As you prepare to graduate from IUP, capturing this special moment with professional photos is a wonderful way to commemorate your achievement. After you receive your cap and gown, consider scheduling a photo session at iconic locations on campus. The Oak Grove with its stunning backdrop of trees, the picturesque Sutton Hall porch, and the historic IUP arch all serve as perfect settings for your graduation photos. You may also want to take photos at any other building on campus that holds significance for you, creating timeless memories of your time at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. These photos will not only showcase your academic milestone but also preserve the emotional connection you have with the campus as you move forward into the next chapter of your life.

college grad photos with friends

In this special time of your life, I understand the value of capturing moments with friends, which is why I offer the option to bring a few companions along to your photo session. Your 1 hour time slot can be evenly divided among friends, allowing everyone to have their share of the spotlight. Clients can view all the photos taken during the session and handpick their 15 favorites. Should they wish to share the 15 final images with their friends, they have the flexibility to do so. Additionally, clients have the opportunity to add more photos at a nominal fee of $25 per additional file.

When preparing for a college graduation photo shoot, it is essential to bring along key items that symbolize your academic journey and achievements. Be sure to pack your decorated cap and gown, which are central pieces for the occasion. Additionally, consider bringing balloons, glitter, champagne, honors cords, instruments, books, or any other props that reflect your personality, interests, or successes during your college years. These items can add a personalized touch to your photos and make them more meaningful. Moreover, feel free to invite your family, pets, significant others, and friends to join the photo session, as their presence can make the experience even more special and memorable. Capture this important milestone surrounded by the people and items that matter most to you.

Mellon Park in Pittsburgh, PA, is a favored location for engagement photos due to its picturesque setting that’s a perfect blend of architecture and nature. The park boasts a stunning stone fountain that provides a timeless backdrop for romantic photos. In the spring and summer, colorful flowering trees and landscapes add a touch of natural beauty to the surroundings, creating a dreamy atmosphere for capturing special moments. The park's wrought iron fence features add a touch of elegance and charm to photographs. Additionally, Mellon Park offers the convenience of ample parking, making it a practical choice for couples and photographers seeking a seamless photoshoot experience.

When searching for a photo location in the city that exudes a natural and timeless vibe rather than an urban feel, consider exploring botanical gardens or parks like Mellon Park that are tucked away from the bustling city centers. These serene pockets of greenery provide a tranquil backdrop with their lush foliage, blooming flowers, and winding pathways, offering a peaceful escape from the city's concrete jungle. Mellon has all the hidden gems like quiet courtyards, a charming cobblestone street, and architectural structures that can add a touch of timeless elegance to your photos, creating a perfect blend of nature and history in an urban setting.

At Jill Gearhart Photography, we believe that unexpected moments can lead to some of the most memorable experiences. Picture this: you arrive at your outdoor photoshoot full of excitement, only for the skies to open up with a sudden downpour. Instead of letting the rain dampen our spirits, we choose to embrace the moment. Laughter fills the air as we dance in the rain, capturing candid shots that reflect the joy of spontaneity. The droplets add a magical touch to the images, creating a unique and unforgettable story. Despite the weather's twist, we ensure that your photoshoot is not only successful but also a fun and exhilarating adventure.

If you were to take engagement photos in the exact spot you met your fiancé, would they be as cool as these engagement photos at Strawberry Way in Pittsburgh? These two met on this literal spot on the street corner by the Hotel Monaco (where they are getting married at later this year!), had their first date at The Commoner, the restaurant inside the hotel!

We met up on a cold afternoon in January and the two were dressed so classy and ready to brave the cold! They could pull off any and every pose - from super chic and serious to fun-loving and silly, which not even minding that they were freezing! We strolled up and down Strawberry Way, which in the summer is full of tables for outside eating at the various restaurants around the area, finding inspiration in the diverse architecture.

The session ended with dinner at the Commoner, recreating the couples’ first date! The restaurant was super cool to let us in a little early to get some really cool shots in the totally empty restaurant. Once they opened for dinner service, we ordered dinner and drinks to recreate all the details of their first date.

Enjoy the highlights of this super fun and meaningful Pittsburgh engagement session - hopefully it will inspire you to think outside the box (or better yet, inside the restaurant!)

In case no one has told you, marriage is HARD. It tests your patience, challenges your character, inspires your dreams, pushes your limits, and refines you into the best person you can possibly be. If you talk to anyone that’s been married for a significant amount of time, they will tell you that they have weathered many challenges, and the ones that find compromise and willingness to learn at the center of their values are the ones that persevere. Often times at weddings, you will hear the advice “don’t go to bed angry” - but it’s so much more than that. It’s showing unconditional grace to the person you’ve decided to make an ultimate commitment to, and putting aside your reaction to challenges in favor of a caring response.

In current culture, pride is one of the biggest things we battle, and a marriage is one of the hardest hit areas of our lives. Love that endures deserves to be celebrated, and that is exactly what we did in this vow renewal session. These two have been married for 10 years with two beautiful children, and have walked through many challenges together hand in hand.

For their 10th wedding anniversary, the bride approached me about snapping a few photos of her and her family, but we schemed up a pretty epic vow renewal ceremony, with my pastor husband officiating. The ceremony took place right off of the parking lot of the day-use beach area of Yellowcreek. Even though it was a public state park, we still had “wilderness forest” vibes, which went perfectly with the beautiful boho touches. Petal and Stem knocked it out of the park with that gorgeous bouquet featuring mocha roses, and the flower crowns for mama and the girls!

A simple macrame hanging between two trees provided a great and simple backdrop, and a few Shepards hooks with lanterns, a small area rug, and the cutest vintage loveseat were all we needed to transform the picnic area into something super photogenic and memorable. The ceremony was just a few moments long, but the handwritten vows between the couple had all the other adults (my husband and I) bawling. The vows acknowledged the challenges the couple had been through, while celebrating their perseverance and their gratitude to one another for truly forming a team that can overcome it all.

After the mini ceremony we snapped some sweet family photos in the woods and at the beach. At this time the water level of the lake was very low, so the beach offered up some very unique and beautiful spots to capture truly stunning wedding portraits. This was one of the best afternoons of shooting I have been blessed to be a part of! I hope that if you are considering a vow renewal or even a “local elopement”, you can be inspired to make it extra special with just a few simple touches. Enjoy the highlights of the afternoon below!

Are you afraid to get family photos, but the thought of coordinating outfits, coaxing smiles, keeping kids from having meltdowns, picking the right time of day, the right location, the right photographer, and the million other decisions that go into it are enough to send you running?

I sat down with my dear friend and long time family photo veteran to ask her some honest questions about getting family photos done from the mom’s perspective - because let’s face it, it’s usually the mom that makes the plans! Hopefully her answers (and her gorgeous family pics!) are enough to help you conquer your fear and have some beautiful milestones documented.

Why is it important to get family photos?

I love getting family photos to document the growth of our family. I display them in sequential order to see how much the kids change from year to year.

What's the biggest obstacle in preparing for your photos?

No major obstacles for me in preparing for the photos, except maybe just trying to choose a good time in The day that would suit the little ones.

What advice do you have for other families?

Advice for families? Try not to stress over “perfection”. I’m my opinion you’ll be more satisfied with your photos if you relax and allow the photographer to do their thing.

What do you look for in a family photographer?

The photographer has to be good with the kids! I can smile all day long but it’s the kids that sometimes need the coaxing.

Is there anything you pre-plan for your family session?

I actually pre-plan and put a lot of thought into the family’s clothing. I have found I’m much more satisfied with the photos if I’m cognizant of coordinated outfits and also finding a color scheme that would suit my decor where I plan to display the photos themselves.

What's something you've learned to not stress over in regards to family pictures?

Don’t stress over the posing and “perfect” photos. I love the candids so much because they really capture the essence of the family.

Do you prefer outdoor or indoor sessions and why?

We have done almost exclusively outdoor sessions and I love them! But I would be very interested in trying indoor as well, probably only in our home though rather than in front of a set.

Do you like printing your photos, or do you use them mostly digitally?

I always print the photos and also have canvasses made. Love to have them around the house!

When COVID wrecked their original plans to get married at the Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh, Janelle and Zac rolled with the punches like so many 2020 couples had to and planned two separate events to incorporate both safety AND their original dream and vision for their day.

The first event, the ceremony and reception, was a totally outdoor event at a friend’s property, high on a hilltop in the beautiful McDonald, PA. They were still able to incorporate elements from the original plan, like their beautiful invites from Paper Chasers, their sentimental details including Janelle’s grandma’s ring and handkerchief, and much of their original vendors for the reception (check those out below!)

We started the day at the couple’s beautiful new home where their sweet pups Sophie and Barley got to join in on the action too along with friends and family. We even got to do a first look right in front of the home Janelle and Zac built together, which was a very special moment. The ceremony, reception, and fireworks display (!!) were gorgeous in the pastoral hilltop setting, and the DJ threw one heck of a party under the stars!

Even though the “Plan B” day was perfect, we still wanted to capture their wedding portraits in the city that Janelle and Zac both love, so a month later we reconnected for a few hours of strictly portraits downtown and at the Renaissance, their original venue.

The city portraits were something we ALL were looking forward to, and that urban atmosphere plays a big part in their relationship. When I asked Janelle about how they got engaged, she said “Zac and myself both love New York City. New York city is one of the first big trips we went on together a few years back and we have been visiting yearly ever since. We always talked about getting engaged on an ice skating rink at Christmas time. In November 2018 we went to New York to see the Christmas lights and went skating at Bryant Park. After skating for an hour, Zac requested a picture and then proposed! He planned a romantic dinner across the river with the skyline in the background.”

Capturing the Pittsburgh skyline was something that was paramount, so the couple booked the Heaven Suite in the Renaissance, a gorgeous upscale room with a private terrace showcasing the best views of Pittsburgh. After some stunning and unique photos on the iconic yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge, and in the grand marble staircase in the hotel lobby, we headed to the terrace in the Heaven Suite to experience a rooftop view of Pittsburgh that was breath taking and the perfect way to end our wedding photo experience! I hope you enjoy the highlights of both days, and be encouraged that if you too have to go “plan B”, there’s always a creative way to incorporate some of what you originally dreamed of.

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Vendors:

Photography - Lead Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography; Second Shooter: Jonathan Blanchard

Gown - Exquisite Bride, Murrysville

Hair - CC Salon

Makeup - Emily Van Scoy & Co.

Bridesmaids Dresses - Exquisite Bride, Murrysville

Suits - Top Hat Tuxedo

Rings - LJ Marks Jewelers

Invitations - Paper Chaser

Florals - Berries and Birch Flower Design Studio

Cake: Oakmont Bakery

Catering: Renaissance Pittsburgh

DJ - DJ Climax (Bobby Kramer)

Videographer - Legendary Celebrations Cinematography

Coordinator - Fallon DiRiggi, Renaissance Pittsburgh

Macabre wedding photography and engagement photography can be a great theme If you’re looking for a unique experience and love all things dark, mysterious, gothic, and classic. Photos at a mausoleum may be just what you’re searching for. Mausoleums can be architecturally gorgeous as well, so if your town doesn’t offer much in interesting buildings and you don’t mind the macabre, this is a super satisfying spot to shoot, photographically speaking!

When my dear friend Brittany got engaged (check out her gorgeous black onyx ring in the photos below!), we knew that their photos had to be something unique and different. Brittany has some experience modeling (and is darn good with makeup!) so the somber, serious mood of a shoot in a cemetery was no problem for her and her fiancé Josh to pull off. I know Brittany would kill this session (bad pun - sorry) - but Josh certainly also held his own next to this stunner! These two braced the cold February temperatures and created some of the most unique engagement photos I have been honored to capture!

Family Portraits have come a long way since the department store studios with the cheesy backgrounds - you can have gorgeous family photos at pretty much any location that is special to you! I’ve known Sam and Nick for years, and one of the best things about them is that they are totally trusting of my creative process and willing to go and do anything I suggest.

When Sam asked me about doing some family photos, our original plan was going to be creating something epic on a joint-family vacation to Boston, but like so many other times this year, COVID had other plans. Like most of my friends, we are all foodies at heart and the city has a special place in our lives - so naturally some of the happiest places that come to my mind are found in Pittsburgh. Still wanting something unique and urban, we decided Pittsburgh would hit the spot, and then treated ourselves to some incredible arepas for dinner at The Columbian Spot.

The beautiful thing about shooting at Phipps is that they don’t require a permit or special permission to shoot on their outdoor property. With creative angles, you can have a range of backgrounds from the incredible spires of the greenhouse that look like something in Morocco, to lavender fields and weathered benches, to gothic architecture with lush greenery, to vibrant flower fields! It doesn’t take a big spot to make a big impact in your photos.

Creatively, however, my favorite part of this session was the total vibe-change as we ended the session at the top of a parking garage in Market Square. We were incredibly lucky to have the entire roof-top floor to ourselves, free of cars. I threw all convention out of the window and shot exclusively with off-camera flash (to capture those amazingly textured skies!) and a brand-new super-wide lens to give us a funky creative vibe with distortion and the ability to capture ALLLL of that amazing Pittsburgh skyline. Fun fact, I also shot 90% of them sitting on the ground because I had to pee so bad! I was determined not to have an accident in front of my friends, especially because we all carpooled an hour from Indiana, hahahaha!

Hope you enjoy one of my favorite family sessions to date, and I hope it inspires you to think outside of the box (and your zip code!) when planning your next photo session location!

It’s never too late to have amazing photos with the person you love, especially if you didn’t get the chance to have professional wedding photos done. Lots of couples are smartly choosing to have smaller ceremonies at home or a a local park, with smaller guest lists budgets.

But I firmly believe that everyone deserves to have amazing photos with the person that they love, and a fantastic way to make sure that happens is an anniversary session! These two were an absolute dream to work with (I mean you’ll see why when you look at the photos!), and we had so much fun walking around the park where they got married the year before capturing that same joy and excitement that has only grown deeper over their first year of marriage! Pittsburgh has a lot of really great photo locations, so if the greenery of park is something you are wanting, we can do that! Of course there’s lots of options for the more urban look too.

Sometimes people like to wear their wedding dresses or suits, or photograph in a totally different season than their wedding was in. Once I did an anniversary session where the couple was in full wedding dress and they had a cozy night time session at their favorite local coffee shop! These are excellent sessions to showcase what that two of you love, milestones you have accomplished - it’s not just for families with kids!

If you have those that are hard to shop for, a gift certificate for an anniversary photo session is always a great idea! I don’t put an expiration date on my gift certificates, and they can be used for any type of portrait session, whether it be a family session, engagement, anniversary, or maternity! You can send me an email and let me know if you’d like to grab a giftcard!

Tiffany and Jim had their engagement photos taken this Saturday at the beautiful Blue Spruce park in Indiana. Photographing couples is my absolute favorite because you can encourage and celebrate the JOY and FUN that comes with being in love! Even if you aren't comfortable with being in front of a camera, I’ve photographed people that I guarantee are more awkward than you are and helped them have a successful photo session that they enjoy.

Tiffany admitted when we started the session that she was a little nervous, but as you can see these two are naturals and by the end of the session, when I always ask “so did you guys have a good time?” they both answered with a heartfelt “yes!”

The difference between “meh” photos and GREAT photos has so much to do with posing. There are approximately 123284923598 other things that a photographer has to know and account for (gear, lighting, background, wind, PERSONALITY), but posing can really make or break a session. It’s important to keep the conversation going, keep it light and friendly, ask questions to your couples like “do you have a side you prefer” or “are there any areas you love/dont love" and then have a game plan to accommodate.

I walk my couples through a “script”, using the lighting and surroundings to influence which pose I pull out of my script at that particular location. All of my posing also incorporates movement or action - which is my style! I want you to be able to look at a photo and see natural genuine smiles, wonder what they are laughing at, guess where they are going in their environment. This takes YEARS to perfect, but if you are new to photography the absolute best thing you can do is invest time and money on educating yourself about posing!

Hope you enjoy these sweet photos!