| Kirkman Family | Limited Edition Sessions!

outdoor family portraits by sarah jane photography in decatur il

The gorgeous Kirkman family is up on the blog today!! These boys were so much fun and brought so much style and personality to their session. This was a rare urban location for a Limited Edition this fall. This year we have one studio LE session planned along with 3 outdoor dates. LE session dates have been sent out to our VIP email list (get on that HERE for first dibs and a free gift on your first session).

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outdoor family portraits by sarah jane photography in decatur il
outdoor family portraits by sarah jane photography in decatur il
outdoor family portraits by sarah jane photography in decatur il

| Mahala | Class of 2020 Senior Portraits |

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I’m excited to share Mahala’s senior session with you all today! I met her family a few years ago when her sister Kayle was one of our senior models. And then I got to photograph her for the first time at their family session that year. This beautiful family moved to sunny Florida (#jealous) so getting the chance to create again for them wasn’t on my radar making Alicia’s message about planning Mahala’s session such a wonderful surprise.

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We had a small window of time to work with while they were in the state, but that was no problem (thank goodness weather worked out for us!). It was so much fun to hang out with Mahala AND her sis and momma joined us on session too so I got to hang with them all for a bit! Now, her canvases and album are all being carefully printed and will be in the mail on their way to Florida in the next few days so it’s time to share the whole thing with you guys too!

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My vote for their next family session is a destination session for me in Florida 😉 #soundslikeaplantome !!!

| Graduation day hair and wardrobe tips to help you look your best UNDER that cap & gown! |

What are you wearing? Have you asked it… been asked? The big celebration and culmination of your 12 YEARS of schooling, 18 years of your life is coming up and we know you’re all excited about how good you’re going to look in the big flowy zip up gown and that studly fat cap… but the real question is how do you make that thing look GOOD?! Well, just like everything else – from the inside-out, of course.

We’ve seen a LOT of graduations over 15 years in business and have some tips for you guys to rock the grad look.

HAIR… I just learned a new phrase from my fav podcaster Dax Shepard recently that applies (in a round about way) here “curls for the girls.” (He’s talking about biceps but I’m talking about hair). To balance out that big brim of a hat, I suggest opting for a curl look to add a little volume down below. And to get all the curls to lay perfectly once the hat is on, think about marking where the cap will lay when on with a bobby pin and focusing on curling BELOW that line (this will prevent any bulky curls right at the transition). Can’t curl (ME EITHER), call my fav hair stylist Katie at Mint Salon and she’ll hook you up with her magic curls (call soon, she’s in high demand).

Don’t worry, if curls really aren’t your style straight works too but you’ll want to avoid that after graduation cap line in a straight look and can do so by swooping back a few pieces from your temple into a couple bobbi pins at the back, or if you’re #advanced try a braid to pin pack in the same style.

Lastly for the cap, don’t forget the bobbi pins. Pinning the cap in place in your hair will not only make you feel more secure so you won’t be worried about it falling off at the worst time but it will also mean you don’t have to wear it quite as low to have a firm fit which will avoid the super awkward hat line imprint straight across your forehead when you take it off (that’s not a fun look for anyone and nothing will make that thing fade so you’ll just have to wait it out).

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CLOTHES… so what about under the gown? Well, first of all going ‘Patch Adams’ (you’re too young to know that reference but google it) is not recommended so here are the things to think about when choosing your graduation look:

  • No lumps… ladies avoid dresses or shirts with puffy sleeves or large beaded accents around the neck/shoulders. When the gown is on this is just going to make it lumpy. Also avoid full skirts on your dress if you don’t want to rock the Cinderella step sister big booty look.
  • Neck & Hem line… keep in mind most graduation gowns will fall to well below your knees so most if not all of your dress hem line will be hidden and that’s ok. Long dresses with hems that fall below the gown can had a bit too much to the look and you’ll want to keep it simple. But your neck line might show! Be aware of that and decide if you’d like to choose a high neckline to really show off the dress or keep it lower and hidden and accent the look with a nice necklace.
  • Color… Most schools have at least 2 school colors and they’re usually pretty BOLD. If so, stick to neutrals in your dress (white/black/grey/cream/etc) this will let your school colors shine and avoid any color clash. BUT if your school has a muted or neutral color for the robes (black/navy) you can get away with going bold underneath to add a little flavor and style to the look.
  • GUYS, your shirt collar will almost always show so be sure to think carefully about the pattern/color of the shirt you choose and consider a tie to class it up even further.
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Lastly, we suggest considering a formal cap & gown portrait. This really is a big milestone in your lives and we’d love to help you celebrate. In May we have $15 cap/gown sessions at the studio with prints starting under $30 and digitals under $50. These are quick 5 minute session with immediate viewing and selection but times are limited.

***Warrensburg-Latham grads don’t forget I’ll be at graduation to take your cap/gown portraits! Free sessions for you guys that day, and images starting at only $15.

| Cory | Maroa-Forsyth High School Senior Guy Portraits | Class of 2019 |

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Hey guys (like literally GUYS)… senior portraits are not just for the ladies! Sure, maybe you haven’t been thinking about your senior pictures for years (or maybe you have – we love that!).. maybe you think it will be uncomfortable or weird. I get it, for real… I have been a photographer for 15 years and with my husband for all 15. Luckily for him the annual photo sessions didn’t really start until after we got married and had kids but NOW I make this poor man have his photo taken EVERY SINGLE YEAR (I mean, he married a photographer, he should have known).

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So what does that mean for you senior guys?!?! It means that not only behind the camera but also in front of it I’ve learned how to make you 100% comfortable… I’ll make sure you know what to do in front of the camera and then we’ll laugh and joke and hang out and make it way less stressful and boring than you may think it could be.

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We do have to start with a plan, this is YOUR session and we need to design it to fit you and show off who you are. Love your truck? Bring it! Love your dog? You better bring him/her! Love your gun, bow, 4 wheeler, boat, sports, games, guitar, drums (you name it)…. BRING IT!

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| McKinnley | Mt. Zion High School Senior Model | Class of 2018 |

I have another lovely senior to show off to you today! McKinnley is one of our Mt. Zion High School class of 2018 senior models and has been so much fun to photograph. McKinnley’s been friends with Jasmyn, another of our 2018 senior models, FOREVER (seriously the images of these girls as little kids are adorable) so the girls were so excited to go through our model experience together, which as an added bonus meant we got to create a few images of the girls together on our group session days!

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Isn’t she lovely (and I’m crazy jealous of that thick long hair which I swear was perfect in every image!).

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Our fair group session was fun and the ice cream cones (in nearly 100 degree heat) was an interesting experiment in racing the clock on melting ice cream which proved ultimately more messy than cute but we learned that next time we’ll fake it with foam cones of some sort.

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It’s hard to pic a favorite from her session but I’m loving the patriotic look with this flag scarf.

 

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After our time around downtown Decatur we headed over to McKinnley’s grandparents house on lake Decatur for a beautiful sunset. And my favorite part of working in this personalized location is that McKinnley’s parents got married right under that tree by the lake and now we’ve added another milestone to remember there!

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Be sure to head over to McKinnley’s facebook album to give her some love and take a look at what she had to say about her SJP experience:

Tell us about your experience about SJP. What did you like best? *

I absolutely LOVE the pop-up sessions. They are so fun and a great opportunity to meet other people your age from different schools. They are quick and easy and who doesn’t love a little extra opportunity to get dressed up 😉

What would you tell a friend who was considering coming to SJP for their portraits? *

I would tell them that Sarah Jane is the ONLY photographer for them. She is so fun and easy to talk to and work with. They will not be disappointed by choosing her over any other photographer.

What made you choose SJP for your portraits?

I chose SJP because my bestfriend Jasmyn became a senior model and told me that I should do it too. We have been bestfriends since we were 3 years old and I couldn’t resist doing one last thing with her before we graduate and have to part ways for college.

What could we have done differently to improve your portrait experience? *

I have not yet done my actual senior picture session but from what I have seen from the photos of myself so far, I love them!

Please rate your Session Experience *

Perfectly Happy

Please rate the Product Selection & Quality *

Perfect

Please rate the Product Value *

Great Deal