Nina L: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

Meet Nina - a senior graduating from North Allegheny with the class of 2024! 🎉

Nina was a treat to photograph at the end of April at Moraine State Park on one of the most beautiful spring evenings!

When we had chatted before her session, she requested 1) a field, and 2) sunlight in the background of her photos. Sometimes those two things can be tough to find in Pittsburgh in April (especially the sunlight 😉)... but we were able to make both of those requests happen (truly by God's provision!).

Besides a field and sun, we found some lovely pink blossoms. And of course, we had to use the area near the water. We had a gorgeous golden hour that really made those photos pop!

Isn't she just so stunning?! She made my job so easy!

I also want to give a big thank you and shout out to Dani, who was my assistant/reflector holder for this session. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Isabella S: Upper St. Claire High School Senior Photos at Moraine State Park

Meet Isabella! She's an Upper St. Clair High School senior who's graduating with the class of 2023!

Isabella was an absolute gem to photograph. She chose one of my all time favorite fall locations for her photos - Moraine State Park! Moraine State Park is one of my favorite senior photo locations north of Pittsburgh. It has lots of trees, fields, a lake, rocks, a dock, a bridge - so many different spots to work with, which always helps me create more variety for my clients! Not to mention, still had so much gorgeous fall color to work with.

Congratulations on your senior year, Isabella!

Pittsburgh Senior Photographer: Senior Photo Highlights 2021

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!

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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!

Olivia A: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

I had the pleasure of taking some senior photos for Olivia during peek fall foliage at Moraine State Park back in October!

Olivia is a Deer Lakes senior who aspires to become an elementary school teacher post high school. Though she wouldn’t call herself a morning person, she was willing to switch her senior photos to a morning timeframe to avoid a week of very rainy evenings, and I am so thankful that she was! Morning light can be even more beautiful than evening light, and we had the BEST, softest, prettiest light for her photos!

Congratulations on your senior year, Olivia - and thank you so much for the honor of taking these photos for you!

Collin H: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

It's been so much fun to get to photograph a handful of seniors from my high school alma mater within the last few months - and Collin is one of those seniors!

We had a foggy, cloudy morning for Collin's senior photos, but it made our light all the nicer to work with, and the colors of the trees, grass, and shrubs even more vibrant! Moraine State Park is one of my absolute favorite spots for fall photos in the Pittsburgh area. The colors are always so striking against the beautiful lake!

Congratulations on your senior year, Collin!

Rachel S: Moraine State Park Senior Photos

Rachel is a rising senior who chose Moraine State Park for her senior session... and we ended up having such a beautiful evening for her photos! It wasn't too hot, and there were some ominous looking storm clouds in the distance that really added to the backdrop of her photos.

Rachel hopes to become a marine biologist post high school, and has a personal goal of visiting all U.S. national parks! She's already crossed 2 off her list... so only 60-something more to go!

Congratulations on your senior year, Rachel! Thank you so much for the honor of taking your senior photos for you!

What's More Important Than Choosing the Right College

I had a plan for my life, and photography and working for myself wasn't a part of it for a LONG time. When I graduated high school, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to go to school for graphic design and web design. I had this grand plan that I had made for myself: I'd graduate, get a job at a magazine or marketing agency and work in the corporate world. Nothing sounded better to me - getting to use my degree and my chosen career path to help businesses build better ways of connecting with their target customer?! Totally right up my alley!

Right after I started college, I began photographing people - portraits, weddings, families - and fell in love. I found myself answering business emails during class, editing during lectures, and putting literally ALL of my free time into hustling hard towards something I wasn't even going to college for.

By the time I graduated college, my business had gone from a side hobby to an (almost) full-time time commitment that was bringing in a decent chunk of change. Even after I graduated college, I still couldn't believe people were actually paying me to take their photo. It felt too surreal to actually get paid to do something I loved so much! But to be honest - I had never thought that photography was something I could actually do full time. I kind of thought that photography would remain a side hobby, or a way to make a little extra money alongside my "career" as a graphic & web designer. But goodness... was I wrong!!

After graduating college, I landed a part time job as a graphic, web, & digital designer for a small start up company right outside of Pittsburgh. Why part time, you might be wondering? Because I was literally putting SO many hours into my business that, at this point, it was basically like having a full time job. In some ways, I felt caught between two passions. On one hand, I LOVED graphic and web design. I had fallen in love with it during my college years and could fully see myself working as a graphic artist. But on the other hand - I loved photography so stinking much, and I finally recognized that this business had grown to a place where it could potentially turn into a way to support my husband and I.

I worked at the start up company for almost two years before I realized that there was no way in heck I could manage both anymore. I was working SO MANY hours every single week with barely any time for friends, family, or even my husband. Sad to move on, but excited to see what photography could turn into, I put in my two weeks at the agency and started making the transition to working for myself full time. And you know what's amazing? That's not something that I would've ever been able to do in my own strength, and it wasn't even something I had envisioned for myself. God's hand was all over those decisions, leading and guiding every single step of the way. And if I hadn't been following his leading, I probably would've missed out on all of the gifts and benefits that have come with working for myself. Sure, like anything, being self employed has its challenges, but when God is at the forefront driving the ship, I am free to live in the knowledge and peace that it's HIM who is leading me every step of the way.

“Your career might change, but a kind, generous, loving heart will stick with you wherever you go”

So now, to the high school senior, trying to decide what to do: make the best choice you can when you're trying to figure out what to do with your life. Be responsible. Find where your passion intersects with where you can make money, and go there. But know that that decision can change - anything can change! I thought I had a good plan, but God had a better one, and I'm sure He will keep leading me in different directions that I never ever could have planned for myself.

As a friend once said, "choosing which college you'll attend is not the most important decision you'll ever make in your life." And, really, you know what's way MORE important? Choosing to love people. Being kind. Serving others. Making the conscious decision to do THOSE things every single day are some of the MOST important decisions you will ever make. Your career might change, but a kind, generous, loving heart will stick with you wherever you go. People matter so much more than work. They matter more than any career or job you might pursue. And as you start pursuing those things - remember to make time for people.

5 Reasons to Consider a Morning Photo Session

Photographing people on location with natural light is a bit of a science. A session in the middle of the day could lead to harsh light and dark shadows under the eyes of the subject, while a session close to sunrise or sunset creates an opportunity for soft, even light that flatters any subject in front of the camera.

While about 90% of all of my sessions take place in the evening (close to sunset), one of my absolute FAVORITE times to shoot is in the morning. So, why might you want to consider scheduling a morning session timeslot opposed to an evening one? Well, for one…

1.  If you’re a morning person, a morning session might be the perfect fit for you (and possibly more enjoyable!)!

If you’re already a morning person, why not have your photo taken in the morning?! I’m a BIG fan of getting the most important things crossed off my to do list early in the day – and having your photo session done in the morning will let you have the remainder of your day to work or play! Which leads me to my next point…

2.  You’ll be all ready to go for the day – looking gorgeous from the start!

I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but I really dislike “getting ready” near the end of the day (aka doing 20 minutes of hair and makeup – ha!). I love being able to get ready in the morning and then have my hair and makeup last throughout the entirety of the day. The great thing about having your photo session in the morning? You can do just that! After your session, you’ll be looking real nice for the remainder of the day – so (unless you have work or school!) plan something fun to do afterwards so you can get a bit more longevity out of your look!

3.  You could go out to BREAKFAST afterwards!

Something fun you COULD do is go to breakfast afterwards! Going out to breakfast is literally one of my favorite things in the world, which is why I had to mention it. And really, having your photos taken in the morning means you’ll probably need a little fuel for the rest of the day – no better excuse to stop over to First Watch or Bartram House Bakery! (Or wherever your favorite breakfast place might be ;) ).

4.  You might be able to miss just the first hour or so of work or school.

Sometimes, weekday photo sessions mean you might have to miss a little bit of work at the end of the day. But depending on how early you’re willing to have your photos taken, we might be able to get your photo session in before work or school (this depends on the time of year and how early the sun rises). Whatever the case, missing just a little bit of work or school in the morning can be better than missing half a day in the afternoon!

5.  The light is killer.

Morning light might just be my favorite. Something about it is so soft and sweet – even though sunset light is always gorgeous, I’ve created some of my favorite images using morning light!

Four Ways to Add More "Umph" to Your Senior Photo Outfits!

It’s hard enough to get dressed in the morning, but getting dressed for senior photos is a whole ‘nother story - am I right?! Trying to find the perfect outfits that your mom will lovingly adorn her walls with for the rest of time - no pressure, right?!

Well, the good news is this: even though there’s no “one size fits all” formula for choosing outfits for your senior session, there are four tips I love to share with my seniors (and anyone for that matter!) who are trying to narrow down and/or decide what to wear for their senior photos. I recommend incorporating these four things:

1. Textures

I always LOVE to encourage my seniors to opt for unique textures in their clothing choices. Textures add additional dimension to photos, and all around more visual interest! They can also be a great (more subtle) alternative to a patter

Lace texture on her sleeves

A sweater pattern texture

A subtle line pattern

A subtle polka dot texture on Angelica's pants

2. Layers

Layers are anyone’s best friend during senior photos! You could: layer a skirt and a shirt, a shirt and a jacket, a jacket and a dress, a sweater and a collared shirt - the possibilities are endless! Layers, much like textures, will add more visual interest to your photos.

3. Accessories

Accessories can totally make an outfit! Hats, belts, necklaces, bracelets, rings, flower crowns, earrings, and scarves can add more visual interest to any outfit - plus, bringing a clothing accessory (like a hat or scarf) helps add some variety to your photos!

4. Subtle Patterns

A subtle pattern can take a boring outfit and make it come alive! I personally love a tasteful, subtle pattern in photographs. Try choosing a scarf, shirt, skirt, or dress (or, if you're a guy, a tie!) to add a little more interest to your outfit!

So, how do you put these four suggestions into action? For your senior photos, choose three outfits:

1. One outfit focusing on texture.

2. One outfit focusing on layers.

3. One outfit focusing on a subtle pattern.

4. *Incorporate one to three unique accessories into each outfit!

And there you have it - the formula for three unique and distinct outfits that will offer variety throughout your entire senior session! If you’re looking to add even MORE variety to your photos, choose one casual outfit (jeans and a blouse), one nicer outfit (sun dress, maxi dress, or a skirt - I’m partial to maxi dresses/skirts for the way they flow gorgeously in photos!), and one wild card outfit (Something totally unique that represents you!) - or, just repeat a casual or “nicer” outfit!