Wedding Photographers in Ohio

Kristen + Nate | Noblesville, Indiana

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Happy September!!!

I am so excited that Fall is right around the corner. It is my favorite time of year and I am so ready for cool, crisp air. I despise summer weather especially when I am photographing weddings or portrait sessions. It is miserable!

I wanted to share a wedding from last year that I shot in Noblesville, IN. It was a beautiful, calm wedding for Kristen and Nate. I enjoy those days. Sometimes there is way too much drama to make photographing a wedding enjoyable.

Thanks for following along on my journey!

Janessa Dawn

Taylor + Cutler | Summer Wedding | Zanesville, Ohio

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Taylor and Cutler.

Such a beautiful couple. Taylor was a beautiful Bride and so calm and kind. I loved getting to photograph their wedding at Scale Haus Banquet Barn in Zanesville, Ohio.

It was a super hot summer day. We sweated a ton but we got some beautiful shots!

Enjoy a peek into their wedding day!

Janessa Dawn

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!
















Brittany, Joe + Girls | Family Portraits | Newark, Ohio

This beautiful family 😍 Brittany + Joe are so sweet. It is another family that I have been able to capture and establish a sweet relationship with. How precious are their girls? They are clients that drive ONE hour to come to the studio for their shoots! 

Honestly, best. job. ever!

Stay Fabulous,
Janessa Dawn













Kenton Thomas | Newborn Photography | Ohio Photographer

I am trying my hardest to blog more this year. I promise. It just that a week goes by so fast and then I realized I haven't blogged for several weeks. Life gets hectic. Work gets hectic. Sometimes it's hard to keep everything straight and get creative. 

What do you do to stay inspired? Let me know in the comments!

I wanted to share this beautiful baby boy and his newborn session. He is SO precious! and absolutely adorable!

Stay fabulous,
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


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




















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




















Beginning My Real Estate Journey and Valentine's Day Mini Sessions! {Newark, Ohio} Columbus, Ohio.

    Happy Monday! This is my first blog post of 2017. I know...that's sad. This year I am starting another business venture. I decided to go into Real Estate along with my photography so for the past two weeks I have been in classes, Monday-Thursday from 8-5:30. I'v had so many definitions, terms, and laws crammed into my head and after sitting in a classroom for nine hours, there is only so much a person can do. So I end up surfing my social media accounts on multiple occasions while jotting down notes and highlighting important information. It honestly has been a good experience and its going to be a good adventure. 

   As for photography, I am hosting my annual Valentine's Day mini sessions on Saturday, February 4th. Yes, it's that time of year again. Honestly, I love all the hearts, love quotes, reds, pinks, and everything else pertaining to the love month. These mini sessions are only $45for a 30 minute session and 50% off of CDs. If you would like to book a slot, please email me at jdawnphotography@yahoo.com.


Until then, stay fabulous!
Janessa Dawn










Romantic Summer Styled Wedding Shoot {Newark, Ohio Wedding Photographer} Dawes Arboretum

   I wanted to share with you the wedding styled shoot I had over the summer. I collaborated with local vendors in Newark and a wedding dress boutique in Columbus. All my vendors were SO fantastic to work with and I hope to work with them in the future. I put out a model call and received a dozen emails from couples wanting to model for me but when I seen Tommy and Alexis I thought they were so adorable. They were so great to work with and went along with anything and everything I needed or wanted. I am currently trying to get this styled shoot on a wedding blog and if that happens, I will definitely share it.

 2017 is going to be a busy year for me. I am only going to book four weddings in 2017 and since it is peak engagement season, it is important to book your wedding photographer early because they book fast. I would love to work with you!


Stay Fabulous,
Janessa Dawn


Vendors: 

Hair and Makeup: http://www.bellezzaspaonline.com/
Dress: http://www.sgebridal.com/Home.html
Tux: http://www.callmrtux.com/
Flowers: http://linnetsflowers.com/
Rings: http://www.pughsjewelrynewarkoh.com/
Cake: https://www.facebook.com/triciassweets








































Will and Stacey Carter | Wedding 2015 {Royal American Links Golf Course + Central College Church}

    Will and Stacey just celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary last week and I am so happy they asked me to share their special day one year ago on September 26th, 2015. It was a beautiful occasion. The ceremony was held at Central College Presbyterian Church in Westerville, Ohio and the reception took place at Royal American Links Golf Course in Galena, Ohio. I picked around 30 images to share of their special day. I am wanting to start booking more brides and with the 2017 wedding season coming up, please email me if you want wedding prices. 


Stay fabulous,
Janessa Dawn