I met up with Nicolas, Natalie, and Hera (Herbie) at Mellon Park a few weeks ago for the most beautiful little first birthday session!
This sweet family recently moved from Durham, NC (fun fact: that's where I was born!) to Pittsburgh, PA - and I'm pretty sure they have the cutest baby EVER! These three were complete naturals in front of the camera, and I'm so honored that I was able to capture all of Herbie's one year old cuteness! Check out a few of my favorites below!
If you've been following the blog for a little while, you might remember Lauren and Cody from their adorable Moraine State Park family session last year (click here to see more!).
A few weeks ago, Lauren reached out to me and let me know that her and Cody would like to have their engagement photos taken in downtown Beaver, PA! I had never been to downtown Beaver before (even though I've lived nearly 25 minutes away for basically my entire life!), so a few days later, I headed down to check it out. And oh my gosh - was I BLOWN away!
Downtown Beaver is the perfect mix of quaint buildings and bustling town life! The main street is full of adorable and eclectic restaurants, ice cream & donut shots, as well as lots of great little window shops. To say I was excited for their session was an understatement! During their session, we walked all around town, and even had time to visit the nearby historic train station! We had SO much stinking fun!!!
Lauren and Cody, you two are a blessing to work with and I could not be more excited for your wedding day!
If someone told you that they could give you a tool to market your business for FREE online, up your Google rankings, increase trust with your current and future customers, all while making your clients feel like a million bucks, would you believe them?!
This is EXACTLY what blogging can do! Blogging is one of my FAVORITE marketing tools I use in my business and has been essential in my business’s growth over the past few years! Though I most definitely have SO MUCH to learn in the technicalities of blogging, today I wanted to answer a frequently asked question that I receive from other business owners: how do I go about blogging consistently and efficiently?
Having a blog is a double edge sword. If you have one and you’re not posting on it – it doesn’t look too great, like you don’t have any work to share (and clients love to work with people who other people love to work with!). But on the same note, blogs can be incredibly tough to keep up with when you’re trying to manage a million other facets of your business.
There are seven techniques I’ve implemented throughout the last couple of years to ensure that I am blogging as regularly and as efficiently as possible. If YOU want to blog more but aren’t sure how to get the most out of the time you allot to blogging – these seven tips are for you! First:
1. Choose a blogging schedule that you can actually STICK to, and make it consistent.
I’m no SEO (search engine optimization) expert, but I know that Google loves consistency and rewards websites that post consistently! (Read more about how blogging consistently affects your Google ranking here!)
In addition to being great for SEO, being consistent with blogging builds trust with clients and lets them see that (1) you are busy, and (2) that you have consistent knowledge to share that will add value to their lives and to the service you are/could be providing them! Because clients want to know that you are knowledgeable and in demand, it’s important to find a blogging schedule that is consistent and that you can actually stick to. Both of these things take time – it might take some trial and error to figure out what the best blogging schedule is for you!
For example, last year, I decided I wanted to blog FOUR times a week. Before that, I was only blogging maybe once or twice a week, but I was determined that four would be the magic number that would work best for me. Well, low and behold, my four day a week blogging schedule failed after the second week because I just couldn’t keep up! Instead, I decided to cut it in half and commit to blogging twice a week. THAT I’ve been able to stick to for almost a year now! But your optimal blogging schedule might be different. Maybe blogging once a week is perfect for you, or maybe blogging once every other week is just right! Whatever the case, choose a schedule and decide that you’re going to stick to it!
2. Answer frequently asked questions.
This is one of my favorite tips for people who are looking to blog more. First: know who your audience is, and second: answer their burning questions! No matter what industry you’re in, chances are you have some type of reader, customer, or client who has a question for you, and answering those questions makes you an expert in your field (or, in their eyes!) and someone that people can rely on for knowledge. For example, as a senior photographer, lots of people ask me what to wear for their photos. Here’s a post I wrote answering that question! As a wedding photographer, lots of people ask me about what I think about a “first look.” Here’s a post I wrote on that! And as someone who owns a photography business, LOTS of people ask me what type of gear they should buy, and what type of gear I own. You can check out those blog posts here and here!
Not sure what questions you should be answering? All you have to do is simply ASK! Ask the people who read your blog or who buy your product/service what they want to know, and I have a feeling they’ll tell you!
3. Keep a list of ideas handy!
I used to think of a great idea for a blog post while I was shopping, driving, or having a conversation with a friend, only to sit down later to blog and completely forget what it was! I decided I needed to start writing down my ideas as I had them so that I could have a plethora to choose from when the time came!
My favorite tool for keeping track of my blog ideas is Wunderlist. Wunderlist is basically an app that allows you to make lists on your phone – super simple, but super effective!
4. Batch work.
This has been one of the BIGGEST game changers over the past year! I used to write blog posts the day before I wanted to post them, or I would write a blog post and want to post it right away. But by batching the writing and scheduling of my blog posts I now actually get more done faster, because my brain is already in the “writing” mode, and isn’t switching from one task to another. I’m also able to write a couple of blog posts within a span of a few hours so that I’m (usually) ahead of the game and prepared to post content a few weeks (or months) in advance! Whenever I schedule time to work on blogging, I typically try to take the first four or last four hours of my work day to do so, so I can REALLY get in a groove and pump out some good content!
5. Schedule your posts on social media.
So now that you’ve written your content, you need to make sure you’re promoting it so that people can benefit from it! Using a variety of platforms to promote your blog content is key to more views and interaction. I love to use Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to promote my blog posts, in particular.
Because I batch write and schedule my content, I love to use social media scheduling apps like Hootsuite (for Facebook) and Grum (for Instagram), where I’ll write a short (and hopefully engaging!) description, paired with a photo, to promote and lead people to the post.
6. Re-share your content.
I used to be afraid of resharing my blog content because I was afraid of what people would think. Why is she sharing this again? Didn’t I just read something like this?! But after listening to a podcast/pep talk from the host of the Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher, I realized that no one is paying that close attention. If I wrote a really amazing blog post a year ago – you better believe I’m going to share it again a year or even a few months later with a different spin! And because I’ve gained new followers (and because there’s no way that ALL of my followers saw that particular blog post the first time around), it’s not going to seem too repetitive!
7. Use apps like BlogStomp to create blogs with images MUCH faster!
I don’t know where I would be without BlogStomp! BlogStomp lets you quickly “stomp” (or save) photos into a web-sized format, and even lets the user create different collages with their photos (i.e., two vertical photos right next to each other). If you are someone who includes lots of photos in your blog posts, I promise that this will save you a TON of time and make your blogging move so much faster!
This post is in NO way meant to be your end all, be all for creating a blog. There is so much more to creating a blog than simply working efficiently, and honestly, still so many things that I don't fully understand that have to do with using key words, back linking, Google analytics and more technical things. I highly recommend checking out some additional resources to make sure your blog is running as effectively and efficiently as possible!
Hartwood Acres Mansion is one of my FAVORITE spots for family photos, and this session was no exception! We had the most beautiful evening for the Peters family photo session in celebration of Brooklyn's first birthday. Heather (mom) even brought some fun props for Brooklyn to play with! Happy birthday, Brooklyn!
Kylee is an incredibly ambitious soon-to-be senior who is actually right in the middle of getting her cosmetology license! This down to earth senior has a love for Chick-fil-A (same, girl) and Gray's Anatomy, and is truly just one of the sweetest people. I'm so excited for you, Kylee! You are going to do AMAZING things!
Did you know that Pittsburgh has 36 "blue sky" (completely cloudless) days per year? Somehow, Maddie and Tyson's wedding day happened to fall on one of those days! And, as you can imagine, and as you'll soon be able to see - it was absolutely beautiful!
To be honest, it's easy to talk about how pretty the day was - because that's what photos do. They capture the essence of what something looks like in order to preserve it for forever. But what really stood out to me on Maddie and Tyson's wedding day wasn't the details or the weather or the attire. It was their hearts.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - one of the best parts of the wedding day is getting to know the bride and groom through toasts and speeches, and Maddie and Tyson's wedding day was no different! Even though I already knew these two were a killer couple, I learned quickly that these two are known for some pretty amazing things: Maddie is the friend who will do anything for a friend, known for her loyalty equally in the good times and bad, and Tyson is an incredibly hard worker, known for the intense effort he puts into everything he does. And on a personal level, these two were throwing encouragement at US all day as we photographed them - which further shows a little glimpse of the amazing people they are!
Maddie and Tyson, you two were a blessing to photograph. Praying for you two as you start this next adventure!
Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception: Renshaw Family Farms
Bride's Dress: One Enchanted Evening (Maggie Sottero)
Bridesmaid Dresses: One Enchanted Evening
Hair: Brooke Rockwell Hair Design
Makeup: JL Makeup Studio
Uplighting: Elegant Chair Cover Designs
Cake: Sam's Club
Flowers: Rosebud Floral
Invitations: Minted
Videographer: Modern Era Weddings
Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer: Jenna Hidinger Photography
“I’ve probably spent tens of thousands of dollars on you throughout the years,” Nick said to me shortly after we got engaged. “And every penny was worth it.”
As sweet as this statement my now-husband made was, it made me wonder: why is dating so dang expensive?! As much as I love dating my husband and going on adventures with him, after being together for almost 10 years, I can only imagine how much money we’ve spent on dates throughout the years. Not that that money isn’t worth it – but now that we’re buckling down on paying off debt and saving for a home, we’ve been trying to find intentional, consistent ways to spend time together without breaking the bank. So if you’re in the same boat, this post is for you! I’ve compiled a few of my favorite budget-friendly date ideas that we absolutely LOVE – and I hope you will, too!
1. One of my favorite dates was Nick’s idea – we each got a couple of dollars and went to the dollar store. We had to choose and buy three things that we thought represented the other person and tell them why we chose each object. It was so much fun to see what each of us chose! I still remember one of the objects that Nick chose that ended up being SO meaningful – he bought a little plastic microphone and told me that it reminded him of me because of my soothing voice and encouraging words. Yes… I cried.
2. Around Christmas, Nick and I love to buy some hot chocolate and drive around local neighborhoods in search of the best Christmas lights (while listening to Christmas music, of course!). In 2017 we stumbled across the BEST house that literally had a radio station that played songs that they had coordinated their lights to. SO MUCH FUN! Another year, we stumbled across a house that had SO many lights that were going SO crazy that their neighbor’s dog was literally sitting and staring for a solid ten minutes. Then we came back about a week later, and there the dog was AGAIN, in the same spot, staring at the house. You never know what you’ll find!
3. As a summer alternative to our Christmas date, Nick and I will either buy smoothies or take popsicles on a walk around our neighborhood (we live in a small town that’s soooo much fun to walk around!)
4. One of our new favorite dates is candle making! Believe it or not, it’s actually NOT that expensive (though maybe slightly more than five dollars!) and actually yields something that you can use around your home! We like to save glass jars from foods we eat (pasta sauce, salsa, and pickle jars are our go-to’s!) to cut down on the cost, then buy the wax and wicks from Amazon (click here for wax, click here for wicks!). If you want to get extra fancy, you can even buy some scents to put in! (Click here for some of our favorites!). If you want to make your candle wax a different color, cut off a small piece of colored crayon and throw it into the wax while it’s being melted!
5. Another new favorite date for us is bread making. All of the ingredients are soooo cheap, and really, it’s not that hard (we like to bake while we watch movies!). It’s something fun you can eat or give away (we started this date habit while eating low carb – whoops!!).
6. MoviePass is our NEWEST favorite thing!! Have you heard of it? It’s basically the Netflix of the movie theatre world. You buy a subscription, pay a certain amount of money per month (I think it’s $9.95 right now, but they run deals on the regular!) and then you can go see a movie a day. Literally. Any theatre, any movie, any day. Not like anyone really has the time to see a movie a day, but if you do the math and commit to seeing at least two movies a month – you’ll have two budget-friendly dates a month that are already pre-paid for!! For us, this was worth it, because we have trouble leaving the house (home bodies right here!) and this is a good motivation to go do something outside of the house a few times a month!
7. Volunteer or serve together. While this might sound like kind of a weird date idea, it’s (typically) totally free and lets you get outside of yourself a little bit. Whether it’s serving together at a soup kitchen, putting together care packages for people, or doing yard work for a neighbor or grandparent, serving is a great way to form a connection with someone and lets you love on someone else in the process! This is one we have a goal to incorporate more of into our lives within the next couple of months!
Being a wedding and portrait photographer means my schedule is a little different from the rest of the world. Many of my sessions take place in the evenings, and almost every single one of my weddings takes place on the weekend.
One of the first questions most people ask when they find out I’m a wedding photographer is: what do you do during the week?!
Totally a valid question, and I definitely understand why people ask!! If I’m photographing people on the evenings and weekends, it might seem as though I have a tonnnnn of free time during the week, but surprising to most, this isn’t quite the case (though it does come with lots of flexibility!). Ever wonder what a wedding photographer does to keep busy during the week? Here are a few things that keep me busy, even when I’m not shooting:
Yes, those photos will always need to be slightly tweaked, and editing is probably what takes up the majority of my time – especially the week after a wedding!
While I’m blessed to have someone who does my taxes every year, my job is to pay local taxes (sales and income) and to keep up with my bookkeeping. I try to make sure I’m categorizing my expenses at least once a month, but I try to aim to do this every other week so I don’t get too behind!
There are a lot of moving pieces behind sessions and weddings – answering emails, contracts, questionnaires, invoices, session prep, phone calls – the list goes on and on! Thankfully, I recently implemented a new client management software called Pixifi that allows me to do basically all of those things (aside from phone calls and personal emails) right from the software! It’s pretty stinking amazing and has already saved me a ton of time!
Blogging has been huge for me in my business. I try to blog at the very least once a week and blog the majority of senior, engagement, family, and weddings I photograph. Prepping blog posts with images and a cohesive story can take a significant amount of time, believe it or not!
One of my absolute favorite things to work on in my business is social media! Believe it or not, I receive quite a few leads through Instagram and Facebook, which have led to booked senior, family, engagement sessions, and weddings! Having the ability to share my work, showcase my client’s stories, provide tips and tricks to current or future clients, and share a little bit about myself has really helped me connect with my clients (and hopefully soon-to-be clients!) in a personal way!
Two of my favorite apps for social media planning are Grum and Hootsuite. To read more about both, check out this article!
One of the best ways for a wedding couple to get to know their potential wedding photographer is by meeting with them (or Skyping/calling them!). I LOVE having the opportunity to meet with potential clients so I can hear their story and see if we mesh and would be a good fit for their wedding day!
If I’m photographing someone in a new location, you best believe I’m going to check that place out beforehand! Sometimes I’ll arrive early to a location before a session begins, and sometimes I’ll make a day of visiting different upcoming locations. Even though location scouting can take quite a bit of time, I love being able to make sure I have a game plan for every location I photograph before the session begins!
One of the fun perks of being in the wedding industry is having the opportunity to have work featured in various online and print magazines! Believe it or not, preparing weddings for submission can take quite a bit of time – narrowing down the perfect photos, gathering other wedding vendor information, and getting specific information from couples is all a part of the process! Check out a few of my features as the bottom of my home page - click here!
Before every single wedding and session, I make sure to organize, test, and clean my gear to make sure everything is in tiptop shape and working order. I never EVER want to arrive to a shoot with faulty gear (which is why, just in case, I always bring a backup, too!).
I don’t think I will ever feel like I’ve fully arrived with photography. I’m always practicing poses, looking for inspiration, and working to improve my craft – whether it’s through posing, shooting, or actually practicing certain techniques. Before every single session and wedding, I run through my list of prompts and poses (or, for couples, movements) just to make sure I won’t miss anything during the session!
I also have a couple of classes that I love to rewatch every once in a while: Justin and Mary Marantz's "The Art of Authentic Posing" and Katelyn James' "KJ Posing Course."
Aside from being a weekend wedding warrior, many wedding photographers take other sessions during the week - even if they don't promote work from those sessions. Personally, I love to fill my weeks with senior, family, and engagement sessions!
Hard to believe there’s so much to be done, right?! And while there are lots of things to keep track of and take care of even when I’m not shooting, I am SO thankful for all of the flexibility my job has given me.
To stay up to date on behind the scenes of JHP, be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram!
When someone pays to have photos taken, typically, they plan on printing them to hang around their home. At least, that’s usually the final destination. But not everyone gets there the same way. Some might choose to print through a local consumer lab, such as Walmart, Target, or Walgreens – all of which are helpful for keeping things cheap and fast. But what might you be sacrificing in the long run?
I like to liken having photos taken and printing them through a non-professional lab to going to a fancy restaurant with a picture of a meal that you want to eat from a different restaurant – for example, a burger with fries – and then having that restaurant make the meal with their ingredients. Technically, yes, you’re eating a burger and fries that resembles the photo you brought in – but the quality of the meal (and your experience) will most likely suffer, because you’re not eating the meal the way it was indented to be eaten with its intended ingredients. Much is the same with printing your photos. The photos might not look that different – in fact, they might look fairly similar – the same faces, the same pose. But what’s affected is the quality.
So, what can be affected in your prints when you order from a consumer lab, such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Costco, or Shutterfly?
If you’re interested in comparing different photos from a variety of labs, I highly recommend checking out THIS ARTICLE, which gives an amazing comparison of prints from a variety of different consumer labs compared to a professional lab!
Printing from a professional lab ensures that your photos will look as close as possible to what you see on your screen and in your gallery. Remember – photos are an investment, and if you’ve spent money on having gorgeous photos taken, going the extra step to make sure they’re printed correctly is an investment worth making!
No wedding day is perfect, and no wedding day prep is perfect! In fact - there are a lot of things that have the potential to get left behind! Simple items like scissors, bobby pins, and nail clippers can seem not that important until you're a half hour away from show time (i.e., the bride walking down the aisle) and the bride gets a drop of coffee on her dress or chips a nail. Eeeek! What do you do then?!
If you are the mother of a bride, mother-in-law of a bride, bridesmaid, sister, or friend, you could be a lifesaver on the day of the wedding by having these items on hand! I've compiled a list of what I hear people ask the most for ("does anyone have any _______?") on a wedding day so that YOU can be prepared! And if there's anything you think I missed - feel free to add it in the comments!
Is there anything you would add to the list? Comment below so everyone can be prepared! And if you're looking for a wedding day emergency kit - check out some of my favorites below! (They don't include everything on the list, but they do make a super cute gift for the bride in your life!)
