These photos have been put on the backburner for a while now. Who knew summer could be so busy (with awesome stuff, nonetheless)! As the saying goes - better late than never!
These past few months of summer have provided me with more travel opportunities than ever before in my short life! From Ireland to the Outer Banks to a family reunion in Deleware with a day trip to New York City – I have been more than blessed. And thank God I have had a camera at my side the entire time! Something I truly love about bringing my camera along on my adventures is capturing a place I’ve never been before from a unique perspective – my own. Sure, it’s one thing to look at photos of a place and dream of going there, but it’s another to actually go and photograph it for yourself. Somehow, it makes that place and the people you experienced it with a little closer to your heart.
So for that reason - here's to many more adventures.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
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Julianna and Josh had an absolutely beautiful engagement session at North Park in Pittsburgh, with the sun coming out just in time for our session! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. Thanks for a great time, guys! Me and Nick wish you all the best! [gallery type="rectangular" ids="224,228,227,226,225,229,230,231,234,233,232,235,236,237,238,239,240"]
© Jenna Hidinger Photography, 2013
We had an absolutely beautiful day for Kelli and Ashton's engagement session at Crooked Creek Park in Ford City, PA! Me and Nick (my awesome assistant and boyfriend) had a blast documenting the love between these two, and we are more than looking forward to the wedding! Thanks for a great shoot, guys! [gallery type="rectangular" ids="197,198,220,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207,209,208,221,210,212,213,214,215,216,217,218,219"] © Jenna Hidinger Photography, 2013
This past week, my family took a vacation to the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina, and while we were there I had the opportunity to take my brother's senior photos - on the beach! Talk about an awesome location! He even brought along his ukulele (which he is a pro at playing) for a few shots. Thanks for a great shoot, Paul!
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©Jenna Hidinger Photography
“Adventure is a need.” – Toba Beta A week ago today I returned from one of the greatest adventures of my life – a two-week trip through the beautiful country of Ireland.
And I hardly know where to begin.
Let me first start off by saying that I have never been a person who liked change. I have been known to be the type of person who craves a life of routine and stability, opposed to a life of uncertainty and adventure. (Lame, I know). Though I had been abroad once before (to Kenya), this was the first time I would be traveling outside of the country with a group of people I barely knew. And, to be honest – I was a little nervous. But after only a few days into the trip I knew that I had no reason to be. To be honest (again), I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome group of people to experience Ireland with. I love hanging out with people who have the same passion for photography as I do, and who inspire me to keep on shooting day after day. This trip has shown me that change is, in fact, not just good, but necessary. Change (and adventure, for that matter) gives life a bit of a new perspective, and helps us see things in a different light, or through a different lens, if you will. As Miriam Beard once said, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
A few of my favorite moments:
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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tag along with a great photographer friend of mine, Gabrielle Halle for a styled bridal shoot at International Images, Ltd. in Sewickley, PA. Gabrielle has been gracious enough to allow me to share a few of the photos I took during the session - be sure to check out her site and show her some love! She is an awesome lady with incredible talent! Special thanks to all of the vendors who donated the items used for the shoot, including Karrie Hlista (floral decor and design), Spoiled Chicks (various accessories), Ragged Row (stunning dress!), Antiquarian (chairs and furniture), and Jewel Thief (gorgeous ring). A big thanks to our model, Pheobe, and makeup artist, Crystal Halle as well!
(If you wish to see a particular photo at a larger size, just click - and enjoy! :) )[gallery type="rectangular" ids="51,54,62,59,52,55,63,64,66,56,57,58,65,67,61,60,53,70,68,69,71,72,73,74,75"]
I am extremely excited to present my High School Senior Photography Portfolio! Over the past year I have had the opportunity to shoot a good number of high school seniors who will be graduating this Spring. I cannot thank each senior and parent of each senior enough for allowing me to be a part of remembering such a huge step in their lives. It has truly been a blessing to hear the story of each senior, and I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors! To view a small selection of my favorite photos from my past sessions, click here. Enjoy!
What sort of world do we live in?
A bombing in Boston… a school shooting in Connecticut… a movie theater shooting in Colorado. I can remember watching coverage of the movie theater shooting in the Nairobi Airport in Kenya. There is something so surreal about watching something tragic happen in your country while watching from another. But it’s just as bad, if not worse, watching the coverage from your own country.
As human beings, we (naturally) have so many questions. How could someone do such a thing? What makes evil people do evil things? Are we all capable of doing unspeakable, evil things? Sometimes, in these questions, we forget to look for the good. I will be the first one to say that when something extremely tragic happens, like a bombing or shooting, I automatically start questioning and looking at the bad. And questions are okay. They’re natural. But as a follower of Christ, I am called to do so much more. I am called to see the potential in the situation. To look for whatever good there may be, and to love those who are hurting.
Fred Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” But what if, instead of looking for the helpers, we were the helpers? What if, instead of waiting for others to step in, we decided to make a difference? Lately, I have been SO challenged with these questions. I tend to wait for someone else to step in and make the change that I want to see… but I need to step up. We all need to step up, especially those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. We were created to love God and to love others. Simple as that.
The world that we live in is so messed up, and it needs people who will rise to the occasion. People who will not just look for the helpers… but people who will be the helpers. So my challenge for myself, and for anyone else who may be reading this – be a helper. Be the type of person who gets off the sidelines and makes a difference. Because someday – someone could return the favor for you.
Let me preface this post with a little known fact: I hate public speaking. People tell me that I’m good at it, but I am not very fond of it. That is, unless I’m talking about something I am passionate about – such as TOMS Shoes. TOMS is a shoe company that uses a “one for one” business model. With every pair of shoes that TOMS sells, a pair in return is given to a child in need in an undeveloped or developing country. I personally think this model is genius, part of the reason being because TOMS is teaching consumers how to be socially mindful with their purchase. I love knowing that, when I choose to buy a pair of shoes from TOMS, someone, somewhere across the world is being given a pair of shoes who may have never owned a pair before. This overwhelming excitement may be due partially (or fully) to my love for Africa – specifically, Kenya – which I traveled to this past July. I’ve seen the feet without shoes, and my heart aches for them.
But let me get back to my point.
A few months ago in public speaking class, I chose to give a speech on TOMS Shoes, mainly because I knew I wouldn’t have as much trouble speaking in front of a class full of strangers if there was true passion and meaning behind my words. Thus, I wrote my speech, practiced it, and delivered it. Then I was done with it.
Or so I thought.
A week or two later, a girl I sit next to in class told me that she had ordered a pair of TOMS… because of my speech. Yes, I had passion behind my speech – but did I think it would spur anyone to action? Not really. I honestly could not believe it! The fact that God had used me, through something I really had no desire to do in the first place, was astounding… and still is. Someone, somewhere in the world, has a new pair of shoes because of a speech – because of a seized opportunity. And I claim absolutely no credit for it, because it was all God’s work and timing.
“Here's a scary thought: What if God called you to give beyond your comfort level? Would you be afraid? Would you try to explain it away or dismiss it as impractical? And in the process, would you miss out on a harvest opportunity for which God had explicitly prospered you in the first place?” (Andy Stanley, Fields Of Gold)
“Why would we need to experience the Comforter if our lives were already comfortable?” (Francis Chan)