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!

Kaitlyn | Class of 2019 | Breckenridge, Colorado Portrait Photographer

I’m typically not a morning person, but I was extra excited to wake up crazy early to capture Kaitlyn’s senior portraits at this stunning Breckenridge backdrop (Sapphire Point). Kaitlyn is a member of the Ski Roundtop Race Club (SRRC), so we obviously had to incorporate snow, the mountains, and snowboarding into her portraits! This is a popular spot with the local photographers, but we lucked out and had it all to ourselves. That’s one of the benefits of scheduling a session at sunrise, I suppose. Another benefit was that we were gifted the most dreamy natural lighting! (And, yet another benefit was being finished with the photoshoot in time to head to Copper Mountain and take a snow cat to the top of the back bowl and make some amazing powder turns the entire way back down.)

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my time with Kaitlyn. I love how they truly reflect her personality!

Ethan and Gareth | Hershey High School Class of 2019 | Colorado Portrait Photographer

While I was in Colorado for the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) Nationals competitions, I had a ridiculously fun photoshoot with Ethan and Gareth (aka Grizz). They are best friends who are both graduating from Hershey High School this year, and teammates on the Ski Roundtop Race Club (SRRC). We thought a few snowboard photos would be the perfect addition to their collection of senior portraits.

Here are a few of my favorites from our time together at Copper Mountain. Congratulations, guys!


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.

Erin | Bishop McDevitt Class of 2018 | Riverfront Park | Harrisburg Senior Photographer

In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share my latest session that is full of spring blooms - and an incredible high school senior!  Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting up with Erin at Riverfront Park in Harrisburg to photograph her senior portraits.  She is a member of Bishop McDevitt High School's Class of 2018, and I know in my heart that her future is very bright.  I only met Erin yesterday, but she exudes a glow and warmth that instantly captures your attention and pulls you in.  Her sense of style was spot on, and she was naturally confident in front of my camera.  She has a great sense of humor, too, which is something I personally value.

It was a bit chilly out, but the light was amazing.  We really couldn't have asked for a better evening.  Besides a few runners, groundhogs, and some tourists, we had the place to ourselves!  About those tourists... every portrait session is an adventure, and I often leave with a few stories to tell - not necessarily about my clients, but rather about other things that happened around us. Last night was no different.  As we were walking around downtown Harrisburg, 8-10 people got off a bus (I'm assuming they were on a tour of Harrisburg).  They proceeded to follow us, and when we would finish taking photos at a spot, they whipped out their cell phones and also took a few photos of themselves there!  It was so bizarre.  As Erin's father said, it felt like we were in a Seinfeld episode.  I don't know if they thought Erin was famous, or if they thought the spots we were using were famous, but they insisted on photographing themselves there when we left.  I just loved the light, colors, and textures of the locations I chose.  Who knows, maybe they did, too.  ;)

Congratulations on this accomplishment, Erin!  Best of luck in your next adventure! 

It was such a pleasure meeting Erin and her family, and I love how our photographs turned out!  Here are a few previews so that you can see how stunning Erin is for yourself.

(Big thanks to my husband for assisting... and for clearing out a few spider webs for us!)

Dylan and Tyler | Muhlenberg Class of 2018 | Bear Creek High School Senior Session

Dylan and Tyler are seniors at Muhlenberg High School who happen to love winter as much as I do.  When their dad reached out to me a few months ago and asked me if I'd be up for photographing his twin sons' high school senior session at Bear Creek sometime this winter, I immediately accepted!  I obviously love photography, and if you know me then you know how much I love snowboarding as well.  When I'm able to combine both of these passions, I really am in my element!

Little did I know that Mother Nature would attempt to foil our plans multiple times over the next few months.  On the weekends that the weather actually cooperated this winter, I was out of town cheering for my daughters at their own snowboard races.  Thankfully, the temperatures cooled off recently and the local resorts were able to stay open a bit longer - and all of the puzzle pieces finally came together this past weekend.

We met up at Bear Creek Mountain Resort on Sunday morning, just in time to catch the first lifts up the mountain and beat the crowds.  Being that it was a Sunday morning, and the morning after St. Patty's Day, I think a number of snow lovers decided to sleep in a bit.  We practically had the mountain to ourselves for the first few runs!  I was stunned at how much snow coverage was left this late in the season.  It turned out to be the perfect morning for this photoshoot.

Thanks for hanging out with me on Sunday, Tyler and Dylan!  And, thanks to your dad, Shawn, for making some turns with us and keeping us laughing!  I hope the rest of your senior year goes well and that you make a few more great memories before you start the next chapter of your lives.  Congratulations to you and the rest of the members of the Class of 2018!

Here are a few photos from our time on the hill together!  (The groundhog also made an appearance that day, and I thanked him for extending winter by a few weeks for us...)

 

The Gwiazdowsky Family | A Fall Session at Gring's Mill | Berks County Photographer

I recently met up with the Gwiazdowsky Family at Gring's Mill to create their family portraits.  This session was a long time in the making!  I was booked months ago, and we had originally planned for a summer session, but life (and a cast) got in the way and we had to postpone.

Things have a way of working out for the best, and this was no exception.  The light was incredible that morning, the temperature was perfect, and we had the park practically to ourselves.

I'm incredibly thankful that I am trusted by so many families to capture these moments for them.  Here are a few of my favorites from their photoshoot. 

Noah | Camp Hill High School Class of 2018 | Harrisburg Senior Portrait Photographer

I was recently in Camp Hill creating Noah's senior portraits.  Noah is a member of Camp Hill High School's Class of 2018!  I've known Noah and his family for a few years now, because he raced on the same snowboard team as my daughters (Ski Roundtop Race Club).  He recently left the snowboard team to focus more on baseball, but I've been able to keep in touch with his family and was honored when they reached out and asked me to capture his senior portraits for them.

We started our session at Willow Park, then headed over to the West Shore Country Club for the second half of our photoshoot.  The weather and light were perfect for us!  I have really lucked out this past month and had amazing weather for my photoshoots.  I don't want to jinx it, but I've been so fortunate lately!  (The beginning of the summer was a completely different story, so I'm glad Mother Nature decided to reward me with some decent photoshoot weather now!)

Here are a few photos from our session.  Best wishes for a successful and memorable senior year, Noah!  Thank you again for this opportunity.

Niva | Spring-Ford High School Class of 2018 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Portrait Photographer

Earlier this week, I had the honor of meeting up with Niva and her mom, to capture Niva's senior portraits.  Niva is a member of Spring-Ford High School's Class of 2018, and will be going back to school to begin her senior year next week!  I have had the privilege of photographing this incredible family on a number of occasions, including family photoshoots, seasonal mini-sessions, and Niva's Sweet 16 party a few years ago.  They are such a joy to be around, and there is never a shortage of authentic smiles when they are near.

We decided to meet up at the Royersford Historical Mural, and then moved on to a few different parks in the same area.  The light was gorgeous and the weather was perfect... and the mosquitoes were out in full force!!  I got a record number of mosquito bites that afternoon, but Niva was such a great sport about it all!

Niva is so incredibly kind and talented, and I know that she's going to accomplish some pretty amazing things over her lifetime.  I'm so thankful for having another opportunity to photograph this family, and I'm looking forward to many more in the future.

Congratulations, Niva!  Best wishes for a fabulous senior year!

 

 

Ashley | Everett High School Class of 2018 | Berks County Senior Photographer

I've been slacking on blogging lately because I've been super busy creating portraits for my incredible clients, as well as working on some exciting behind-the-scenes business stuff!  I wanted to break my blogging silence, at least temporarily, and share a few images from this recent high school senior session.

Last week, Ashley and her mom drove all the way to me from Everett, Pennsylvania.  That's in Bedford County, about 150 miles away!!  Having clients willing to drive that distance for me to create art for them is absolutely humbling.  I don't think that anything in the world is more sacred and valuable than time, and when someone is willing to spend that time with me, it really fills my heart.

We started off by creating a few indoor portraits at my GoggleWorks studio, then headed to the Wyomissing Park for the outdoor portion of our session.  The weather was perfect, and the light was incredible!  I have really lucked out by having fantastic weather for my last few outdoor weddings and photoshoots - thank you, Mother Nature, for having my back lately!

Ashley will be graduating from Everett High School in June, and I know that she's going to have an incredible senior year.  Ashley, best of luck on the volleyball court, in the classroom, and beyond!  You were glowing during our entire photoshoot, and I know that your light will lead you to wonderful places and experiences this year and for the rest of your life.

I hope you enjoy this small selection of photos from our time together.

Congratulations to the upcoming Class of 2018!!!