Ohio family photography

Gebrekirstos Family

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My favorite part of being a photographer is making friends and building lasting relationships. Meski is one of those relationships! I loved getting to work with her and her family!

Chandler | 2018 High School Senior | Columbus, Ohio Photographer

I'v known Chandler for a long time. I'v watched him grow up into an incredible young man. It was my honor to capture his senior portraits! We had a great time exploring downtown Columbus, Ohio around the Hilton. The architecture in this building is outstanding and made for beautiful backdrops!

Chandler also wanted the Columbus skyline in the background for some shots so we walked and explored around Cosi and found some great areas for some city-scape shots!

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed taking them! I love when sessions take me outside of my normal realm of shooting locations to places where I can really let me creative blood flow freely!

Stay fabulous,

Janessa Dawn 

Maddoxx | Baby Mechanic Theme Photo Shoot | 1 Year Portraits

"We don't have failures; we have lessons". This is powerful. There are a lot of times I feel like a failure. These thoughts can bog me down so much that I lose sight of my true value. I love this quote. How can we start looking at our failures as lessons and move on to be even more success for having gone through that? It's hard and it sure takes a positive attitude to look at failures as lessons!

I wanted to share with you this baby mechanic themed photo shoot requested from one of my Mom's. I love when clients bring their own ideas to the table! It gives me a chance to add variety to my portfolio but also get away from my "normal" routine!
















Luke + Ashley | Engagement Session | Coshocton, Ohio

It is almost July and I have only blogged ONE time this year! Guys, I stink at this! I am wanting to make this a weekly habit but for some reason it always slips to the back burner!

I shot Luke and Ashley's Engagement Session downtown Coshocton, Ohio and at The Historic Roscoe Village in Coshocton. It was my first time time shooting there! I love shooting in new locations. It allows me to be more creative and enjoy new spots. 

Be looking for their Wedding coming up on the blog soon! 

Until next time,
Janessa Dawn























What Camera Do I Shoot With? | Newark, Ohio Photographer

Happy June, Friends! Honestly, I can't believe the year is half over. Where did the first half go?! I feel like there aren't enough hours in a day, days in a week, and weeks in a year. Maybe because I am constantly busy pushing to grow my businesses, attending the many events I am invited too, and photographing portraits and weddings. All I know is I need more time and time isn't something you can get more of!

One of the top questions I get asked is what camera I use. I firmly believe that people think if they buy a fancy DSLR, their photos will be amazing. While the quality of the professional DSLRs are fantastic and highly needed as a professional, a lot of the quality comes from the person behind the camera. You must know how to use it properly or it won't work any better then a point and shoot camera.  Discouraging, right?! (If you want to take a class on the basics of learning how to use your camera, email me!)

Today, I wanted to share the camera I use for my photography. First off, I shoot only with Canon. I am not bashing or saying Nikons aren't good, I just find Canons have amazing quality and are WAY more user friendly. I had a photography student return her Nikon because it was SO difficult for her to learn! It is up to you to decide which brand works best for you :)



At the beginning of this year, I knew I wanted to upgrade. I had been shooting with the Canon 6D for about four years or so and I needed to make the splurge because I have booked more weddings this year then I ever have. I needed a new camera but also a good second camera for weddings so I most definitely kept my 6D. My dream had always been the Canon 5D Mark 3 but Canon released the Canon 5D Mark 4 and I immediately knew I was going BIG or going HOME!

So I did it. I bought the Canon 5D Mark 4 and let me tell you, it is FANTASTIC (I still love and use my 6D as well)! It is a powerhouse of a camera. The body alone if very pricey {around $3,000.00} but totally worth it. It has a 30 megapixel, full-frame sensor, touch screen, amazing High ISO performance, 4k video, and uses CF and SD cards (first time for me!).

I used it as my primary camera a couple weeks ago and it did not disappoint!




Now, I totally understand if you are a beginner, you probably have no need or desire or funds to buy a camera that big. Would you want me to write another blog post on cameras I recommend as a beginner? Comment and let me know!


Stay Fabulous,
Janessa Dawn


Baby Hudson | Newborn Portraits

Baby Hudson is a bundle of baby. He has grown so much over the last 6 months and I wanted to blog the very beginning. He wasn't the happiness and all he wanted was to lay on his Daddy so we went with it and used his dad as a bean-bag! :) 

I love watching babies grow over there first year. They learn so much their first year and being able to watch them grow and become more alert is amazing!
















Baby Jaceyon {Newborn Photography} Newark, Ohio | Central Ohio

  Happy Fall, Ya'll! Even though fall is officially here, it has been so HOT here in Ohio. I am so ready for the cold weather to come so I can weather boots and scarves. Today I wanted to share with you a newborn session from earlier this year. This sweet baby boy did a great job at his newborn session! He is in my Grow with Me package and for more info on that click here. 

Enjoy,
Janessa Dawn


















Meldau | End-Of-Summer Portrait Session | Newark, Ohio |

Happy September Friends! I wanted to share this absolutely adorable family with you. We met at Dawes Arboretum for their family portraits. We got some STUNNING shots at their session and I am proud of my work on this shoot. 

I had been wanting a couch to take out on shoots with me and when my Mom found this bench, I snagged it. Yes, me and my assistant lug this thing to our outdoor shoots because it makes the shots WORTH. IT! 

Enjoy this beautiful family!
Janessa Dawn




















Logan and Kyndal 1 year and 4 year Birthday Sessions {Newark, Ohio Photographer}

  August is quickly coming to a close and some of this cooler weather has me dreaming of Fall. I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. Time passes so quickly and yet I fail every day to enjoy every moment and keep a positive attitude even when things aren't going the greatest. 
   Today I wanted to blog Logan's four year session and Kyndal's one year session. Logan does such a great job at his sessions. This lovely family is one of my loyal clients and I love getting to work with them. Kyndal was scared at her session and wanted nothing but for her mommy to hold her. So I went with whatever I could get and I was able to get a couple of cute shots of her. One year olds have a mind of their own and sometimes they just aren't up to the job of smiling! 

I hope you enjoy seeing Logan and Kyndal's birthday sessions!
Stay fabulous,
Janessa Dawn















3 tips to capture better photos on your iPhone {Newark, Ohio Photographer}




Happy Monday, Friends!
    Today I wanted to share with you something that would help you take better photos on your iPhone. You may not know all the things your iPhone camera is capable of doing. Almost everywhere you visit you can find all kinds of people holding up their iPhone trying to get that perfect shot. Whether its a family shot, a shot of your child, or you'd like to grab a shot of a beautiful flower, you can adjust and position your iPhone to get a pretty amazing shots. I will try to make it easy to understand and not say too many technical terms. :)



1. Using the exposure button to adjust the "brightness" of your image.
Have you ever taken a shot on your iPhone and found it was way to bright? Yep, it happens. If you bring up the camera on your iPhone and tap anywhere on the live preview, it will bring up the focus box which is yellow. If you hold down and adjust the exposure button up and down, it will adjust the brightness of your image {it looks like the Sun}. So in those bright situations or dark situations, this exposure button allows you to control the "brightness" of your image!







2. Leveraging natural lighting.
We all have those Instagram users that make us jealous every time we go and look at their feed. It's like they live in a perfectly lit world and can ALWAYS have their shots perfectly styled and lit. Trust me...I know the feeling! One tip I would give you is to always leverage the natural light around you. Always shoot pictures around windows and doors. This allows you to use beautiful, natural lighting to light your image instead of getting weird color casts that come from lights around your home.










3. Use the Rule of Thirds to get more creative shots.
Now, the term "Rule of Thirds" may sound way too technical but don't quit reading. It is actually VERY simple to understand. Basically, imagine your live preview as being divided into nine equal parts using two vertical lines and two horizontal lives. Don't position your subject in the dead center of these imaginary lines. The Rule of Thirds says that important elements in the shot should be places along these guides or intersection points. You can turn this grid on in settings under the camera app. Be creative and position your subject some "off-center".






Take these tips and try them out next time you are out with your family visiting the zoo or on your family vacation!
Stay Fabulous,
Janessa Dawn

Arowyn Salon {Lifestyle Newborn Session} Officially a Licensed Realtor in OHIO!!

Happy Monday! Today I wanted to blog Baby Arowyn's lifestyle newborn session back in January. She is a beautiful baby girl. I so enjoyed getting to capture her newborn pictures and now I get to watch her as she grows up. She wasn't too interested in sleeping so we were able to get some adorable shots with her eyes open. I prefer that they sleep but it is nice when I can get open eyed shots and present those to the parents. 

I officially am a Realtor in Ohio with Century 21 Frank Frye Real estate!!! I have been working on getting it since early January and I became licensed on 2/13/17. It is crazy where life leads you. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought I would have been a photographer and real estate agent when I was 13 but I love owning my own businesses and the clients I get to work with. So if you know of anyone who needs to buy or sell a home this year around central Ohio, you know the drill! 

No matter where life leads you, always stay true to yourself and your dreams. 
Stay fabulous, Friends!
Janessa Dawn




















Ohio Fall Mini Session at Dawes Arboretum {Newark, Ohio}




  Does anyone know what tomorrow is? It is the first day of FALL! I am so excited for fall. The pumpkins, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice latte's and bake goodies, and fall pictures with clients. See what I did there? 
  I am happy to announce my Day at Dawes which will be Saturday, October 22nd. Now, I already have a couple slots booked before I even released this special. The sessions will be $35 for a 30 minute session and 50% off of CDs making them only $50.00. Fall is my busiest time of year so take advantage of this opportunity. I would love to work with you and your family. To book your session, please give me a call at 740-974-2902!



Janessa Dawn


A Little Lesson From Living A Busy Life & Halko's 6 Month Session {Newark, OH}


     I am sure you all have experienced how busy life can get, especially summer. Actually, it seems my life is always busy. You may get tired or irritated because your always SO busy and racing the clock. But it was recently brought to my attention that the busyness of life can show exactly how much we have to be thankful for. You have a job which means you can buy the food you need to eat when some go hungry and you can afford to put a roof over your head when some live under bridges. You have weddings and parties to attend which means you have friends in this world. You have grandparents to visit, a Mom and Dad to hug and kiss, and siblings to fight with which means you have a family. You have deadlines to meet, errands to run, clients to met with which means you can afford a car when some people walk and strength to move when some are bedfast or dying. Every morning you are blessed that God wakes you up for another day to love the ones you love, to laugh and smile. So when you are tired from running and it seems the days aren't long enough, think of how blessed you are for what you have and that you can live in a free Country. Life is too short so instead enjoy every bit of, even the busyness. 

    Here is this pretty little girl's 6 month pictures taken in-studio. I think they turned out pretty adorable and she did a great job. I like to try to come up with different sets and the suitcases turned out pretty cute! 

Enjoy!

Janessa Dawn 











Simon Gitchell {One Year Session} Newark, Ohio

   This precious baby turned one year but when he came for his one year session he was as sober as sober can be. We had to reschedule his session in hopes we would be able to get some better shots. He was just not having the whole smiling thing. Thankfully, when he came back we got some cute shots. And how handsome does he look in that outfit?? I LOVE it when Moms put thought into their child's outfits for photo shoots and if you want to make your photographer happy then put some thought and energy into looking cute and put together for your session. Enjoy some of the shots from Simon's One Year session!

Stay fabulous,
Janessa Dawn










Disbennet Family {Studio Session} Newark, OH

Hi Friends!
      Here is the sweet Disbennet family that I shot back in January. They were such well behaved children and that makes my job a WHOLE lot easier instead of chasing kids around the studio and dealing with temper tantrums. trust me..I'v seen several of those. :) The joys of working with toddlers and young children. So high-five to parents that are able to keep their kids under control. It makes YOUR studio experience 1000xs better. I hope you enjoy some shots from the Disbennet's family session. 

Stay fabulous, 
Janessa Dawn