Julie + Dustin | Granville, Ohio Engagement Session

Julie and Dustin are one of the sweetest couples! We met at Julie’s family farm and it was beautiful. Such a different look than what I have ever shot. I loved getting to think outside my box and try new things. Thankfully, Julie and Dustin went right along with my ideas..avoiding falling into their pond! Lol!

I am so excited to shoot their wedding in October at Bryn Du Mansion in Granville, Ohio!

Stay Fabulous,

Janessa Dawn

Sara + Nick | Summer Wedding | St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and The Landing | Newark, Ohio

Fall Mini Sessions | Columbus, Ohio | Newark, Ohio

Fall is in the air!!!

I walked outside my studio today and the cool breeze hit me and I was beyond excited. I love ALL things fall. Bonfires, boots, scarves, fall festivals, cold weather, beautiful trees. All the things!

I’m so excited for Fall mini sessions. They are going to be on Saturday, October 26th, $75.00 sitting fee, and 50% off digital files.

I have exactly 7 slots open.

These book up fast!

Call, text, or message me 740-974-2902

Anne + Jason | Engagement Session | Granville, Ohio Wedding Photographer

This Engagement session was a special one. I have known Anne for years so when she asked me to be her wedding photographer of course I said yes!

Rhodeback Family | Summer Portrait Session | Bryn Du Mansion, Granville, Ohio

This sweet family…

It was a warm, summer evening at Bryn Du Mansion when I met up with the Rhodeback family for their summer, family portrait session and Owen’s 2 year portraits. Honestly, there was a wedding their that day so I wasn’t able to shoot in my usual spots BUT it actually turned out amazing because I was forced to work outside my comfort zone and try some new things. I was thrilled with our final edits and will definitely shoot in this location again!

Amie + Stephen | Summer Wedding | Arran Farms

Akers Family Portraits | Bryn Du Mansion | Granville, Ohio

Amber and Michael have been long time clients. I have watched their babies grow up and enjoyed our long chats. We met up at Bryn Du Mansion and shot their family portraits!

John + Cherish | Mansfield Ohio | Kindred Kove

I loved getting to be a part of Cherish and John’s special day last fall. Honestly, the colors were PERFECT and the shots we got turned out so beautiful! It was my first time shooting at Kindred Kove and so the pond, fall foliage, and colors were stunning!!

Brandon + Alyssa | Tall Timbers Banquet and Conference Center | Reynoldsburg, Ohio

My goal has always been to blog more but for the life of me I just can’t seem to get it done! I’m not going to make any commitments but I really am going to try to blog more. I have so many beautiful sessions to share that are just sitting on my hard drive!

Today I wanted to share Alyssa and Brandon’s beautiful summer wedding on a hot June day last year. Yes, a year ago. This is how bad I am at blogging!

I love working with these two. I met Alyssa’s family several years ago for their first family portraits and little did I know I would get the honor of becoming their photographer and sharing so many special times with them!

This is why I LOVE me job!

Alesha Higinbotham | Salem Ohio High School Senior Portraits

I loved getting to drive and chat with Alesha and her mom. They never fail to make me laugh and people who make me laugh are my favorite to chat with!

Lilly Snyder | Hilliard Bradley High School | Dawes Arboretum + Studio

Lilly was a dream to photograph. She was so photogenic. She really wanted different poses and so I was able to really step outside my box and try some new things and we got some FABULOUS shots!!!

It is clients like this who inspire me and keep pushing me. I dearly love the opportunities being a photographer has given me!

Need to book your senior portraits, slide into my inbox at jdawnphotography@yahoo.com!

Stay fabulous,

Janessa Dawn

Sara + Nick | Engagement Session | Downtown Newark, Ohio

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 

My Top Picks for Best Beginner Cameras | Newark, Ohio Photographer

I have people message me and ask me questions about cameras, lens, etc. Whether your a mom wanting to get better snapshots of your babies or an aspiring college student who has always loved photography but has no idea what camera to buy, this blog post is for YOU! It is for anyone who wants to get their toes wet but has no idea how far to stick them in! {I really need to come up with better examples! 😂

Now, on this list, you may notice that I don't have any Nikon recommendations. While I shoot with Canon, I am not a Canon snob. Nikon's are fantastic cameras and if you want to try one, go for it. I have found that students in my classes have a hard time learning on Nikons. They are  more complex with finding different settings. I actually had a student who had a higher end Nikon return it and purchase a Canon because the Nikon was so hard to learn on.

I would highly suggest learning on a Canon and then later, when you are ready to upgrade, look into purchasing a Nikon. I know some people will disagree with me but I have found this to be true with people I have taught.



Great Beginner Cameras:
1. Canon Rebel T7i body only $699.99 {Best Buy}
2.  Canon Rebel  SL2 body only $549.99 {Best Buy}
3. Canon Rebel T6 body only $399.99 with lens {Best Buy}
4. Canon Rebel SL1 body only $439.99 {Amazon} This is an older model.
5. Canon Rebel T5 body only $359.99 with kit {Amazon} This is also an older model but still a good beginner.

Any cameras in the Rebel line are a great starting point. If you don't have the money, don't be afraid to get the older models as a starting point! Just have fun with learning how to use it!

If you want to learn all about your new camera, you can sign up here for my Basic Photography Class!

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

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