Jenny Minard Photography

Class of 2011!

2010-03-14T18:05:00.001-05:00

Jenny Minard Photography is looking for senior reps for the 2010-2011 school year. Get an amazing deal on your senior portraits! Email contact@jennyminard.com TODAY for more information. You don't want to miss out. Limited appointments available!

New Ventures for JMP

2010-02-09T03:19:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone!

Boy, it has been over four months since I've posted anything. A lot has happened since October, but the most important event was the birth of my son, Lincoln. Here he is:

"Little Lincoln" (what everyone calls him)

Lincoln was born on January 16, 2010 (so he is now 24 days old!), and he weighed nine pounds and six ounces. He was a big boy and still is. We love him!

I have been doing a lot of photographing in the last few months also. Some of my portrait appointments include my sister's and my own maternity photos, Calvary Baptist Church family portraits, my friend Sally's children, my newest nephew Simon (he's only 5 weeks older than Lincoln), Christmas cards, my sister-in-law's wedding, some fine artwork, and (of course) Lincoln's birth.

Julie's maternity with Simon

Sally's kids

February Fine Artwork - only 5 being sold!

My maternity portraits - can you guess what photo is in the background?

In the next few months, Jenny Minard Photography is going to be revamping its entire business structure. We have new and exciting things planned for 2010 and would hate for anyone to miss out. Please email Jenny at contact@jennyminard.com if you are interested in receiving updates about what's going on at JMP or invites to our new Special Portrait Appointments.

We hope to hear from you!

Spider Moments

2009-10-23T12:21:00.002-05:00

So I have not uploaded any photos in awhile but believe it's long overdue. Below is an image I captured at my parents' house a few weeks ago. A poor bee was trapped in a large spider's web and was helpless to escape. I caught this moment when the spider was biting the bee (I assumed to poison him). :( By the way, taking photos like this is WAY outside my comfort zone as I am horribly afraid of 8-legged critters. Yuck!

Flowers, bubblegum, + mosquito bites!

2009-09-13T22:48:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, I had a blast spending a couple hours photographing my two nieces Lydia and Shannon. We were doing pictures for each girl's last birthday - Lydia's in July and Shannon's in June. The girls had a chance to pick some pretty flowers and then blow some bubbles - both out of a bottle and from a wrapper. Below is a sneak peak from our day.

23 Weeks and Going Strong!

2009-09-10T21:50:00.006-05:00

Well, I decided to post two pictures of our baby. The first is Baby Minard at about 10 weeks and the other is at 23 weeks! Boy has that little one grown.

Below is one of six photos I was given. This was the only shot of Baby Minard's face from yesterday's ultrasound. :( However sad that is, Andrew and I are totally excited every time we get to see a glimpse of our precious baby. It's hard to believe that in only 4 months, we will be holding him/her in our arms.

Hugs + Kisses! <3

Free Wallets Anyone?

2009-08-25T11:59:00.004-05:00

Jenny Minard Photography is currently holding a promotion until December 31, 2009.

I will be giving away eight free wallets in exchange for a client rave (a positive review based on a past JMP appointment). These wallets are fabulous (and NEW through JMP) - being printed on metallic paper.

If you have booked an appointment with me in the past, email your rave to contact@jennyminard.com. Make sure to include your desire to earn the 8 free wallets and which image you'd like to have printed. If you'd like have your wallets printed through a future appointment, please let me know.

As I would like future clients to know why they should become a part of my business, I'd appreciate a detailed rave. Don't forget to spellcheck! ;-)

Thanks to all of you who have helped in building the foundation of my business! Take care.

~ Jenny

My Little Sister is Married!

2009-08-24T18:59:00.005-05:00

Congrats, Betsi & Blake!!!

Sizzling Brides

2009-05-04T14:17:00.003-05:00

Currently, we are booking "Sizzling Brides." Brides who book with us will receive a one-hour, classy (but sizzling) boudoir portrait session in the privacy of their own home for $250. With the help of a professional stylist, brides will be pampered with a gorgeous make-up session before we begin. We recommend something simple for your hair as that is the LAST THING your future husband will be focused on. ;-)

Boudoir portraits are one-of-a-kind wedding gifts for husbands who will just LOVE them! It's for brides of ALL makes and models. Bring along your wedding lingerie, favorite "sizzling" music, your closest (or craziest) friend, or even your actual gown and we will have a blast. Your $250 fee will include a 10-page, 7x7 album of the best images chosen by the photographer and an 8x10 of your favorite photo.

Don't miss out on this amazingly fun and "sizzlingly" (sure, it's a word) awesome experience. Email me today at contact@jennyminard.com for more info or to see a sampling of a recent "Sizzling Anniversary" appointment.

An adventure with the boys

2009-04-23T16:27:00.002-05:00

I am so thrilled that the weather is started to warm up and get nice (actually, as I'm sitting here typing, it is raining pretty hard right outside my window - oops!). Yesterday was such a beautiful day, however, that I convinced my sister to take her two boys out for a photo adventure.

We drove around Henry county for a little while before finding this great spot seen below. The wall that Niall is standing beside looks like a support for an old bridge. Now it has graffiti written all over it. Wilson, my other nephew, read the word "Shannon" on it (my niece's name), and Niall proclaimed to us all that we were taking photos by the "Shannon River." We were, in fact, my a smallish river, but I'm pretty sure it's name is not the one Niall was suggesting.

Nevertheless, our adventure was a lot of fun.

The following image is one of my favorite moments - completely candid! Here, Niall is reacting after having grabbed a nearby branch with leaves on it, thinking he had just touched the dreaded "leaves of three." He said to me, "Aunt Jenny, I think this is poison ivy." To clarify, he had previously been referring to the bare branches behind him in the photos as also being poison ivy. ;-)

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T21:47:00.001-05:00

Well, I can't believe Easter is over already, but I had a wonderful celebration last weekend. My family got together for the early Easter service at church, had a wonderful lunch of ham, potatoes, and veggies, and then spent the afternoon hunting for eggs and visiting in-laws!

I was thrilled to be asked to photograph two of my sisters' families that day. Below is my absolute favorite photograph of my older sister's husband and five kids! They were all good sports as I tried some different things. Thanks guys!

Before we changed out of church clothes and into our "egg hunting clothes," I borrowed my niece, Nora, and photographed her in front of a background to match. Below are some of her signature facial expressions. She is such a cute - her and her little piggies!

I have recently updated my website. Check it out at www.jennyminard.com!

A Beautiful Weekend

2009-02-09T08:12:00.003-06:00

I was so thrilled for the weather to finally give us all a break this weekend. It was warm enough to just wear a sweatshirt, and I took advantage of that. I also took some time to photograph for myself. Below is a photo I shot at the side of the road near my parents' house:

I also made time for my adorable niece Nora's 9 month photos. We wanted to just let her do her thing, and she sure did. Here are a couple of my favorite images from her session:

Long Time, No See!!!

2009-01-27T14:13:00.006-06:00

Yes it has been over a month since I last posted, but I have to say, I've been busy. This past weekend, my husband became a model for a business portrait appointment. He was actually a really great client! He didn't even mind how much I tugged and pulled at his jacket, straightened his tie (multiple times), and changed lighting configurations constantly. What a sweetie!

Below is our favorite image which will be used on his promotional materials (such as fridge magnets):

Now, that's a handsome man!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-01T10:53:00.006-06:00

I am so excited for Christmas this year, I can hardly stand it. I have gone shopping twice for presents and my tree is already up. Now, I need to get started wrapping gifts and decorating my house.

Well, I have been busy with school, but I've managed to find time to photograph some of my favorite people for Christmas cards and gifts. The following pictures are some of my favorites from November:

The Haeffners

Betsi and Nora

Dameron Family Portrait

2008-10-21T11:18:00.003-05:00

I have been keeping busy this last month teaching music part time and then photographing part time. I really loved spending a weekend with the family pictured below, who happens to me my older sister and her family. They happened to be celebrating the marriage of Angela (Julie's sister-in-law) and Tad that day. I was the photographer for the event, and Julie asked if I'd take their family portrait. I love how this image turned out, as I strategically took all the color out of the background so that everyone would stand out a little more.

Lydia Jean

2008-09-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

It is so wonderful to be related to the most beautiful kids in the world. I have an unlimited supply of models for all my photo shoots. My little niece Lydia, only two years old, has so much personality. These are two of my favorite images from this summer, and I chose them because they show off her gorgeous blue eyes!

Emily & Jared

2008-09-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing my cousin Emily's wedding in Atlantic, IA a week ago. It was such a wonderful day for a wedding and the location was beautiful. Weddings are so fun because I get to be right there, where all the action is - all the time!

Below is a movie of Emily and Jared's happy day:

Back to the Midwest

2008-06-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be back home in the Midwest after 10 months on the East Coast. It is a bittersweet return, though, as my home is currently plagued by massive flooding. Our beautiful downtown and area businesses are having to close their doors after trying to beat this disaster. I hope to help in any way that I can to keep people's spirits up.

On a lighter note, I have put together a great bundle of portrait collections for brides, new parents, families, children, seniors, pets, and much more. Call now or email me for more information! Don't forget to check me out online at www.jennyminard.com!

Just this past Sunday, I returned back to my Turners Falls apartment with my husband from a trip to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to visit my cousin. While we were there, we visited two old forts that are now open to the public. Fort Constitution is on a naval base and has been kept relatively nice over the years. The other location was Fort Stark. It was built in the early 1900s. It is a beautiful place that would actually be great backdrops for portraits. While inside where, we're guessing, the generals stayed, we decided to investigate a secret tunnel that was hidden behind a fake wall. The picture is below. It wasn't until we got home and looked through my pictures that we discovered the strange figure in the bottom right-hand corner. Is it a hand? We think so!

Day at the Park!

2008-05-11T16:37:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I traveled to Pittsfield, Mass to photograph an adorable one-year-old, Irelyn. We went to the nearby park to photograph her playing. She was so cute and full of smiles. After that, I met Andrew, a sweet little boy who loved to climb and go down the slide. I could spend all day photographing children at the park. When they are in an environment that they love, they are so relaxed and joyful.

Experimental Lighting

2008-05-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

I really like the look of dramatic images - using very few light sources. Dhruv came over one afternoon to pose for some great low-key images. He's a natural at posing and there wasn't much I needed to say to get great results from him. He even had some great suggestions as we worked. In the images here, I am using only one small light directly on his face and the other as an accent light over his shoulder. I love the look and hope to do it again.

Bridal Session

2008-05-11T16:16:00.000-05:00

I am getting so excited for wedding session. Brides are finalizing plans and getting things in order for their big day. I invited a nice girl named Jennifer to come to the studio for bridal portraits. We had a lot of fun and experimented with a nice red background. We got some great images from our one-hour session. Below are some of my favorite images:

Sherrie's Mickey Mouse Room

2008-05-11T15:57:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how excited I was to go see my friend Sherrie's Mickey Mouse room. She told me she had a room full of Mickey Mouse memorabilia. She has collected so many Mickey Mouse items that she fills up a large portion of the first floor in her home. It's really quite amazing. I suggested to her husband that they charge admission, like in a museum.

In this photo, Sherrie is sitting on one of her Mickey Mouse stools. Later on in the session, she put on her Mickey Mouse mink coat. Before I left, Sherrie introduced me to her two rats. It was a fun experience!

New and Exciting Things Happening!

2008-05-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

Wow! I have been so busy with clients that I haven't blogged in awhile. I am so excited to post some of my recent work. Early last week, I met a really nice guy named Joel. He had volunteered to be photographed by my friend Mary, but I was able to steal him away for a few quick shots. Below is my favorite. The set I created was quite interesting. I have regular white Christmas lights along with the colored ones. I decided to turn the image to black and white to keep things even.

Family Portraits in Deerfield, MA

2008-04-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I was fortunate to photograph Jenn and her family. There are lots of open spaces around their home, but I chose a small patch of grass with the sun shining from behind. I am still working on perfecting my flash skills, but I think the following image turned out well. It was a joy working with Jenn, Mike, and their three angels - Gregory, Zach, and Emily.

An Evening in Northampton

2008-04-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

I traveled to Northampton, Mass this evening to photograph Jennifer and her mother, Colleen. We were meeting at Smith College's Botanical Gardens, which I've only been to once before. I was really excited to get there and start shooting.

There are some beautiful locations at Smith College, and we made good use of them. The following images are a few of my favorites from the shoot. I had a lot of fun working with Jennifer and Colleen.

Wedding Bliss!

2008-04-19T18:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I was excited to be the second shooter at the wedding of Sandy and Rich. Sandy's daughter Nikki was thrilled to be wearing a beautiful white dress that she could spin very well in. The weather was beautiful as was the bride. We spent some time at a park near her home in East Longmeadow, MA and then made our way to the church for the ceremony. It was a small wedding, but wonderful all the same. It was great to be there on their special day!

Leo

2008-04-19T18:16:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing an adorable 3 month and 1 week old baby boy named Leo. He did a fabulous job during his hour-long session. I was so great for his mother, also named Jenny, to come in for a portrait session. We even had time at the end to photograph Leo in a blanket that Jenny was photographed in when she was a baby.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

2008-04-15T11:23:00.000-05:00

I had an amazing time this last weekend spending a few days with my cousin Val and her fiance Seth. I was taken to some amazing sites in this historic city and I found it perfect for location portraiture. Although I got some amazing scenic shots, I photographed Val and Seth and their three pets (Henry, Cannon, and Mrs. Benedict - or Benny!) at their third-story apartment. Here are some of my favorite shots. What troopers this crazy bunch was!

Welcome!

2008-04-10T18:14:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone. Thanks for visiting my blog! I am so excited about photography, and because I get to meet so many interesting people and go on such cool adventures, I wanted you to be able to see how these images are created and learn all about what makes Jenny Minard Photography different from any other portrait studio.

Feel free to leave comments! I'd love to hear from you.