Meet Natalie B.- Class of 2023!

I am so excited to start off the Class of 2023 senior photography season with a young lady who has grown up just down the street from me. I've watched her grow from a sweet blonde haired neighborhood friend to a beautiful and talented young lady full of dreams and aspirations. I was fortunate to take senior pictures of both of her older brothers, but this is truly a blessing to take Natalie's senior pictures because she's in Dillon's graduating class and has grown up right alongside him!

So, without further ado.....Meet Natalie B., senior Class of 2023, Jackson High School!

Isn't she a total showstopper?? Sweet little Natalie is all grown up and looking pretty as ever!

Natalie booked her session a little while ago, and said she wanted to do some downtown / urban feeling pictures, some in a more nature / field area, and then she surprised me with a request for some sunflower field pictures!

Our first location was downtown. Natalie picked the perfect outfit to compliment the great gritty feel of downtown- concrete, chipping paint, and street murals begs for ripped jeans, and Natalie delivered!

There are so many fun photo spots downtown, and narrowing it down to 4 (or 5) is not easy! To be honest, Natalie would have looked amazing at every location!

After we lit up the city streets, we headed to a nearby park. We were able to showcase this adorable dress Natalie found that checks every box when it comes to choosing a senior picture outfit!

We found a great field with beautiful setting sun that made these trees absolutely glow with golden hour light. I could go on and on about how beautiful the light was, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....

And finally we capped off our session with a quick trip to a nearby sunflower field. The field was just FULL of sunflowers and is absolutely aglow with beautiful yellow radiance.

It was a great first session for the class of 2023, and I couldn't imagine a better model or better locations to kick off this senior class! Congratulations Natalie! I look forward to celebrating your senior year with you, and following along with all your accomplishments and successes this year and in the future!

2021 Year in Review, 2022 Plans and Goals

Emerging from the cocoon of the 2019-2020 coronavirus slowdown, 2021 proved to be a year for the record books for my small business!

This year was a first in so many ways. My biggest accomplishment was the pure VOLUME of clients I had requesting sessions! For the first time ever, I had over 20 seniors, and fit all their sessions into about 3 months. All that on top of working a full time job, and working overtime at said job! Every single day, I had either a photo session or a work day at my regular job- and sometimes both! I travelled for some seniors- 2 or 3 hours away because we found an amazing location, or because the senior was super special to me. Some seniors needed their session split over 2 days, and I made that happen too. All in all, the senior experience at JNP grew heartily in 2021 and I loved every minute of meeting these wonderful teens!

That's not to say that I photographed only seniors. I had newborns, families, kids, sports teams, and couples in front of my camera this year. I met new clients, had returning clients, and even got to celebrate a gender reveal photo session with a sweet little family in front of my camera. I scheduled mini-sessions in conjunction with a local small business Christmas tree farm, and had beautiful weather and wonderful families!

And while I'm not specifically a wedding photographer, I also had the privilege of photographing 2 special weddings this fall. I couldn't ask for better couples and better locations to work with, and it definitely made me excited for what's to come.

And finally, I invested in my business and myself. I bought a new camera- the latest technology from Canon, and R5, and I still can't believe it's mine when I hold it in my hands. I also have invested in some educational classes and found a new favorite photographer to follow and model some of my techniques after.

2022 holds a lot of optimism and excitement for me. I've expanded my studio offerings and have found a wonderful location near downtown Akron to partner with for indoor pictures over these winder months. This space is wonderful for all kinds of sessions and will allow me to offer more flexibility year round.

I have also tested and implemented a booking system that allows me to book and collect session fees via email and online payment, so no more worries about bringing session fees to your session.

I haven't updated prices since 2016, but my suppliers have increased prices and their more expensive shipping costs have been passed on to me, and my time has become more limited. For these reasons, a small price increase will be implemented in 2022.

This year, I hope to continue growing my business and finding quality customers who embody the spirit of support for small business entrepreneurs. To all my current clients- thank you for your support and all the wonderful words of encouragement you've given me and time you've spent with me! I hope you will continue to support me by coming back for another session, or referring a friend to schedule their own session! To all my future clients- I am looking forward to seeing you in front of my camera. Get your smile ready, and get ready to create some great memories that will last a lifetime!

Looking forward to a great 2022!

{Seniors} Meet Sammy K.!

I'm way behind on posting my senior sessions, but today I'm rolling out this sneak peek for this amazing young lady, Sammy K.!

Sammy is a senior at Hoover, and hasn't decided on what college she wants to attend. She's making a pretty short list though, and I'm sure her choice will be perfect for her!

We planned an August session, right in the middle of the day. Not my favorite time to take pictures, but thanks to some overcast skies, I hardly struggled with shadows or lighting issues. And even though the day was hot and humid, Sammy was totally on board with all the locations I had on our agenda!

We started at a local park and made the most of the architecture...

...as well as the natural beauty!

This terra cotta colored outfit was the perfect complement to the earth tones in this field. Isn't the bokeh (that's photographer speak for background blur) just delicious?! So soft and smooth! But Sammy was the real star of this show....

She's a natural beauty, and has a beautiful smile!

After the park, we went downtown to explore a little less natural (but equally floral-y) location! This location was perfect with Sammy's trendy clothes- ripped "mom" jeans seem to be all the rage right now!

Talk about fun texture and location! I love Sammy's choice of this accessory...a denim jacket for the win!

A little black and white magic shows off Sammy's trendy style and fun personality!

But nothing beats this genuine, radiant smile!!

If you can't end your session in a water fountain, you're not doing it right!! Sammy was all-in with this fun (but wet) finish!

Thanks for sharing this super start to your senior year, Sammy! I always have fun with your family, but I especially loved this session and your willingness to be spontaneous, creative, and fun! I'm looking forward the next session we are planning!!

Until next time, Keep smilin'!!