Jessica Edwards Photography »

Paige, Webb City High {Missouri Senior Photography}

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Posted in Seniors

Paige came to us from our neighbor to the south, Webb City. After chatting with her mom on the phone about her upcoming session, I was so excited! You see, I love photographing things that are new to me, and her theme for the photo shoot was just that. In her free time, she shows horses. Coming from Kentucky (the horse capital of the world) you’d think I know a thing or two about them…but nope! I’d never shot someone in the show outfit before, but I’m sure glad I did. The images came out so awesome! She brought along 2 cowboy (or should I say cowgirl?) hats, her show outfit complete with chaps and spurs, and a saddle that weighed exactly 2.7 tons.

Here are just a few of our favorites {get ready for image overload!}

5bwpaige This shirt really suits her! Check out the writing on the back.

3paige

I love this image. There’s just something about the classic black top and pearls paired with the modern zebra print background that really draws me in.

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And now for the images using the props she brought along. BTW, I love when seniors bring in things that are important to them and helps show off who they are.

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I feel sorry for the horse who has to wear this 2.7 ton saddle! :p It IS beautiful, though!

39paige {totally random side note…This next images makes me think of my 1st grade reading workbook. The title of the workbook was called “Hang on to Your Hats!” How is it that I remember things like that, but forget that my keys are in my hand and search the house for 15 minutes looking for them?}

30texturepaige Paige’s aunt bought is as a beautiful gold-framed wall portrait. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it comes in!

24paige And the WHOLE outfit. Be sure to check out those B.A. boots and spurs!

22sepiapaige Paige, my dear, it was a pleasure working with you! <3

by Jessica Edwards

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March 9, 2010 - 8:35 am Rosemary Hayes - These are super fabulous Jess. Love how you showcased her interests and those spurs are B.A. :o)

James, McAuley Catholic High {Joplin Senior Photographer}

Friday, March 5, 2010 Posted in Seniors

James’s smile is contagious! We laughed during his whole photo shoot…especially when he was trying to be serious. James is from Joplin, so we decided to create his senior portraits in his neck of the woods. That was a very good decision on our part! I love going to new places, exploring and finding cool, hidden locations that look awesome in pictures. James is our first senior client from McAuley Catholic but hopefully not our last! If the other kids from his school are half as fun and happy as he is, sign me up!

He and his mom fell in LOVE with our 10×10 layflat hardcover books and…well…I can’t really blame them. They ARE the coolest things in the world, after all.

Instead of posting a few favorite images, I want to give y’all a sneak peek of his book. He picked the perfect design to match the urban style of his photo shoot, don’t ya think?

20book 21book Free Transform

by Jessica Edwards

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Perspectives on Photography, Pitt State University

Monday, March 1, 2010 Posted in Studio News

This weekend, I was invited to Pitt State University by SAPS (Student Association of Photographers).

SAPSbrochurefinal-2

On Friday night, Matt and I met many of the members of SAPS, along with the director, Mike Gullett and fellow presenters Jerry Poppenhouse and Carla Wehmeyer. We had dinner from Wheat State Pizza and finished the night reviewing the student’s portfolios. We saw some really nice images. The students should be proud!

It took a little longer than normal for us to get from Pittsburg to Lamar that night. Right after we left Pitt State, I got pulled over and got a ticket for going 35 miles per hour.

Not 35 miles per hour over the speed limit….

just 35 miles per hour.

Seriously.

I’m pretty positive that people walking on the sidewalks were going faster than I was. Oh well…it had been YEARS since I’d had a ticket, so I chalked it up to being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Obviously, my luck was REALLY crappy that night. That, or someone had written “Here Piggy Piggy” on my back windshield. I’m not a paranoid person, but I think they were out to get me that night. I watch my speed like a hawk the rest of the time. We stopped at a gas station so Matt could get a drink. No more than a couple of minutes later, I saw blue lights in my rear view mirror….AGAIN.

I knew I wasn’t speeding. If anything, I was going slightly slower than the limit. What was my crime this time? Failure to turn signal. Or so he said. Matt and I thought I had used it, but the cop didn’t. Fortunately, he was honest and told us that he was looking for impaired drivers and let us go.

Many people have told me that driving a Mustang GT350 would be a cop magnet, but since moving to Missouri, that has definitely been true. In 3 months, I’ve been pulled over FOUR times. FOUR! Before moving, I hadn’t been pulled over in more than 6 years and it has been 8 years since I’ve gotten a ticket.

Okay….that has nothing to do with my speaking engagement, I admit it. Back to the topic…

On Saturday, we went back to Pitt State for the “Perspectives on Photography” seminar hosted by SAPS. Below is a snapshot of many of the members who worked to put the seminar together. Great job, guys!

SAPS3

We again had pizza for lunch before settling into the seminar room to see who won the photography contest. Congrats to the winners…that’s such an awesome feeling! Elliot Sutherland, a graduate of Pitt State, spoke about photojournalism, then it was my turn.

My program was about flattering posing and studio lighting. Thanks a bunch to my model, Kaci Dillingham, (below) for being patient and awesome!

SAPS2

The turn out was also awesome…about 100 people. I really really really wanted to get an iPhone image of the crowd from my point of view…very impressive! In true Jessica fashion, I totally forgot to do it. Luckily, Matt remembered to snap a couple of shots of me teaching my seminar.

SAPS

It went well….at least I think. I talked a whole bunch and I got a ton of great questions…that’s got to be a good sign, right? I always wonder if my ramblings make sense to anyone but me. Quite a few members of the crowd came up to me afterwards and asked some more good questions and let me know that they took pages of notes and learned “more in that hour and a half than a whole semester at college”. WOOT! That’s a good feeling!

I was invited by Mike to come back in the spring and talk to his class. I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to it!

Tags: classes, lighting, mentoring, mentors, photograhy seminar, posing

by Jessica Edwards

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March 1, 2010 - 3:55 pm Lauren White - Thanks for coming to the seminar! I learned a lot from what you shared with us! =) -Lauren White

Mona’s Grandbabies {Missouri Children’s Portraiture}

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Posted in Families and Kids

Mona came into Jessica Edwards Photography for the first time to help out her best friend, Jackie pick out her Fall family portraits. We developed a great rapport and she vowed that she was going to come back with her grandbabies.

After all of our snow finally melted, she followed through. These little boys are just TOO cute!

11mona 19mona 3mona

Moms very rarely want to get in the portraits with their kids, but after they do, they are really happy with that decision. The grandparents (and the children when they get older) will really appreciate having a portrait with mom included. I have plenty of baby pictures of myself and with my brother, but not very many with my mom in them. Those very few that I do have, I cherish.

To all the moms out there…

Don’t just get portraits of your children…have one created with your self as well. You and the rest of your family will be really happy that you did!

20mona

by Jessica Edwards

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Stephanie, North East High Senior {Kansas Senior Photography}

Sunday, February 21, 2010 Posted in Seniors

Meet Stephanie!

She’s our newest 2010 senior client and our first from North East High School. It’s so amazing how quickly word has spread about our studio since moving to Missouri last year! My clients are AWESOME!

We had an outdoor session scheduled but the date got moved a couple of times because of the poor road conditions. Finally, we decided on having a session in our studio, which was nice and toasty!

Here are some of our favorites…

2steph 17stephanie 24bwsteph 27steph 33steph 29bwsteph 6steph

by Jessica Edwards

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Be The Trend {Resources for Photographers}

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Posted in Marketing, Studio News

I believe that a continuing education for photographers is extremely important. That is one reason we launched Be The Trend, a company that offers assistance to photographers in the areas of marketing via Facebook and blogs as well as one on one mentoring. We’ll soon be offering other products and services (classes, pose books, etc.) so bookmark our site and keep checking back for updates!

bethetrend

www.JessicaEdwardsPhotography.net/BeTheTrend

by Jessica Edwards

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Featured in the Joplin Globe

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Posted in Seniors, Studio News

We were very honored to be featured in the Joplin Globe on January 31st. A reporter heard about our portrait scholarship program where we give $675 worth of products and services to deserving high school seniors who wouldn’t otherwise have professional senior portraits and decided she wanted to write a story about it. Our hope is that other photographers will read the story and decide that offering portrait scholarships is the right thing for them to do as well.

“LAMAR — Growing up in Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains, Jessica Edwards knew what poor meant. She was surrounded by it daily.

Click HERE for a link to the article.

Then, during her junior year in high school, her dad got laid off from his job as a coal miner when the mine shut down.

She didn’t buy senior pictures, and a lot of her friends didn’t either.

That was 10 years ago, and she’d love to have them to look back at that time in her life, to see herself then, to see how styles change and to remember those years.

When she opened her own portrait studio in the Appalachian area, she noticed that for many youth the cost of having a senior picture taken was out of reach, so she donated her time and products for many of them.

When she relocated to Lamar last March she noticed a similarity in the income levels in this area, so after opening her second portrait studio, she decided to make an offer that would keep several area seniors from missing out on the opportunity she did.

“I contacted surrounding schools that I’ve had clients from and spoke to guidance counselors and principals and asked them to nominate a couple of seniors who they knew were good kids but might have a financial situation that would prevent them from getting portraits,” Edwards said. “I wanted them to have some pictures they could look back on.”

Although there were some schools from which she never heard back, there were several seniors from Frontenac, Lamar, and Pittsburg, who did take her up on her offer.

Barbara Zimmerman, yearbook advisor at Frontenac High School, called it “a generous offer” and one that she’s sure will mean a lot to the FHS seniors who were awarded the sessions.

Like many Four State area school districts, Frontenac has seen a significant increase in the past year in the number of students on free and reduced lunch programs, and the Frontenac-Pittsburg area has seen several large employers shut down and/or reduce their workforce.

“It’s just a really neat thing for her to do, and will make a difference in these kids’ lives,” said Zimmerman. “Everyone should have a senior portrait. It’s something you’ll look back at years from now.”

by Jessica Edwards

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February 24, 2010 - 9:55 am Donna Schomaker - That is such a great way of giving and sharing your talent Jessica! It is so touching!

February 17, 2010 - 10:05 am Adam - Such a great idea!