Meet Jack: A Cherished Baby

I first met Laura and Dave back in February, when Laura ordered my "Cherished Baby" package in anticipation of their little boy, who was due to arrive in April.

Despite some chilly temperatures, we had a wonderful afternoon together and I loved getting to know them. I learned that Dave is a huge Eagles fan as well as a culinary pro, and that his passion for both come out the minute he starts talking about either.

And I learned that Laura and I share a common love, that of our alma mater, Colgate University. Though there are quite a few years between my years there and hers, it was fun to share memories of our beloved school, and it connected us right away.

Shooting their maternity photos was such a treat.

But it was nothing to coming back this past month to photograph their little boy, Jack, just 10 days old in these portraits.

Jack was amazing! Besides being too adorable to describe, he was such a good baby. He slept through most of our session, never cried at all, and seemed most content to just rest in mommy's or daddy's arms.

I am already looking forward to my next session with this beautiful family! (I even picked up a prop for Jack to sport for it- Laura, check the mail!)

As for this cherished baby, I laughed with Laura that she must not think that all babies are this easy and wonderful! If they were, we'd all have ten!

But what a blessing little Jack is! Laura and Dave, congratulations again, and thanks for letting me share in your precious memories!

Jen

High School Senior Rep Cards

Working with high school seniors has been so fun. It has been amazing to watch these young adults come alive before my camera, and it's been awesome to capture their stunning beauty for them in portraits. One of the special pieces that I put together for them were these custom designed Senior Rep Cards.

Much cooler than lame, old-fashioned "wallets", these rep cards are slimmer and sleeker. They are custom designed with each senior's favorite images, has her name and class year on the front, and has another favorite image on the back, along with my contact info.

Each set of rep cards has 3 unique designs on the front. Rounded edges, pearl or linen texture, and a sleek silver tin carrying case add fabulous style.

This was a special product I was creating just for my Senior Reps, but they are so cool that I think every high school senior should have them.

And now every senior who books with me can!

During the month of May, book your high school senior portrait session and you'll receive your own set of 25 custom designed senior rep cards so you can share your portraits in style.

(your session does not need to be for May, you need only BOOK the session in May to receive this special gift.)

Book your session with Jen Lebo Photography today!

Class of 2013 Senior Rep Program: Meet Abby!

So here we are, having come to the last of my JLP Senior Reps for this season. Photographing Abby (a junior at Spring-Ford HS) was a great way to cap off the campaign as she is a beautiful young lady I've known for quite a while. I've been wanting to get her in front of my camera for some time and the opportunity was perfect. Not even the threat of rain could ruin this session!

Yet again, the session started after a trip to Gwendolynn's Salon & Spa for hair and make-up with Nikki. Only this time I missed it, since Abby decided to keep her hair naturally curly and so her hair took less time. I was beyond thrilled with that decision, since I love her gorgeous hair! We met up at The Hill School where we enjoyed almost an hour of shooting before the rain started. It was probably a good thing. I'd have had her there for hours otherwise, she's just so beautiful!

Abby, like the other reps, had a great list of fun facts to share with us about what makes her Abby:

1. I love to sing.

2. I love fashion and I really like the 1920s and 1930s time era. I love the styles from back then!

3. I love to dance.

4. I want to be a music teacher or a nurse when I am older.

5. I am a vegan. I love eating healthy. I could be a nutritionist!

6. I love working out and staying in shape. I really enjoy running.

7. One of my dreams is to live in a big city when I am older.

8. I have never been on a plane or out of the country before but I will be going to Guatemala this summer for a missions trip!

9. My favorite animal is a giraffe.

10. My favorite color is purple but my room is bright yellow.

11. I have four nephews.

12. My dream car is a Jeep Wrangler.

13. China is one of the places I need to go before I die.

14. I was home-schooled for six years of my life and this year is my first year back in public school.

15. I love brussels sprouts and could eat them every day.

16. I want to have five kids when, or if, I get married.

17. I love the story behind my middle name but I do not like the name.

18. All of my brothers and sister are named after people in the Bible.

19. I used to wear an eye patch when I was little and had glasses by the time I was 5 years old.

20. I love to clean. It's a stress release for me.

21. I love kids! They are sometimes more fun than my friends! lol

22. My favorite flower is a Sunflower.

23. I sing on the worship team for my church.

24. I have jumped off St. Peter's quarry (a 60 foot jump).

25. My favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".

The rain may have cut our session a bit short, but Abby's smile was bright and sunny the whole time and I cannot wait to capture it again. It's infectious, don't you think?

And don't forget, I'm offering this special for any juniors or seniors out there who want to enjoy a session like this.

For each of my Senior Rep blog posts, I'm offering 3 ways to enter to win 50% off your own senior session:

1. Comment on this blog post below.

2. Share this link to Facebook.

3. Tweet about this link on Twitter.

That's 3 ways to get your name entered! And each JLP Rep will have his/her own blog post so that's even more chances to win (you can only win once though).

Abby's drawing begins today. The winner will be drawn by random.org on Monday, May 6! Enter now!

Thanks for a wonderful time Abby! You'll have to tell me the story behind that middle name of yours some time!

Jen

Class of 2013 Senior Rep Program: Meet Alec!

Having Alec sign on to be one of my JLP Senior Reps was awesome! Don't get me wrong, I have loved photographing all of these gorgeous girls, but it's not every day you get a high school guy to let you drag him all over town with your camera! And what a great sport he was!

Alec is a student at The Hill School, and while he claims it his "second home", he preferred to have his session off campus. So we met out at St. Peter's Village where we spent a little over an hour exploring the light and capturing his portraits. His mom and sister joined us which made for a lot of laughs and a great time!

Alec also shared a list of fun facts about himself. He sent them to me before our session and I immediately knew meeting him was going to be a blast! Here's what he shared:

1. I play the guitar in the local Progressive Rock band, Taken By Tide.

2. I go to The Hill School in Pottstown, PA. Honestly, it's like a second home to me.

3. I'm that crazy wacko political activist that you see protesting in the streets. Yeah, we actually are real people with real concerns. Like I've always said, dissent is patriotic.

4. I'm the co-captain of The Hill School Debate Team and ranked within the top 32 debaters in the nation. It's made me rather equipped for my parents (I love you mom and dad).

5. Christian? Heck yes! Born and raised a Methodist. The biblical phrase, "love your neighbor as yourself" has always been the dominating idea of my life.

6. Movies. Movies. Movies. I love movies. "High Noon" is without a doubt the best movie I have ever seen.

7. I listen to A LOT of diverse genres of music. You will always see me jamming to rock, blues, jazz, metal, etc. You name it. I probably listen to it.

8. I'm a tea nut. Well, tea doesn't actually have nuts, but you get the point. There's something about tea leaves that is absolutely magical. I mean, I'm certainly not an Englishman, but I do love my Earl Gray tea.

9. I am an active community volunteer and non-profit activist. I am currently the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, an official charter of the not-for-profit and entirely youth-run International Youth Congress. I am also running for Vice President in this year's international Presidential elections. Vote Walsh-Swartz 2012!

10. Obnoxious? Yes. Smooth and laid back? Yes. I know, my personality makes absolutely no sense.

11. Cherry Garcia Ice Cream FTW

12. I live in the middle of nowhere. Somewhere in between Dorothy and Courage the Cowardly Dog.

13. Speaking of cartoons, I used to have this uncanny addiction to Scooby-Doo.

14. Put me on a ski slope. Please. I love skiing with a passion!

15. I have this extreme phobia of bugs. Like seriously, I can't handle it when I see one. I'm plagued with Entomophobia.

16. You wanna know how I got these scars? (Yeah, I had to slide a Dark Knight quote in here somewhere.) Well, I had neck surgery during my Kindergarten years. It was quite the traumatic experience for a youngster.

17. Some people call me a hipster. I just call myself "cultured".

18. For some odd reason, it annoys me when people obsessively #hashtag on #twitter. #whoops #mybad

19. I hope people think I have a great sense of humor. I mean, either they think I'm funny, extremely annoying and obnoxious, or borderline insane. I'm probably the latter.

20. I have the best friends in the world (please pay no attention to the money they are bribing me with to say this).

21. I love to hike and explore the great outdoors. Save the earth, we save ourselves.

22. I'm a Facebook addict. Guilty as charged.

23. It's my dream to travel the world (preferably not by hot air balloon or dogsled). The diverse cultures, languages, socio-political climates, and ideas absolutely intrigue me.

24. I want to be a History Professor at a college when I grow up. Then, I would like to pursue a career in politics and international relations.

25. I figured that I needed to end this list with a bang. Well, drum roll please.............. you're not getting one. I love long walks on the beach and singing in the rain. Actually, that's a lie. To tell you the truth, if you want to sum me up in just a few words, here: I want to change the world. One step at a time. City by city. State by state. Nation by nation. Life by life.

Did I tell you Alec was a blast or what? I'm telling you, I had such a good time photographing this young man and spending time with him and his family that the time flew by. I already cannot wait for our next session this summer. I only hope he remembers me when he's running the world someday!

Thanks Alec, for a great session, and for being such a great sport!

And remember, I'm offering this special for any juniors or seniors out there who want to enjoy a session like this.

For each of my Senior Rep blog posts, I'm offering 3 ways to enter to win 50% off your own senior session:

1. Comment on this blog post below.

2. Share this link to Facebook.

3. Tweet about this link on Twitter.

That's 3 ways to get your name entered! And each JLP Rep will have his/her own blog post so that's even more chances to win (you can only win once though).

Alec's drawing begins today. The winner will be drawn by random.org onFriday, May 4! Enter now!

And get ready for my final Senior Rep...Abby!

I'm looking forward to sharing our session with you.

Keep smiling,

Jen

Class of 2013 Senior Rep Program: Meet Kailey!

Introducing you all to Kailey, a junior at Coventry Christian School, might be almost as fun as meeting her myself! Knowing her younger sister, and her dad, I'd been looking forward to meeting Kailey and her mom for this session, and was anything but disappointed. We were laughing and having fun from the very first shot!

I met up with Kailey at Gwendolynn's Salon & Spa where she had her make-up done by Nikki, and her hair done by Jen. From there, we made the drive over to The Hill School, where we shot her portraits. It was a wonderful session and we had a blast. At least I did! I fear that it was so chilly that poor Kailey was a popsicle by the time we finished. You'd never know it from her shots though- she was fabulous from start to finish!

Like all of my senior reps, Kailey shared a list of fun facts that make her Kailey.

Here's what she had to say:

1. My sister, Carly, is my favorite person... ever. She is amazing and I don't know what I would do without her.

2. I love music! I am always listening to my iPod. I take it everywhere I go.

3. My favorite thing to do is read. Even though I only own a few books, I read them over and over again.

4. I am a very outgoing person. However, people who don't really know me think that I am shy and to myself.

5. I wish I could spend all my time sitting on the beach reading books and listening to my iPod.

6. I am originally from Texas and I hope to one day move back down there.

7. I am everything from a girly girl to a tom boy, plus everything in between. I love dressing up, but I also love four-wheeling and riding horses.

8. Next summer, I am planning on fulfilling my life-long dream of going to Europe.

9. One of my favorite places to be is Camp Manatawny. It is my home away from home during the summer.

10. I love sitting around a campfire with friends while singing crazy songs.

11. The thing I look forward to the most during the summer is Camp Sonshine- a camp held at Manatawny that helps kids with special needs.

12. I hope to attend Harding University next year.

13. I love to bake! I am always making cookies and brownies for all my friends!

14. I love cooking in general. I love trying to create meals out of just a few ingredients.

15. My two favorite sports teams are the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees- both of which are hated by Pennsylvania sports fans.

16. I love to play volleyball, even though I'm not the best player.

17. My family is amazing. I don't know what I would do without them.

18. Not only do I love my family, but I love even more when, every year, we go on vacation together (this summer it's to North Carolina!).

19. I could literally live off of chicken and macaroni and cheese for the rest of my life.

20. If I won the lottery, I would take a cross-country trip through all 50 states and then go to as many places in Europe that I could.

21. In my free time, I like to watch all different kinds of movies. When people ask me what my favorite movie is, I can never answer because I have so many!

22. If I could meet any celebrity, it would be either Sean Berdy or Taylor Lautner! :)

23. I've always wanted to go sky-diving just to say that I've done it- not because I actually want to.

24. I want a tattoo on my foot as soon as I can get the money! I hope to get a heart with a cross sketched inside it, with the numbers 3:16 (for the Bible verses John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16) going up the side.

25. I am a Christian and very proud of it. I try my best to defend my faith even when it's hard. I love my God and can't wait until I can meet Him one day.

Is Kailey fantastic or what?

Thanks again Kailey (and Kim!) for the wonderful afternoon. I hope you had as much fun as I did. I'm already looking forward to our summer session!

And don't forget about the special I'm running for all high school seniors out there!

For each of my Senior Rep blog posts, I'm offering 3 ways to enter to win 50% off your own senior session:

1. Comment on this blog post below.

2. Share this link to Facebook.

3. Tweet about this link on Twitter.

That's 3 ways to get your name entered! And each JLP Rep will have his/her own blog post so that's even more chances to win (you can only win once though).

Kailey's drawing begins today. The winner will be drawn by random.org on Sunday, April 29!Enter now!

Only 2 more Senior Reps to share with you!

Next up is Alec from The Hill School!

Keep smiling,

Jen

Saying Goodbye

This morning I was planning to blog about the next of my senior reps, Kailey from Coventry Christian School, the school my own children attend. But this morning, Kailey, and the rest of the CCS community, are mourning the loss of one of their own, as we all learned yesterday that beloved coach, parent, mentor, and friend, Traci Hoffman suddenly and tragically went home to be with the Lord.

I did not know Traci outside the halls of CCS, but I would certainly call her my friend. I think anyone who knew her would say so, as she had such a welcoming and loving way about her. She was a constant fixture in the library and in the hallways at school, and seeing her every morning was a wonderful part of our family routine. We'd talk about the kids, or photography, or Thomas the Tank Engine. My little Mikey was obsessed with her daughter, Malena's Cookie Monster Hat, and Traci often threatened to send me home with more choo-choo tracks from Mason's old collection (please, no!). Traci was always giving, whether with a smile, or with kind words, or a hug for my baby.

For over six months now, she'd been telling me how much she wanted to have family portraits done, and we'd casually talk about making a date when the weather got better. I am so sad that I will never get to do that with her, never get to give her beautiful portraits of the family she cherished so much.

The one image I was able to capture for her was late last fall of her beautiful little girl.

Traci touched so many lives and was such a blessing to everyone around her. And so we grieve for her husband, her children, our own children, and our community. Yet, as Christians, we do not grieve without hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) We can rejoice in knowing that Traci is home, that she is in heaven. We can live in comfort and hope that death is not the end, and that we will see her again. We have hope.

I pray for her husband, her children, and her family, who face a struggle more difficult than ever. I pray for her dear friends who feel the ache in their hearts as they long to understand all of this. And I pray for all of the CCS children who will, no doubt, miss the greatest cheerleader they will ever know.

The halls of CCS will be darker today, harder to walk through, and so much emptier. But they will forever be blessed for having such a wonderful child of God once walk them.

Thank you, Traci, for all you were to all of us.

Jen

Class of 2013 Senior Rep Program: Meet Courtney!

I first met Courtney last spring when I did a special prom package for her high school, Coventry Christian School. I was struck by her gorgeous blue eyes when I did her prom portraits, so when she signed on to be one of my Senior Reps, I was thrilled!

Courtney had her hair and make-up done by Jamie at Gwendolynn's Salon & Spa and I met her there to get a few shots of her getting ready. (Besides... I'll make any excuse to visit the awesome ladies at Gwendolynn's!) We then took off to the other side of town and shot her at St. Peter's Village, which is becoming a favorite location of mine!

Courtney was a fantastic model and a super sport and let me run her all over the village, shooting in every new pocket of light I could find. What a trooper!

Like all of my Senior Reps, Courtney shared with me a list of fun facts that make her Courtney, so that I could share them with you here.

1. I love to read... some of my favorite books are "The Last Song" and "The Hunger Games".

2. I have tried almost every sport out there: gymnastics, karate, dance, soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

3. My mom is from Germany and has lived here for around 23 years.

4. I am an army brat. I was born at West Point Army Academy (while my dad taught), and my dad is in the military.

5. I have been to Europe more than I can count; first time I was 8 months old.

6. I would rather stay in and watch movies and eat junk food with a group of friends than go out.

7. I love school and learning, but some days I just want to sleep!

8. I have been all over the US from California to Maine to Texas. Covered it all!

9. I LOVE the Phillies! They're one of the only professional sports teams I actually follow.

10. I love my parents so much and would have no idea what I would do without them.

11. I am a Christian and no matter what people say I won't change.

12. I love my school and all the people in it. It's more of a huge family!

13. Psalm 37:23-24 is my favorite Bible verse. ("The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.")

14. I plan on attending Harding University after I graduate from High School.

15. I love love love anything that involves chocolate, especially the European kind.

16. Every Christmas, my family has a German tradition, and for weeks before Christmas, we cook hundreds (I really do mean hundreds!) of different kinds of cookies.

17. I don't get to see my family a lot (they live in Missouri, Arkansas, and Germany) but it makes the time I do see them much more special.

18. I am an only child, but all of my friends are so close to me, I consider them family.

19. I LOVE all the crazy and weird things that my friends and I do.

20. I can't spell for my life, and I'm always asking others for help. And if I can't figure it out, I just use a different word!

Courtney, thank you so much for such a fun session, and thanks for being such a trooper! My goodness, we were out there for a long time, but it was so worth it!

And again, I have so enjoyed photographing these high school juniors that I wanted to find a way to entice more to come shoot with me. So I'm offering this special for any juniors or seniors out there who want to enjoy a session like this.

For each of my Senior Rep blog posts, I'm offering 3 ways to enter to win 50% off your own senior session:

1. Comment on this blog post below.

2. Share this link to Facebook.

3. Tweet about this link on Twitter.

That's 3 ways to get your name entered! And each JLP Rep will have his/her own blog post so that's even more chances to win (you can only win once though).

Courtney's drawing begins today. The winner will be drawn by random.org on Friday, April 27! Enter now!

I'm looking forward to sharing my next JLP Senior Rep with you... Kailey!

Keep smiling!

Jen