| Jennie | Executive Headshot | Rodan and Fields |

I had the opportunity to meet and photograph Jennie last year for a quick turn around headshot session. She’s a thriving business woman on the Rodan Field team (if you don’t know R+F, girls this is next level skin care and I’m a fan and user myself!).

Under deadline to get the company an image (for life-size banner’s!) we had to get her in quick and that’s the thing I LOVE about how we do our executive portraits because it’s always under a deadline of like yesterday isn’t it?!? None of us (even me!!) are good about having consistently updated images of ourselves. Then, when we hit it out of the park and get featured in a magazine article or land a platform event, we have to scramble a bit to create an image we love to put our face/brand/personality out there to the masses.

Well, the good news is, that’s 100% my job! Our headshot sessions are 15 minutes in-studio with IMMEDIATE (yes like right NOW) viewing/selection on our 106″ Premiere screen. We make sure you LOVE that image life size (even if the final destination is an email-signature) and you walk out of the studio without any items on your to do list… no proofs to view/choose, nothing to wait on except your final image delivered often in 24-48 hours!

And since I know putting this off is easy and we could all use an update, I’m making it even easier this year with a two-day executive portrait event right here in the studio. Thursday, February 13th and Saturday, February 15th you can join us for your choice of:

  • Quick 15 Minute Headshot Session + Immediate viewing & selection of 2 digital artist files. Regularly $285, just $95!
  • Full in-studio one hour Branding Session + 20 Web Images & 2 digital artist files (artist selection). Regularly $575, just $295!

Booking is open now HERE.

| A Thanksgiving Tradition from my momma | Pumpkin Cake Recipe |

The first year I made this solo was hard. It was quietly hard. I’m not sure if I cried (I was making it a good memory for my own baby after all) but I can still remember the feeling of being right on the edge. Of it being all wrong, making my momma’s dessert without my momma. I could steal a corner out of the fresh batch without a playful scold of ‘heeeeyyyyyy don’t do that!’ (which we both knew she never meant as it would be followed by, “well then give me a taste”).

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This is the dish I associate with my momma and Thanksgiving, one of her favorite holidays. A holiday for family and food (her two favorite things). I continue to make this because it IS her now. It brings her as close to our holiday tradition as I’ll ever be able to. We talk about Grandma Patty as I make the dish with my girls. This year B, our oldest, will actually be able to do a lot, if not most, of the work while I likely just try to reign in the chaos that is O, our youngest, who I’m sure will just be trying to stick her hands in all the things!

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I shared this recipe once before on our blog, that first year I made it without my momma (you can see that here) because it is no secret family recipe and it would bring me (and my momma) great joy to know it warmed another home this holiday season. Pro “Grandma Patty” changes to this recipe which I recommend 100% (and didn’t do this year just as a test to see if her version really was better … spoiler alert IT IS!). Up the sugar by 1/2 cup (1.5 cup total) & quarter or leave out the nutmeg entirely for a pumpkin base that’s a bit sweeter with more subtle spice.

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Oh btw, I’m never not going to eat this FRESH and warm from the oven so if I’m bringing this to your gathering it’s coming with a slice (or three) gone… just deal.

| Kerper Family | Decatur IL Family Portraits Fall 2019 |

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I got to meet Joanne and her absolutely lovely family this fall for their family Limited Edition session. How perfectly did they coordinate their outfits. Joanne took our few tips to ‘coordinate, not match’ and ‘mix in 1-2 colors throughout everyone’s looks’ and ran with it!

They were a joy to photograph and I’m so excited to see how the images Joanne selected for her walls look in their space.

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Do you know about our Limited Edition sessions?!?! We now do most of our family sessions each year as part of our Limited Edition line. These work so well for immediate family sessions. They are short… your choice of 15 or 30 minutes which keeps both dad & the kids happy!

We suggest the longer session for families with little ones but for families with older kids like the Kerper’s 15 minutes is perfect. These sessions are (as the name suggests) Limited! We only offer these 4 times a year and we’ll open up booking for 2020 sessions after the first of the year. To get first dibs on these sessions dates DM us on social (www.instagram.com/sjanephotography or https://www.facebook.com/sjanephotog/), text 573.590.7427, call 217.330.7012 or email mail@sjanephotography.com! We’d love to create for your family in 2020 whether it’s been a year or 10 since your last family portrait.

| Alleson | Central A & M Class of 2020 Senior Model |

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Alleson’s senior album design is complete and headed off to be beautifully printed this week so now I get to share it all with you guys here. We explored a bit further down an alley downtown than I have wandered in the past and were rewarded with a few gorgeous brick walls and beautiful light!

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Then for a little variety we headed out to a wild nature location that didn’t disappoint either… sunset, tall grasses and even some flowers. Alleson has been a really fun part of our model team this year. I just love photographing her with her absolutely stunning blue eyes and vibrant smile. I hope you love her images as much as I do. <3

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And these are the last few of their favorite images (which we featured in individual prints outside their album design):

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You can see ALL of Alleson’s images in her video on our Facebook Page HERE!

** Learn more about joining us for your senior year and becoming an influencer model HERE.

| Marie + Ernie | Decatur IL Wedding Photographer |

Guys, I get to share with you a simply GORGEOUS wedding today! I hadn’t photographed at the beautiful Holy Family Church since Marie’s cousins wedding so it was a treat to be back. Every wedding I’ve done there has been so elegant.

Though Marie & Ernie selected a mostly digital collection, I decided the style of their wedding was perfect to showcase a brand new album style we’ve created that is a throwback to more classic albums. Fully customizable, of course, with beautiful cover materials these albums combine 2-3 images per page to tell the story of the most important moments of your wedding day.

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For this sample album we selected a combo of a wood grain as a nod to the floral and natural vibe but in contrasting light/dark tones on the album/box to pull in the modern and elegant edge.

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