fact, I was pursuing two degrees at the time in Graphic Design & Web Design, and was using any photo gigs I booked as a means to pay for them! I am so grateful that God has allowed my business to grow to the point of being able to support my family as my full time job. It is a blessing to get to serve so many people and explore so many beautiful places – and to get to work for myself!

Today, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite photos from my 2022 weddings and engagements. Some might seem like obvious favorites (because they’re of beautiful people or details, or technically beautiful!), but some are my favorites simply because of the emotion they show, and others because of what I had to overcome technically to make the shot happen. Weddings can be quite unpredictable, and often put photographers in situations where they need to make “magic” happen out of less than ideal lighting and timing situations (among other hurdles!). While that part of the job can often be stressful (especially when someone’s memories of the best day of their life are on the line!), that pressure has also given me the opportunity to produce work that I am proud to share with my clients!

So, without further ado – here are some highlights from 2022!

This image was created using a $1.25 mirror from the Dollar Tree… this was the first time I used this little trick to add a bit of visual interest to a detail shot, and I love how it turned out!

This was our first wedding of the year in January - it was like, 6 degrees outside, but our couple still trekked down to the Hot Metal Bridge for photos!

In March, it can be difficult to find good backdrops for photos - I was so excited that the light and backdrop of this venue (the Camelot) lined up and that we were able to use it for bridal party photos! It was honestly a proud moment for me, since there weren’t a ton of backdrops to work with at this particular venue, and we didn’t have enough time to drive to a different spot!

Such a sweet sister moment ❤️

I love the joy, shock, and excitement that comes during proposals. This Phipp’s Conservatory proposal was such a highlight!

We had the whole Broderie room to ourselves!

I love Disney Pixar’s “Up” - Matt & Maria’s “Up” themed wedding day was so much fun to photograph! I got to get a little creative with their details, too!

Possibly one of my favorite bridal party photos of the whole year!

This couple flew in all the way from Seattle for their engagement photos!

Walking around Kennywood with these two was a huge highlight from this year! They met here, so it made the perfect backdrop for their engagement session!

Jackie & Gerald are literary lovers who incorporated so many books into their wedding day. I decided to borrow a few from their reception area to incorporate into their details photos - and I’m so glad I did! I am so excited about how these detail photos turned out!

This backdrop gave me major Lord of the Rings vibes. Which was perfect… considering the fact that Jackie & Gerald incorporated some subtle LOTR details throughout their day!

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you’ll appreciate this little potato sign! 😉

Firework photos have always been a bit tricky for me. I love how these ones turned out! And that “Love” sign?! Adorable!

Love this photo that Nick got of the groomsmen!

This wedding took place at the White Barn… one of my all time favorite wedding venues! Nick and I got married here back in 2015, too!

One of the sweetest mother-son dances.

No window light and in a small room? Create your own light with a speedlight by bouncing it into the corner of the room (so the light falls back onto your subject) to create soft, flattering, directional light!

This foot washing ceremony was so sweet, and so emotional.

Champagne pop at sunset?! It doesn’t get much better than that!

Maybe I shouldn’t have favorites… but this bouquet was one of my favorites of the entire year! I love a good fall textured bouquet. It was SUPER heavy, but super gorgeous in all of the photos!

This was one of those tougher lighting situations! It was a super bright day, and the first look took place right in the middle of the day (when the sun is highest in the sky). It’s notoriously the toughest time for natural light photography! I was thankful that we were able to find a place in this location to place the couple where we were able to control the light a bit more, to make sure it was flattering on our couple’s faces.

Something I LOVE about this walkway is that it has white cement… which acts as a great natural reflector, effectively “popping” soft light back into my couple’s faces, creating a flattering look for their skin. This wasn’t a location we had originally planned on using, but when we were driving by, I had to stop and take a few portraits of them there because I knew the light would be great!

This couple had a beautiful clear roof tent, which let in SO MUCH LIGHT! It was the best of both worlds - tented in case of rain, but also it sort of felt like you were completely outside because there was so much light!

I can’t get over the lights they have in the tent at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. They are so gorgeous!

Let me tell you about these confetti poppers! The confetti streamers that come out stay attached to the poppers themselves - making for super easy clean up! Which was great, considering that we popped them on a church altar!

It ended up being pretty cold on Jen & Brandon’s wedding day… so we did the majority of their portraits inside Heinz Chapel. And it was AWESOME. They left us enough time in their timeline to create some really special portraits for them… all while staying warm! 10/10 would do again!

This may be one of my favorite wedding portraits of the whole year!

Engagement photos in a (somewhat surprise) snow storm! We knew it was going to snow, but I don’t think any of us knew how heavy that snow would be. Thankfully - these two went for it! And thankfully I had a willing husband to hold an umbrella over my head while I was taking photos!

How I Navigated Pregnancy as a Wedding Photographer

2022 was a unique year for me as a wedding photographer and business owner, because I was pregnant for the first time, ever! There were lots of unknowns and some learning curves, but thankfully, I was able to make it through photographing 12 wedding days (and many portrait sessions!) while pregnant. Granted, that may not be as many as other photographers, but it still was enough to make me a little nervous going into wedding season!

Looking back on this season, I would love to share some tips and thoughts as I look back over the past several months that were helpful for me while navigating wedding season while pregnant.

First, I’d love to share some general things I implemented that ended up being helpful throughout my season!

1.     I let my wedding couples know I was pregnant before I announced it publicly.

Sharing about your pregnancy is a very personal thing. I went back and forth on whether or not to share the good news with my couples individually once I was in my second trimester, but looking back, I am SO glad I did. Sharing the news with my couples allowed us to be on the same page and left space for open communication. I didn’t want to announce my pregnancy on social media, then have them wonder how the pregnancy could affect their wedding day. For me, it was important to answer the major questions up front (the biggest being if anything with the pregnancy, like my due date, could affect their day), and then to keep the door open to discuss any questions or concerns they might have. Wedding photography is an investment, and I wanted them to be confident that I would still be able to fulfill my obligations to them just the same!

Another perk of letting my couples know I was pregnant was not having to explain certain things on a wedding day. For example – I had more frequent bathroom trips, which never interrupted the flow of the day, but my couples were understanding when I needed to take a quick detour to the restroom. All of my couples were incredibly kind about letting me sit down to eat dinner during the reception, and there were a few times during longer receptions where I sat down while taking photos of the dance floor action. I never felt like I needed to explain why I was making those choices to my couples, which helped me feel better about photographing their day while pregnant!

2.     I had a strong & consistent assistant/second shooter come with me to every wedding.

My husband photographed about 60-70% of my weddings with me prior to me becoming pregnant, so after we found out I was pregnant, we talked about him committing to helping me with all of my weddings for the 2022 photo season. Thankfully, I had already decided that I was going to take a few less in 2022, so even with his full time job, he was able to help me with all of the weddings I had scheduled. This did a couple of things for me: it helped me know, without a doubt, that I had someone I could rely on to help me with anything and everything. All of the other second photographers I have ever hired to help me with a wedding have been fantastic – wonderful shooters who are incredibly helpful – but there’s something about having your spouse there to help you in any situation that feels different. Nick was able to carry lots of our gear, knew how to set up our lighting for receptions, and knows how to support me emotionally on a wedding day (it’s so fun, but can be stressful at times!), so for me, it was huge to have him there consistently throughout my full wedding season, and took some tasks I was used to doing off of my plate.

If I felt the need, I was also open to bringing along someone towards the end of the wedding season (when I was way more pregnant!) to help and be with me for the entire wedding day (since Nick and I are sometimes doing separate things). But we actually ended up feeling like we were able to work through the last few weddings just the two of us! (For reference, my last wedding was at 32 weeks pregnant – thankfully!).

3.      I ended my season early and took less weddings overall.

This may be a controversial one, and something that will be different from person to person depending on financial situations and prior obligations (weddings can sometimes be scheduled SO far in advance, it can be hard to plan so far ahead!). But for me, when I found out I was pregnant, I stopped taking any additional weddings for that current season. 14 was my number for the year, and I was happy with that at the time – and looking back, I am still happy that I decided to limit what I took, even if it meant a decrease in income. I’m also a senior, family, and portrait photographer, so I decided to supplement my income with more of those types of sessions (which were not nearly as hard on my pregnant body as a wedding day!).

In addition to taking less weddings, I ended my shooting season mid-November (typically I shoot through until mid-December) with my due date being mid-January. I wanted to have a month to finish up editing and administrative tasks before Christmas and New Year’s, with a bit of built in rest towards the end of my pregnancy. I am SO thankful I did decide to do that – after my last wedding in mid-November, my body was ready for a break!

4.     The day after each wedding, I gave my body time to rest.

Most photographers try to rest the day after a wedding anyways, but this was even MORE important to me to try to stick to while pregnant!

We are a part of a church plant that meets on Sundays, so we always have a 4-5 hour standing commitment on Sunday mornings/early afternoons that often involve setting up for service, serving, and tearing down. That commitment is extremely important to us, so even during wedding season, we don’t want to miss. However – I made sure that on the weekends I had weddings, I was able to sit in the service, not serve during it. And boy did my body, mind, and emotions need that time to recoup! Then, after our commitment, we would go home and crash and just relax. That was the best way for me to be able to still have that commitment and serve in a smaller capacity during this season!

I’d also love to share a few items that helped me get through those long wedding days.

 1.     Nutrient dense snacks with high protein

Our bodies need lots of nutrients to properly function on long days, but especially while pregnant. While I was pregnant, I learned that my body will always give my growing baby the nutrients it needs first, then I get what’s left. After I learned this, I started noticing how much what I ate affected how I felt, especially on wedding days when I was on my feet directing people for 10+ hours. I started intentionally trying to bring higher protein, nutrient dense snacks with me (nuts, cheese, vegetables, chicken chips, protein bars, etc.) on those long days and felt SO MUCH BETTER as I went throughout the day, and the day after.

2.     Drinks with extra electrolytes

Obviously, it’s important to drink lots of water when you’re pregnant – especially when you’re pregnant and on your feet! But early on in my wedding season, I started noticing that water wasn’t cutting it. I wasn’t able to drink enough on wedding days without constantly having to use the restroom, so I started drinking no sugar added propel on wedding days. I was able to drink a “normal” amount of beverage, stay a bit more hydrated, and, consequently, have a somewhat easier time recovering the following day.

3.     Belly support band

I ended up not using one of these until after my last wedding while pregnant, but boy was it LIFE CHANGING! That baby gets so heavy in your pelvis in your 8th and 9th months of pregnancy, and can cause all sorts of aches and pains. A belly support band would have been a must for me if I had any weddings or sessions past the 32 week mark. I highly recommend this one from Amazon!

4.     Supportive shoes

Such a simple thing that can make such a difference – make sure you have supportive shoes! Or, if you are really feeling the pain in your feet, bring a pair of tennis shoes to switch into at the reception. If you’re obviously pregnant, I don’t think anyone would fault you for it!

5.     Warm foot bath

One of the best gifts my husband got me (before I was pregnant!) was a portable foot bath. This was truly my saving grace after long wedding days while pregnant – I came home and soaked them every single time, and it helped reduce the extra swelling in my feet.

If you are a wedding photographer who is pregnant and will be working through wedding season, please be sure to talk to your doctor to make sure you both are on the same page. All of the tips and items listed here are recommendations from my personal experience, and while they might not be directly applicable to your situation, I do hope they help give you some confidence that you CAN do it!

Strip District Pittsburgh Professional Headshots

Most budding photographers tend to rope their family members into photo shoots to get practice when starting out - and Paul (my younger brother, pictured here) was one of my OG test models!

Thankfully he still trusts me to take photos of him all of these years later 😉 He needed some updated professional headshots, so we headed off to the Strip District to get some architectural and city skyline photos for him to use. I love how they turned out!

PITTSBURGH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER: FAMILY PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS 2022

One of the best parts about being a Pittsburgh family photographer is getting to work with so many families with so many different dynamics! This year, I had a mix of immediate family sessions, extended family sessions, and some mini sessions! Specifically, I hosted Spring mini sessions at Moraine State Park in April, and Christmas mini sessions at Lake Forest Gardens in November. Both mini session events were so much fun and allowed me to work with so many families who I’ve had the privilege of photographing previously!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this year’s family photos!

Behind the Scenes 2022

Another year, another JHP Behind the Scenes blog post! And while blogging might not be all that popular anymore, it’s a tradition I definitely plan to continue - it’s so fun to see and remember how things have changed from year to year!

This year was a particularly unique year, considering the fact that I was pregnant for the first time throughout the vast majority of my photo season, from April all the way through 2022 (due in January 2023!). And truly, my season couldn’t have ended at a better time. I photographed my last wedding at 32 weeks and a few days, and after that last wedding, I was thankful to be able to let my body rest! Weddings are a little hard on the body to begin with, but growing a human definitely adds to the overall tiredness and fatigue during and after a wedding day!

I had the pleasure of photographing 14 amazing couples wedding days, and photographed 65 senior, engagement, family, and headshot sessions. I am so very thankful for each and every couple, individual, and family who let me be a part of such special seasons in their lives!

I am also immensely thankful for everyone who helped me this year by helping me carry gear (a huge shoutout to Robin, Erica, Raven, and my mom!) and especially my husband, who photographed all 14 weddings with me.

For more Behind the Scenes content: 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021