Pittsburgh Area Location Ideas for Girl Senior Portraits

If you’ve been following my blog for any extended length of time, you might’ve realized how much I LOVE incorporating the personalities of the people I photograph into my photos, including finding the perfect, unique location that represents who that person is. However, I realize that many times, it can be tough to find a completely unique location for every single person I photograph (that would be crazy!). Because of that, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite locations to photograph senior girls and what I love about each of them:

1. Hartwood Acres Mansion

Why: One of my favorite features about Hartwood is its diversity. It includes a variety of different elements within a short walking distance, including a garden, woods, gate, and a stone mansion with archways, doorways, and lots of character. There is a lot to work with in this location, and is a great spot to choose if you’re interested in having a mix of nature and classic architecture.

Best Time of Year: Year round! However, if you’re interested in using the garden, it’s best to schedule between the spring and fall.

Sample Sessions from Hartwood Acres:

• Shawna W. (Spring)

• Jessi S. (Summer)

• Jannelle G. (Fall)

2. The Strip District

Why: The Strip District has so many unique locations for photos! It truly captures that gritty, downtown Pittsburgh aesthetic. Brightly colored steps, painted brick walls, and one of the most gorgeous rooftop city views steal the show.

Best Time of Year: Really, all year round! Since the backgrounds are mostly comprised of architecture, this location holds up even through the colder months.

Sample Sessions from the Strip District:

• Trudy B. (Summer)

• Sophie W. (Fall)

3. Mellon Park

Why: Mellon has stone elements reminiscent of Hartwood, but on a much smaller scale. It has more of a focus on nature.

Best Time of Year: Spring, summer, and fall are my favorite seasons to take photos at Mellon Park.

Sample Sessions from Mellon Park:

• Anna E. (Summer)

4. Downtown Pittsburgh

Why: Downtown Pittsburgh has so many beautiful architectural elements that are perfect for "chic" seniors who love the city atmosphere! With tons of locations within just a short walking distance, downtown Pittsburgh has so much to offer!

Best Time of Year: One of my favorite parts about shooting in downtown Pittsburgh is that it looks good almost all year round! In the summer, you will get the benefit of the natural greenery in some of the small park areas (Mellon Green, Mellon Square), but when shooting in the wintertime, you can barely notice what season it is!

5. Historic Harmony

Why: Much like the other locations mentioned previously, I have a love for Historic Harmony because of its diversity (and because it’s a short distance from my house! ;) ). It has a variety of historic buildings with bright colored brick, doors, and windows, and even has a coffee shop (Wunderbar) right in town!

Best Time of Year: Historic Harmony is beautiful all year round! Of course, for more greenery, it’s best to schedule during the spring, summer, and fall months.

Sample Sessions from Historic Harmony:

• Rachel C. (Summer)

• Sam M. (Summer)

• Adri D. (Summer)

• Sydney T. (Fall)

• Morgan A. (Winter)

6. McConnell’s Mill

Why: The more I shoot at McConnell’s Mill, the more I love it! There are so many different elements to work with – some within walking distance, and some within a short driving distance. In the central part of McConnell’s, there is the wood mill, river, waterfalls, rocks, and roads. Within a short driving distance, there is a field and “Cleland Rock,” which has become a personal favorite of mine for it’s West Virginia-like views!

Best Time of Year: I’ve taken photos at McConnell’s during every season and can honestly say that I love photographing clients there year ‘round! However, I do find it to be especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing.

Sample Sessions from McConnell's Mill:

• Lauren N. (Late Summer/Early Fall)

• Joey D. (Fall)

• Lyndsay & Justin (Winter)

7. Succop Nature Park

Why: You guessed it – there’s a great amount of variety at Succop, especially if you are looking for more a mix of natural elements, mixed with a bit of architecture in your photos! Within walking distance, you can find a pond, field, and willow tree, along with a beautiful mansion-esque building to provide lots of different opportunities for lots of variety!

Best Time of Year: Moraine is beautiful in the spring summer, and fall months (but summer is my favorite time!)

Sample Sessions from Succop Nature Park:

• Sarah S. (Late Summer)

• Sophie H. (Late Summer)

8. Oakland

Why: Oakland has SO MANY beautiful locations within walking distance! There is a lot of historic architecture, as well as some natural scenery nearby, making it a great mix of different elements!

Best Time of Year: Oakland is beautiful year round, and can be a “year round” photo spot because of its plethora or architecture. However, it is especially beautiful in Spring & Summer when the flowers and trees are blooming! But it’s a great option in the winter months when there isn’t as much nature, too.

Sample Sessions from Oakland:

• Mimi (Summer)

9. Moraine State Park

Why: Moraine State Park is one of my favorite parks around Pittsburgh! It has lots of beautiful locations, including docks, woods, trails, fields, and a lake. If you’re a nature lover, this is definitely a great spot to consider!

Best Time of Year: This location is best Spring, Summer, and Fall, but still looks beautiful with the water/snow in colder months!

Sample Sessions from Moraine State Park:

• Olivia (Fall - NOTE: the bridge and bench pictured in these photos have been removed since the time of this photo session)

Garland Family: Hartwood Acres Family Photographer

You might remember this sweet family from their Cranberry Township park session last year! Their kiddos, Nate and Evie, are getting bigger and even more adorable as the years go on (how could these two get any cuter?!). We had a great time exploring Hartwood Acres Mansion and breaking out the bubble machine for some extra fun time!

4 Tips for Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Session

Are you a bride who’s wondering how your groom will react to having his photo taken? You are most certainly not alone! One of the biggest questions I am asked by my brides is how to prepare her groom for the engagement session. So many of my couples who were nervous before their session walk away saying: “Wow! That was actually fun.” And that’s what it’s about – not just getting some great photos, but actually having fun while doing it!

So if you’re a bride who’s a little bit nervous about how your groom might react to the engagement session, here are a few of my top tips:

1.  Sit down and show him a couple of your favorite blog posts or galleries by your photographer.

Sometimes the scariest thing about going into something new is the unknown – the same is true for going into an engagement session! In most (not all) cases, the bride is the one looking for and booking the wedding photographer, which means that she will already be very familiar with the style, look, and posing associated with a particular photographer by the time the engagement session rolls around. However, if a groom hasn’t been involved in picking the wedding photographer (or has only seen a few samples of work), they could be a bit blind-sided going into a session by what to expect. By looking at a few blog posts or galleries the night before your engagement session, a bride will give her groom realistic expectations for how the session will pan out!

2.  Leave early to arrive ahead of schedule!

This tip might not seem like it fits quite as well, but I know from photographing many sessions (and from being in a relationship myself ;) ) that timeliness can sometimes be a point of contention between any two people who love each other! Be sure to leave early enough to arrive on time to your session. Starting off your session in an argumentative manner from tardiness can put a damper on the beginning of the shoot!

3.  Plan to do something fun together afterwards.

So maybe taking photos isn’t necessarily your guy’s favorite thing to do – or maybe he’s nervous because he’s never had his photo taken professionally before! Whatever the case, plan to do something fun before or afterwards that you can both look forward to – whether it’s going out to dinner, seeing a movie, going out for ice-cream – having something fun to plan for after your session will give you both something to look forward to and will make your night for getting engagement photos done more into a date night!

4. Have patience & be an encourager.

Getting your photo taken can be awkward if you've never had it done before, or if it's been a while! Don't forget to have patience and grace with your groom, especially if he's feeling uneasy. It's completely normal to feel nervous before having your photo taken - the best thing you can do is continue to encourage and build up your groom throughout the whole process!

And just to show that it is possible for guys to have fun during the engagement session, here are a few of my favorite photos of grooms genuinely enjoying their session:

Mikayla D: Washington, PA Portrait Photographer

Have you ever heard of horse "barrel racing?" If not, you should definitely go check it out - it's where a horse and its rider literally races around a set of barrels as fast as they can possibly go - it's mesmerizing to watch! And this lady, Mikayla, has been barrel racing for a number of years with her two horses, Sierra and Gypsy. I had the opportunity to photograph the three of them at Maple Lee Farm in Washington, PA a few short weeks ago!

I'm not sure I even told Mikayla during her session, but I've always been slightly terrified of horses. When I was eight years old, one went a little crazy and bucked me off after galloping into the woods, away from the little line we were walking so carefully and so slowly in. Even when I went to Ireland a few years ago and went horse back riding on the beach, I requested the slowest, most gentle horse - who ended up having a limp and trailing behind the line of horses by about 20 yards for the majority of the experience (ha!). Regardless, Sierra and Gypsy (Mikayla's horses) were two of the most well behaved, gentle beasts I have ever met, and I'm happy to report that this session might've helped me conquer my fear (thanks Mikayla!).

Without further ado, here are just a few of my favorite highlights from Mikayla's Maple Lee Farm session!

Amanda + Jeff: North Shore Pittsburgh Maternity Photographer

Maternity sessions aren't something I do on the regular, but I am starting to love them more and more - especially with Amanda's classy downtown Pittsburgh maternity session! You might remember Amanda and Jeff from their gender reveal mini-session a few months ago (see it here!). 

For the session, we began on the North Shore near PNC Park, then moved our way to Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side where we encountered the most beautiful glowy (is that a word?) light (which complimented Amanda's pregnancy "glow" so well!). I am so thankful to have met these two and can't wait for you to see a few of my favorites from their session!

5 Commandments for Mastering Family Formals

Family formals (aka, mom’s favorite pictures from the wedding day [for good reason]) are a necessary component of any wedding day, and are sometimes one part of the day, unfortunately, that stresses brides out the most. From family members making a dash from the ceremony to cocktail hour to your niece (the flower girl) needing to use the restroom, you might be wondering: is there any way to successfully (and quickly) work through the family formals section of a wedding day?

What if I told you, bride-to-be, that family formals don’t have to be so crazy? That all family formals could be done within a short, concise timeframe? By following these five commandments of family formals, you will be sure to make it through your entire list without letting your list take the entirety of cocktail hour:

1. Have a specific list with specific names.

This is the number one most important key to mastering the family formals portion of your wedding day: have a specific list with specific names. Spending five minutes a month before your ceremony writing out exactly who you’d like to have a part of family formals can save lots of time on your wedding day. Don’t forget to touch base with your groom, your mom, and your mother-in-law to make sure their requests are on the list, too!

Our strategy for wedding days is to have a specific list to work from so nothing has to be decided on the fly the day of the wedding (i.e., one less item for the bride to have to coordinate). If we know exactly who needs to be in your formals beforehand, we can start gathering people directly after the ceremony, calling names, and putting people “on deck” for the next photo.

2. Don’t stray from the list.

Commandment number two might be just as important as number one – once you have your list finalized, don’t stray from it! I’ve seen many a list get elongated throughout the family formals timeframe from well-meaning family members who want a specific combination that the bride (and the bride’s family) aren’t interested in having. Allowing friends and family members to elongate the list during this specific timeframe can cut into bridal party portraits, as well as portraits of the bride and groom. Know what shots are important and stick to them!

3. Keep your list simple.

Simplicity is best when it comes to family formals. If you have a limited timeframe to complete formals, keep it short and sweet – keeping the list to immediate family members and grandparents is a great way to save time (less people to gather), and other larger portraits (i.e., your mom’s whole extended side of 30+ people) can be saved for the reception, where the DJ can announce: “we need all of the bride’s mother’s extended family on the dance floor for a photo!” or the like.

4. Let everyone on the list know exactly where they need to be, and when.

What takes up the most time when it comes to family formals? Gathering family members. Alerting family members ahead of time that they will be needed for a photo, whether it’s directly after the ceremony or at an alternative specific time, will save ample amounts of time. Tracking down someone in a 200-300 person crowd can be tough (especially during cocktail hour when there’s food and drink involved!).

5. Bust through your list right after the ceremony.

At your ceremony, everyone will be sitting in the same room – which means everyone is already gathered and ready for formals! After the couple has exited the ceremony, many couples have their pastor make an announcement to have family members remain in their seats so that they’re ready for photos. If no one leaves the ceremony, it’s easier to jump straight into photos!

By following these five commandments of family formals, you’re sure to breeze through your list with ease and efficiency and spend your day celebrating with family members, rather than just taking photos with them – and that’s what is truly important!

Have any tips to add? Drop them in the comments below!

Jack P: North Park Senior Photographer

Jack is a high school senior soccer player who's graduating this spring (in less than a month!) and is heading off to William & Mary in Virginia to study Math and Economics! Major props to Jack for having his senior photos taken earlier this week in 90 degree weather without barely breaking a sweat!

Congratulations on your last year of school, Jack!

What is a First Look, and Should I do One?

Have you ever heard of a wedding day “first look?” In the past, many brides would do a first look with their parents, bridesmaids, or grandparents, where they would get a sneak peek of the bride before the ceremony. But there’s a different type of first look that’s become extremely popular: a first look with the groom.

I know what you might be thinking, because I was thinking it too. What! Why would I want to ruin that moment with my husband seeing me for the first time while walking down the aisle?! Because, let’s be real, that’s a HUGE part of a wedding day. Many little girls imagine walking down the aisle to their Prince Charming, seeing his face light up when his eyes meet your bridal image. So let me say first and foremost – I totally, completely, 100% get where you’re coming from. In fact, on my wedding day, my husband and I chose to forego a first look. But looking back on that day, it’s easy to see all of the benefits a first look would have brought. Without further ado, here are a couple of the top reasons of why you might want to consider a first look:

1. You’ll have more time for portraits.

If photos are important to you, having a first look is a great way to make sure you’ll get tons of photos of you and your soon to be husband! Wedding photography is an investment, and having a first look means getting the most out of your money! Typically, first looks are done before the ceremony, when there’s less of a time crunch (opposed to between the ceremony and reception timeframe).

2. You’ll have more time together.

This is a HUGE one, and one I wish I would’ve considered going into my own wedding day! On your wedding day, you’ll come down the aisle, get married, jump straight into portraits, then jump straight into the reception – there’s barely any time to have a relaxed moment together. But with a first look, you’ll get the majority of your photos done before the ceremony, and will therefore have much more time to enjoy just being together (plus, you’ll get to attend cocktail hour!).

3. You’ll get to enjoy the surprise!

When you’re walking down the aisle and your husband to be sees you for the first time, he’s going to be shocked. Flabbergasted. Over the moon excited! But… he can’t say anything to you. He can’t tell you how much he loves you, how beautiful you look, how excited he is to marry you – he has to wait until after the ceremony, and by that time, the initial reaction has worn away. With a first look, you can share that moment – together.

4. You’ll be less rushed. 

Have you ever been to a wedding where there was a 3-5 hour time gap between the ceremony and reception? Me too. I remember being antsy, hungry, and ready for the party to start by the time bridal party made it to the reception. Doing a first look means being able to do the majority of your photos before the ceremony, which cuts down time between the ceremony and reception for your guests.

5. You’ll be less nervous.

I’m naturally more of an introvert, so being in front of a crowd of people gives me a little bit of anxiety. If you’re like me, consider doing a first look. You’ll get to experience that moment together – just the two of you (plus your photographer, hopefully from afar J ) – without anyone else around. There’s no pressure to react a certain way, no onlookers, just a private moment between the two of you.

Now, let me put a little disclaimer on this blog post – I in no way, shape, or form would ever want to force a first look on anyone! It’s something that should be decided by each couple together (sometimes I even feel bad sharing this option because of how touchy a subject it can be!). But I’ve seen the benefits of doing a first look over and over and always want to share and help my couples (or any couple) find the best option for them and make the most informed decision. So please – by no means feel obligated or forced into a first look (again, I didn’t even have one!) – but do consider the benefits, and make the best decision for you!

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Jenna Hidinger Photography is a Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer located in Zelienople, Pennsylvania who has a heart for encouraging, loving, and serving her couples on their wedding day and in their marriage.

Becky + Joe: Indiana Country Club Wedding Photographer

It's hard to believe, but Becky and Joe's engagement session was over two years ago (see it here!) at Mellon Park - and mid-May of this year, they tied the knot! I loved having the opportunity to photograph Becky & Joe's engagement session because it showed me how easily they interacted together and how much love they have for each other - which is just one reason why I was so excited to photograph their wedding day!

Becky & Joe's fuchsia, purple, and teal wedding day was planned with so many thoughtful details. Becky even created the invitation suite herself (major props!) and tied lockets with photos of loved ones who had passed to her bouquet (what a sweet sentiment!). 

Their ceremony took place right in the middle of Indiana Country Club's golf course in a little area secluded by trees. Their heartfelt vows, Full House references, and retelling of their first date made for lots of laughs and happy tears.

At their reception, Becky and Joe had a stinking COOKIE CAKE as their wedding cake in lieu of a traditional cake (which I was pumped about - Nick and I had a cookie cake at our wedding, and they were the first other couple we have known to do the same!). Towards the beginning of the reception, in honor of loved ones who had passed before the wedding, the couple had a "Ten Bell Salute," which is used before wrestling matches to honor a deceased wrestler (Joe is a wrestler himself, which made a Ten Bell Salute the perfect way to honor deceased family members). The day finished with lots of dancing and a mashed potato bar for guests!

I am so thankful that we were able to be part of such a beautiful day for Becky and Joe. Congratulations on your marriage, you two! Here's to many more adventures!

Vendors:

Bride’s Dress: Exquisite Bride

Bride’s Shoes: “No Doubt” brand off of Amazon

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Hair: Lori Noal

Makeup: Lexi Jones

Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse

Band/DJ: The Pittsburgh DJ Company

Flowers: The Blossom Shop

Caterer: The Indiana Country Club

Cake/Desserts: Gail’s Custom Cakes and Cookies

Videographer: John Ankeny Jr. (Bride’s brother)

Honeymoon: Italy!

5 Online Tools to Organize Your Business

I like to consider myself an organized person (but don’t look at my office right now – it’s a disaster zone!). Much more than staying physically organized, I love being organized with my processes and information.

When I first started photographing senior sessions, family sessions, and weddings, I would maybe photograph three weddings for the entire year and a portrait session per month. It was easy for me to stay "organized" because, well, I didn’t have too much work. But then, slowly over time, I started getting busier. And busier. And soon enough, I was in wayyyyyyy over my head without any rhyme, reason, or rhythm to my madness and it was driving me INSANE. I was the girl in high school who toted around a planner, calendar, and separate binder for each class (organized by assignment and month), but I wasn’t translating that organization into my business.

Fast forward a few years to today, and I’m photographing 20+ weddings and 50-60 sessions per year (such a blessing!), and I’ve had to force myself to get organized and find systems and processes for marking, booking, creating, culling, editing and sharing the work my clients hire me to do. Today, I wanted to share five of my favorite online tools for staying organized and streamlining my work process in hopes that someone else out there can benefit from these tools that took me way too long to find! So without further ado – here are my five favorite online tools for staying organized within my business:

1.  Wunderlist

I absolutely love to do lists and Wunderlist allows me to organize, categorize, and set dates/deadlines for all of my tasks. This no-fuss app has quickly become one of my favorites for its power and simplicity. Wunderlist lets you easily create folders with subcategories (for example: “2018 Weddings”), create sub-lists within a folder (for example: “John Smith + Amy Flowers Wedding”) and create tasks within that list category, as well as sub tasks within those tasks (for example: "edit wedding photos)! If you’re an organizational nerd like me, I know you’re going to love it. And bonus: you can even collaborate on lists and invite people to contribute (for example: my husband and I have a “Groceries” list to help us keep track of what we’re running low on - we haven't run out of ketchup since - score!).

While users have the ability to upgrade on Wunderlist, I find the free version to be full of features and highly convenient (considering it syncs between my desktop and phone app so I can add to-dos while I’m out and about). Check out my breakdown below:

2.  Mile IQ

Mile IQ was a newer find for me – actually, I discovered it while filing for my 2016 taxes when my accountant highly suggested that I keep track of my mileage (believe it or not, on location wedding/portrait photographers do a lot of driving between scouting locations, meeting with clients, and photographing sessions!). I absolutely love Mile IQ because it automatically keeps track of my drives. AUTOMATICALLY. Did I mention it was automatic? Like, that I don’t even have to think about it?! Talk about genius! I just leave my location on my phone on, and it tracks my driving and then lets me categorize those drives as “personal” or as “business” (with sub categories – and you know how I feel about sub-lists!!), along with literally showing a map of where you drove to/from. If you track mileage for business, this app is a must have!

I should also mention that the first forty drives while using the app are free – but if you drive more than 40 trips a month, Mile IQ has the option to upgrade for just a small monthly maintenance fee.

3.  Grum

One of my favorite (and most engaging) social media platforms I use to interact with current and potential clients is Instagram. In the past, scheduling posts to automatically publish at a specific time wasn’t a possibility for Instagram… until Grum came along. Grum.co allows users to not only organize content, but also to schedule content to automatically post at a specific time (i.e., when most of your clients are actively online). By now, you might be starting to recognize how much I love automation. I love it because it allows me to create a bunch of content in one sitting, schedule it out, and then not have to think about it again until after it’s posted. Though Grum isn’t free, it’s only roughly $10 per month, or $120 annually – which (to me) is worth every penny!

4.  Hootsuite

Hootsuite is very similar to Grum, except a user can manage and automate all of their social media profiles instead of just Instagram (except Instagram can’t be automated via Hootsuite – it can only remind you to post at a specific time). Hootsuite allows the user to organize and automate both Facebook and Twitter posts – plus track analytics, create campaigns, and organize contacts all from their simply laid out dashboard! There is much more to Hootsuite that I haven’t had a chance (or need) to explore, but if you’re interested in reading about additional features, I highly encourage you to check out their website! Hootsuite is free for to use for the first three social media platforms (with the ability to upgrade).

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5.  Acuity Scheduling

Acuity is a newer online tool (for me) that I recently began using for the 2017 photo season. I tend to spend a lot of time communicating back and forth with my clients trying to figure out the best date and time to schedule a session. With Acuity, I’m able to send my clients a link where they can view my calendar of available session time slots and book a specific type of session without any back and forth. I’m all about making things simple for my clients, so deciding to invest in Acuity Scheduling was a no brainer for me! Acuity also allows the business manager to set specific appointment types for specific times, as well as send follow up questionnaires to learn more about the booking client. Acuity has a variety of different paid plans – the free version has a very limited number of features, but it still very intuitive!

What are you favorite online tools, apps, and tricks for staying organized? Are there any online tools you would add to this list? Drop your favorite organization tool in the comments below, I always love to find new tools to use! But in the mean time, enjoy checking out the online tools listed above!