So… What Happened???

It's been a little over two months since my last post and I'm thinking some of you MIGHT be wondering where I've been and what has happened since then.  I've actually been asked by a few of you how you got disconnected from the blog, that you wondered why you aren't getting my posts anymore.  No, it's not you, nor is it your email or computer.  I've haven't posted in over 2 months.

A lot has happened since my last post, the one I wrote about my upcoming adventure at The Ragnar Relay in Cape Cod.  I won't get into details here.  No need to bore you all, although I'm more than happy to share my story with anyone who asks.  It's one of those awesome God things!

I will share a few bits though.  I will say that my weekend at Ragnar is one I will never ever forget.  Aside from the fact that 12 women dug deep to run every single mile of that 200 mile relay, aside from the physicality of it all, that weekend was a life changer for me.  That was the weekend God broke me. It was the weekend He exposed me for who I was becoming, for the fraud and imposter that I saw looking back at me in the mirror.

In the two months since, God has humbled me in more ways that I can tell.  He has stripped me of a lot, but in return has given me a million times more.  My heart was broken, but then mended back together with His love.  His purposes, His plans.  And through it all, I was blessed to lean on my amazing husband and my three awesome little goofballs.  

And as I now wake daily to learn more about His plans, I am AMAZED (I cannot express enough how AMAZED I am) at how he is slowly but surely weaving all these heartaches, all of my life's passions (I'm talking decades worth!) together for His amazing purposes.  I am very slowly beginning to see the pieces falling together- my life's work, my passions in life, my children and family, my insecurities, even (and especially) the mistakes I've made (I love how He uses ALL things for good) for His purposes.  It's as if it was all for a reason.  Yeah… I believe it is…

So now that I've bored you enough, I will leave you with a few takeaways:

* Ragnar was amazing and unforgettable- for so many different reasons than I expected, but truly life changing.

* God's timing has been PERFECT as He has been teaching me through the long and lazy days of summer why He broke me at Ragnar, and what He wants to use me for.

* My portraiture is a part of His plan, along with my years spent teaching high school, my years of playing and coaching young women, my role as a mother (particularly to my precious girl), my life long insecurities, my mistakes, and my love for writing, encouraging and connecting.

* There is much much more to pray on, and meditate on, to wait on and to act on.  God will reveal His timing.

* The root of all of this is based on 1 Peter 3:3-4

                      Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's sight.

For those of you who are still reading, I appreciate your hanging with me.  For those of you who are praying women, I ask for your prayers as I desire to move forward with this project and do God's will.  And for those who are interested in knowing more, stay tuned!  New things are coming!

Keep smiling!

Jen

Her Story/ Rachel Carson: The Hill School Senior Photography

He looked at her differently all throughout dinner.  This four year old of mine, who up until this moment had only had eyes for his momma.  I could see the way he held on to her every word as she laughed with him and my two other kids.  A sixth former (senior) at The Hill School and one of my 2014 JLP Seniors, Rachel had become quite close with our family and with our kids.  All three of them loved her.  But there was something different about the way my baby was watching her.

And then it came out.

"Rachel…" he said very slowly and calmly, "…you're so pretty."

The table erupted with laughter, and I beamed at my little man.

I may have lost him for a moment there, but I realized in that moment that my boy has got great taste!

Thank you, Rachel, for all the time and effort you put into being one of my 2014 JLP Seniors.  I had so much fun photographing you this year, but even more so, I am so thankful that you opened up your heart to my kids.

To them, and to us, you will always be "our Rachel".

Keep smiling,

Jen

New Treats: Charge it! Pottstown Portrait Photography

I am loving all of the new products and custom pieces that I've got lined up for my clients this year.  But this new little treat might be my clients' favorite.  Because this little treat allows my clients to get their hands on all the other fun little treats with the greatest of ease.

Meet The Square!

The Square is a fantastic tool that plugs right into my iPhone and allows clients to use their credit cards to pay for their sessions, products, and collections right away.  How easy and how awesome is that?

With one swipe, orders are placed, and clients are one step closer to the awesome pieces they've trusted me to create.  And even better, clients can use their credit cards whether in person with me or over the phone.  

It's a tiny little tool, but it is powerful and it is freeing.  I don't like restricting my clients and now I don't have to.

I have a feeling I'm going to love this little Square!

Keep smiling!

Jen

Location, Location, Location! Creating Portraits that are truly YOU!

Late winter is one of my favorite times of year!  As a photographer, NOT as a mom, and certainly not as a mom with cabin fever!

But I do love this time of year as a portrait photographer, and more so, as a high school senior portrait photographer.  This is the season when some seniors like to book their portrait sessions, and this is the time when current juniors begin making their portrait plans.   Spring is just around the corner, and so are the next group of wonderful high school faces!

But with those new faces must come new places!

If there's one thing that remains consistent with every single high school session, it's that these guys do NOT want to look like everyone else.  They want to be unique!  And a huge key to that is finding a unique location when shooting.

So start thinking about that now.

When you are planning your senior session, consider your personality and brainstorm places that suit that.  For example, Jackie (below) has a sunny and bright personality and it seemed perfect to have her portraits reflect that (literally).  Not to mention that this was taken at Hill, which is home for her.

Sometimes it's fun to take that personality and play it against an opposing location.  Below we've got Alec dressed rather traditionally for his senior portraits.  But knowing that this is one senior whose personality extends far beyond what you see, I thought it fun to play the shirt and tie agains the grungy, rusty staircase and alleyway.  It was one of his (and mom's!) favorite shots.

Sometimes the ideas are pretty basic and pretty obvious, but can complete an image like nothing else.  Here, Taylor wanted to showcase his passion for running, and track & field.  The choice to shoot at a track was an obvious one, but an effective one.  A shot with him simply holding his running cleats would never have worked as well.  

And think outside the box.  Sometimes the most random places make the coolest settings. Here, we shot right on High St, in the middle of Pottstown.  Busy traffic, ecclectic store fronts, and colorful busses made for a super fun backdrop to Nancy's feminine and soft look.  Don't rule out a location based on preconceived impressions.

 Of course, it is my job as the photographer to have a whole bunch of fabulous locations to offer as suggestions, and I love scoping out new spots for my clients.  But nobody knows you better than YOU!  So start thinking about locations that compliment your style, locations that are special to you.

Where's your favorite hangout?  What places in town best show off your style?  What are the most beautiful, most vibrant, most "YOU" spots around?

Whether it's the local diner, the high school pool or ice rink, or your back yard, I'm game for it.  I'm always excited to find new locations!

Jen

Bloom Where You're Planted: Being Grateful for Home

I had an idea this past weekend and I thought I would share it with you.  Many of you might not know this, but I am the wife of a boarding school teacher.  What's more, I once was a boarding school teacher myself.  I have spent the last 15 years living this boarding school life, six years out in Colorado, and the other nine here at The Hill School.  

Now, many of you are not familiar with this life, with this type of environment, so I thought I'd try to explain it.  Simply put, we live on a campus together with about 500 high school students, some who are "boarders" and live in dorms with us all school year long, and some who are day students, and come from home daily to attend school here.  

Our home is unique and most likely not like yours.

You see, this is our house, this beautiful old stone dormitory.

Mostly, our home is just like the typical home.  We've got our kitchen (most often NOT this clean!), and our living room, and the kids' rooms, and our room, and so on and so forth.

This is our front door, which is just like any other.  We come and go, often in a rush on weekday mornings, some days even forgetting it's not your "everyday house".

But see here?  This is where it gets interesting.  This is our back door.  And unlike your back door, which most likely opens up to a back yard, or a garage, or something like that, our back door opens up into a hallway- a hallway usually bustling with 12 high school boys who are, at times loud, at times stinky, and at most times super awesome and great with our kids and our family.

So why am I sharing all of this with you?

Well, for years I have gone back and forth with how I feel about living the "boarding school life", how I feel about being a dorm parent, and how I feel about a life so "not normal"!  I've fought it, stressed about it, questioned it, and most recently, I've truly and completely embraced it.  

I love our home.  I love our dorm.  I love Hill.

I love that our kids can go run and play anywhere on campus and be completely safe and secure.  I love that this door shown above can ALWAYS stay open (and it does) because we have 12 teenage boys who might need us or want to talk or want to come in for some chocolate chip banana bread.  I love baking for their birthdays (got one this week), watching them take our kids under their wings, and watching them learn how to be responsible and maybe hold their tongues in front of little ears.

And recently, I've come to love the realization that living this "not so normal life" allows me to connect with the subjects that I am most passionate about photographing.  How many other senior portrait photographers out there actually LIVE with 500 of their favorite models?  It's an absolute blast being a part of their everyday lives.  And it tricks me into thinking I'm still young!

In embracing this crazy part of who I am, I thought it would be really fun to share with you some of the quirks, the treats, and the challenges of living the boarding school life, and being the boarding school wife/mom.  I'll share with you the chaos of dining hall life (no cooking, no dishes!  Woot woot!!!), the friendly faces that make Hill life so awesome, and the situations that make this crazy place unlike any home I've ever known.

Ever wonder what's beyond those Hill gates?

Have questions about this life?

Let me know what you want to know about!

Let's have some fun together!

Jen

Meet Peg Calvario: A Very Different Kind of Coach

Meet my friend, Peg Calvario.

Peg is an Empowerment Mentor, a Business Coach, and an all around amazing woman. I first met Peg and her family over 10 years ago, when her daughter, Jodi, was a student at The Hill School where I was a teacher. I was drawn to Jodi's athleticism and amazing work ethic, despite not having her in class or on the athletic field (she was a swimmer, I was a field hockey coach).

Years later, I reconnected with Peg through her powerful and thought-provoking blog, Letters to Jodi, a tribute to that same amazing daughter who lost her battle with cancer in 2005. Like so many others, I was captivated by Peg's raw emotion and honest words, and I was inspired by her extraordinary will to survive and succeed for her daughter, and to help others do the same.

Peg is now an Empowerment Mentor and Business Coach to professionals nationwide. She is a Certified Professional Coach, is on the board of the Professional Women's Roundtable (PWR), and works with owners of businesses large and small, to find balance, set goals, and change lives. She is truly an awe-inspiring person.

Recently, Peg called on me to create some new portraits for her. In looking to update her website and social media presence, she had some great ideas about what she wanted from our session. As is always the case with Peg, she had a clear vision of what she wanted her portraits to say, and together we worked to create some fantastic images that capture a few of the wonderful sides of Peg Calvario.

A few of my favorites from our session:

Peg truly is an amazing woman, and a powerful mentor. She is an amazing resource and a wonderful asset to anyone who has the privilege to know her and work with her. Peg, thank you for calling on me to create these images. As always, it was a blast spending time with you, and a blessing to work with you.

Jen

Portraits for Traci: Reminder

Don't forget to book a special mini-session with me to pay tribute to Traci Hoffman, our wonderful friend whom we lost this past spring.

Next month, during the week of July 9-15, I will be running "Portraits for Traci", a special project created to raise money in her name.

Click here to learn more about the project and call me to book your session.

Beautiful Bonnie

Let me set the scene for you. One excited photographer, one talented make-up artist, and one gorgeous subject. Combine that with a fantastic location and some gorgeous warm evening light. Oh, and the fact that all 3 ladies are friends. Makes for one fabulously fun session and some pretty amazing portraits.

My beautiful friend, Bonnie finally let me get her in front of my camera! We enlisted the expertise of good friend and make-up artist, Shannon, of Classic Bella and chose The Hill School for our setting in order to create several different looks. It was a very warm night, but Bonnie was fabulous and we had a blast. The light got warmer and lovelier and we could have shot forever, but the sun set, ending our great time, but leaving us with gorgeous results!

Here are a few of my favorites. It was hard to narrow down!

Bonnie and Shannon, what a fantastic time! Now THAT'S what I call a girls' night out!

Let's do it again soon!

Jen

Happy Mother's Day

This weekend we celebrate Mother's Day and I wanted to post a tribute to all the wonderful mothers I have met and photographed this past year.

"A Mother's Love"

A Mother's love is something,

that no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion,

and of sacrifice and pain.

It is endless and unselfish,

and enduring come what may,

For nothing can destroy it

or take that love away...

It is patient and forgiving,

when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters

even though the heart is breaking...

It believes beyond believing

when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems.

It is far beyond defining,

it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

like the mysteries of creation...

A many splendour-ed miracle

man cannot understand,

And another wondrous evidence

of God's tender guiding hand.

Happy Mother's Day to all you special moms out there.

And to the 4 special moms in my life:

My sister-in-law, Tara, who is more like my sister.

My sister-in-law, Dani, who is months away from becoming a mom herself.

My mother-in-law, Carol, who treats me like her very own.

And my amazing mother, Mary Jane, who is the best mom anyone could ever have.

Jen