I love taking the time to round up some of my favorite photos from a year of shooting - it’s easy to forget how many incredible seniors I had the privilege of photographing after such a long stretch! But in today’s blog post, that’s exactly what I want to do - remember, reminisce, and refocus towards a whole new year of seniors in 2022!

This year, I photographed more seniors than I ever have in the previous 9 years I’ve been in business. Which I am so incredibly thankful for - considering the fact that senior photos are one of my favorite types of sessions to photograph! Also, though I will continue to photograph weddings, I do hope to transition to filling more of my schedule with senior portraits within the next few years. So getting to photograph more seniors was so exciting!

I photographed my seniors in many different locations, including Historic Harmony, McConnell’s Mill, Hartwood Acres Mansion (which was sadly closed for the majority of 2021!), Zelienople (my home town!), Moraine State Park, the Strip District, Oakland, Mellon Park, Succop Nature Park, Camp Kon-O-Kwee, North Park, the North Shore, and even on someone’s own property. There are so many fantastic options for senior photos in and around Pittsburgh!

One of my surprising favorite locations of this year was the Strip District. Shooting in the city can pose some unique challenges (limited parking, extra traffic, lots of walking, random people on the street who want to chat!), but I have truly loved getting to know the Strip District area better from a photo-perspective, and love how many unique (and colorful!) backgrounds there are within a relatively short walking distance!

More than any specific location, my favorite part (by far) of photographing seniors is getting to know them during their session, and helping them feel comfortable in front of my camera. Every senior brings something unique and different to their shoot, and it’s fun to be able to encourage them in such a pivotal time in their lives!

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!


If you are a Class of 2022 senior who has yet to schedule their photos, or a Class of 2023 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!

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