Bella | Wilson High School Class of 2022 | Berks County Pennsylvania Senior Portrait Photographer

Bella and I met up at the Reading Public Museum last week for her senior portrait session. (Her original session date ended up being 40 degrees and super windy, so we decided to reschedule. I’m so glad we did - this particular afternoon was absolutely perfect!!!) Bella is a member of Wilson High School’s Class of 2022, and she is off to Pitt in the fall! I had such a fantastic time strolling around the park with her this evening, chatting about her future plans and snapping photos in the stunning golden hour light. Here are some of my favorite portraits that we created. Congratulations, Bella and family! Best wishes on your next adventures, and thank you for trusting me to celebrate this milestone with you.

Cameron - Class of 2022 | Reading Museum High School Senior Session | Berks County, Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

Meet Cameron, a proud member of Wilson High School’s Class of 2022! We met up at the Reading Public Museum this past fall for her senior portrait session, and she absolutely nailed it! She has so much personality, and I’m incredibly envious of her style! (Seriously, I wish I had half of her fashion sense!) Between her outfit choices, her natural charisma, and the beautiful fall colors and weather we were gifted, all of the pieces aligned perfectly for her session. Cameron is such a talented, well-rounded young woman - I know she is going to accomplish some pretty fabulous goals during her lifetime. Congratulations again, Cameron! And congratulations to your family - it really does take a team!

Katelyn | Class of 2021 | Pennsylvania High School Senior Portrait Photographer

Spring has officially arrived, and Mother Nature’s colors are starting to appear. All this sunshine and warm weather has me reminiscing about my senior portrait sessions over the past few months. I think the arrival of new life each spring is so symbolic as it relates to high school seniors eagerly anticipating graduation - a new season not only for the year, but for their lives. It’s a chance to continue on a journey they have carefully mapped out, or to gain clarity if their path is still unknown. It’s full of anticipation and excitement over what is still to come, mixed with bittersweet feelings of saying farewell to familiar people and places - even if just temporarily.

I photographed so many amazing seniors this year. Every session left me feeling inspired and excited for these incredible students and their families. It really does take a village to raise a child, and I hope everyone takes a moment to celebrate the young adults in their lives who they have supported over the years. Graduation really is the culmination of a team effort.

Today, I want to recognize Katelyn. She is a member of Wilson High School’s Class of 2021. I had such a wonderful time creating these images with her in one of my favorite spots. She has such a gentle and kind soul, and is destined for some pretty amazing things. I know it. Congratulations, Katelyn!

P.S. My schedule is almost full, but I do have a few weekday openings if your high school or college senior wants some personalized photographs to capture this time in their lives!

Mika + Zach | Wilson High School Prom | Wyomissing, West Reading Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

It’s prom season around here, and Wilson High School had its prom last night. It is rare that Mika agrees to step in front of my camera, so I had to capitalize on this opportunity to photograph her and Zach - even though I had only a small window of time to capture these images before I had to leave to photograph a Bar Mitzvah outside Philadelphia. I was determined to make it all work somehow!

Mika and Zach are creative and fun, like doing their own thing, and prefer to avoid crowds. We are very similar in those ways! Last year, they decided to have their prom portraits captured at Stoudtburg Village - and we lucked out and were the only ones there. (You can see those photos by clicking here.) This year, they wanted to use West Reading as their backdrop, specifically the murals. I was game! So, while everyone else attending Berks County proms was fighting crowds at the Reading Museum, Wyomissing Park, and Grings Mill, we had downtown West Reading all to ourselves! Those other places are lovely, and I photograph there often - but I’m impatient and don’t like waiting for my favorite portrait spots on prom day. I also don’t like having hundreds of other people in the backgrounds of my photos. And, as a couple, I think it’s nice just to be able to spread out a little bit and be yourselves during your portrait time.

When we met up in West Reading, we lucked out with both the weather and the crowds - we had great light, no rain, and no competing prom couples. Mika and Zach looked absolutely amazing! Thank you to Iron Roots Hair Salon for fitting in Mika’s makeup and hair that afternoon. (She went there directly after taking the SATs! It was quite a busy day!) Mika has only worn makeup twice in her life - and the first time was for prom last year. They do a fantastic job of bringing out Mika’s natural inner beauty. You may notice that Mika was wearing her Crocs (aka “snowboard tuning shoes) in some of her photos. She’s all about comfort - and I can’t say I blame her - but the “fancy” prom shoes did find their way onto her feet before prom started.

I hope you enjoy this selection of some of my favorite images. Mika is currently a junior at Wilson, and Zach is a freshman at West Chester. One more prom for Mika, then I think we have a few years off until it’s our youngest daughter’s turn…

Mika and Zach | Wilson High School Prom | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

My middle daughter, Mika, is a sophomore at Wilson High School.  Her boyfriend, Zach, is a senior at Wilson this year, and yesterday they attended his prom together.  Mika chose to wear a simple yet elegant navy dress that she found online at PromGirl, and sparkling silver heels that accentuated the dress details.  Mika's hair and make-up were done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Zach picked out coordinating accessories for his suit, and did a great job picking out flowers for both of them!

Wilson's prom took place at the Wilson High School.  Since Wilson, Exeter, and Twin Valley were all having their proms on the same day, we decided to drive to Stoudtburg Village for their prom photos and avoid the local crowds.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I can't believe how quickly Mika has grown up, and I'm in awe of the gorgeous, talented, creative, and strong young woman she has become.  I will forever cherish these photos and memories.  Thank you, Mika and Zach, for setting aside some time on your special day to create these photos with me!  You both looked absolutely stunning.

Colleen | Wilson High School Class of 2017 - Part 2 | Berks County Senior Photographer

In September, Colleen and I met up for Part 1 of her high school senior photoshoot.  Last weekend, we reunited to create Part 2!  We had already rescheduled a few times, and the forecast was once again questionable, so we decided to hold the photoshoot at the GoggleWorks.  I think this venue has a lot of character, and if the weather took a turn for the worse, we would be able to run inside to finish.  The weather ended up holding out for us!  You'll notice that we decided to take a few photos inside anyway.  This building has so much personality, I couldn't choose just inside or outside - so we used both!

Colleen will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall, and they are so lucky to have her!  She has a heart of gold, and a smile to match.  I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know her family over the years.  I'm looking forward to watching her graduate this weekend, as my oldest daughter will be graduating along with her!  Congratulations to Colleen and to the rest of Wilson High School's Class of 2017!!

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite photos from our session...

Gabe | Wilson High School Class of 2017 | Berks County Senior Photographer

Meet Gabe, a member of Wilson High School's Class of 2017!  Last weekend, Gabe and I met up to create his senior portraits.  (We wanted to do them earlier, but Mother Nature had other plans for us!)  I met Gabe and his family back in 2004, the day we moved back to Pennsylvania from California (we shared backyards).  That also happened to be the summer before he entered kindergarten, along with our oldest daughter. It means so much to me to have been able to capture his senior portraits for him and his family! It feels like our families have come full circle. I'll be in the bleachers cheering for Gabe when he graduates from Wilson High School next weekend (not only because he's a great guy, but also because my oldest daughter will be graduating, too)! Gabe, Temple University is lucky to have you joining them in the fall!!

Our photoshoot started at the Reading Museum and ended at the Wyomissing Park. I think it is awesome that he chose to wear three different outfits, and brought his dog along... as well as a duck decoy.  You'll have to ask Gabe about the duck sometime...  I hope you enjoy this selection of my favorite photos from his session!

Kaiya and Mitch | Wilson HS and Cocalico HS Proms | Berks County High School Senior Photographer

My oldest daughter, Kaiya, is a senior at Wilson High School.  Last year, as a junior, she decided to forego prom.  She wanted to wait until this year to attend.  This year rolled around, and she ended up going to not one, but two proms!  Her boyfriend, Mitch, is a senior at Cocalico High School.  So, they attended his prom on April 22nd and her prom on May 6th.

Cocalico's prom took place at The Eden Resort and Suites in Lancaster.  I was shooting a wedding that day and was unable to take prom photos, but I came up with a backup plan.  Kaiya and Mitch agreed to stop by the Reading Museum so my friend and fellow photographer April Westhafer could snap a few photos of them (which I later edited).

For Cocalico's prom, Kaiya wore a stunning navy dress from Rent the Runway.  I love that website and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dress for a special event or photoshoot, without the added commitment of purchasing it!  Kaiya's hair and make-up were done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Mitch rented his tux from Fifty-Fifty Tuxedos in Sinking Spring.

Wilson's prom took place at the Wilson High School.  Since Kaiya and Mitch had a "floral" backdrop for their first set of photos, we decided to go with more of an urban backdrop for this session.  This time we ended up at the GoggleWorks.  (This is also the location of my new photography studio which will be opening in June!!)

For Wilson's prom, Kaiya wore a gorgeous navy dress from Macy's in New York City and elegant nude heels (also from Macy's).  (Big thanks to her aunt Amy and uncle Yoshi for offering to take her on a prom shopping excursion in NYC!)   Kaiya purchased material on Etsy and made her own beautiful choker!  Kaiya's hair and make-up were again done at Iron Roots Salon in West Reading.  Mitch rented his tux from Fifty-Fifty Tuxedos in Sinking Spring.

Here are a ton of photos from both April 22nd and May 6th.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I can't believe how quickly my little girl has grown up, and I'm so amazed at the gorgeous, talented, strong young woman who she has become.  I will forever cherish these photos and memories.  Thank you, Kaiya and Mitch, for taking the time out of your hectic prom days to create these photos with us!  You both looked absolutely incredible at both of your proms!

Late Night Netflix is Dead | High School Senior Session | Harrisburg Photographer

Last week, Kaiya and I took an impromptu trip to Harrisburg to snap a few photos.  We brought along one of her prom gowns, just for fun!  We started off at the Late Night Netflix is Dead mural, then wandered around the surrounding area.  There are so many great spots there!!  I definitely want to go back.

On the way home, we stopped at Stoudtburg Village for a few more photos before the rain eventually chased us away.

Here are a few of our shots from the day.  Enjoy!

A Snowy Session with Mika | Berks County Family Photographer

Last week, after winter storm Stella dropped almost 2 feet of snow on us, something amazing happened...

Mika (my typically camera-shy daughter) asked me for a quick photoshoot with her and her snare drum!  If you know Mika, you know just how momentous this occasion was!  She is absolutely stunning, but refuses to have her photo taken 98.5% of the time you ask her.

Needless to say, I jumped on this opportunity!  We ventured outside, drove around the neighborhood looking for the perfect spot (and a place to park nearby without getting stuck in the snow), and shot as many photos as we could before we both froze!

I had a blast!  I'm sad that winter is ending and that I'll have to wait until next winter for more opportunities like this one.  I hope you enjoy these photos from our super quick session!