JenniM

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Lockliar

It is such a wonderful privilege to get to photograph a good friend!  Melody and I have been friends for almost 3 years now.  She is also a small business owner, designing small batch boutique clothing for children.  She home schools her kids! (Between the small businesses, kids, cute clothing and home schooling we have a good bit to talk about. lol)

We met in Hobby Lobby, started chatting, exchanged business cards, (she needed photos and I love cute kids clothing) and the rest has been such a fun experience of making a good friend.

My jaw just about hit the floor when she told me they have never had professional family photos taken…  I mean, I have taken lots of photos of her girls and son (we use our own kids for clothing models A LOT) but never all together. We had so much fun and I am so thankful they chose me. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Little

Ummm kay…  This little girl.  First off, she is ADORABLE isn’t she?!? But second, oh my goodness!  So much personality and humor.  I got such a kick out of her little chats and comments throughout their session.  She has such a sweet little soul. <3

This family has having fun together figured out.  So many tickles, hugs, smushes, giggles and squeezes through out the evening and every bit of it came naturally.  It is obvious that they practice this sort of thing at home all the time. ;-)

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Hayden

Getting to watch these two girls grow has been such a treat!  It has been 3 years now and I just love them.

Birthday Photoshoot

Newborn Photoshoot

Sitter Session

Birthday/Family Photoshoot

and now these… 

I always love looking back.  Not only because I can see my personal growth, but also, because this is their families visual history!  I have been so honored to be invited to document their days and details.  They have stuck with me through all of the years, and they hold a very special place in my heart.  To be chosen, over and over again, is such a huge compliment.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Houston

I had the beautiful privilege of documenting Holly and Nathan’s wedding a few months ago. (You can find their wedding photos < — here)  More than anything, Holly wanted family photos.  Their marriage not only made them “man and wife” but it also made 2 more “brother and sister”.  If that weren’t sweet enough already, the way their little girl looks at her new big brother is simply precious.

It is hard to describe how light changes throughout the seasons.  It has taken me a LONG time to “see light”.  Just take my word for it, the golden tones of the sun are SO much more golden in the Fall.  I had set aside time this past month to focus on some teaching/mentoring opportunities, so I hadn’t shot a session in a while.  The difference in the light from just a few weeks ago was amazing!  This evening couldn’t have been more perfect or beautiful.  The tones, light and people were pure bliss.

So, funny story…  They pulled up and popped open the trunk to get some things out as we were getting ready to head down the trail.  I thought I was making a joke when I said “are we planning on having a Nerf war?”.  Then Nathan looked right at me an said “That’s the idea.”

lol

Long story short, it was a super fun way to end an absolutely perfect evening. <3

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session, click –> HERE <– or to send me a message,
email me at jennimphotography@gmail.com
or just call or text (907)942-2358. 

I would love to hear from you!


Jenni M Photography – I am not enough

   Why is it that getting what I want is never satisfying?

 

I remember the days when I would tell my husband, with tears in my eyes and defeat in my heart, that I wanted to stay home with our babies more than anything.  I had a wonderful job in management at our local hospital in Alaska.  I had worked SO hard to get it!  But then I had my first child (now 10 years old) and it all changed.  I eventually resigned and found a new part time job.  It was a lot easier to be gone only 4 hours a day instead of 8-10, but I still longed for the day that I didn’t have to leave him at all.  Ultimately, we moved from Alaska to Alabama to find the financial simplicity that would allow for me to stay home with our kids, and continue to grow our family.

I lasted a whole 2 years…  At the end of the 2 years I was BORED!  I loved my kids to pieces (I had just had our 3rd child) and I realized I needed an outlet.  Something creative, but that would also incorporate my love of business.  My husband bought me my first DSLR for my birthday that year, and it couldn’t have filled my creative needs more completely.  I have been on this photography journey for 5 years now, and you know what?  I love it more than I ever dreamed I would.  When I started, I remember thinking “I just want to document my kids, and make a little spending money on the side.  That’s it.”  But as I achieved goals, new ones formed, and as I reached those, I found new ones yet again.

I have come to the realization that I won’t ever “arrive”.  I literally have accomplished everything I could have ever dreamed of at the beginning.  I have grown in ways I didn’t know were possible and to be honest, many times, I am humbled by how successful in this business I have been.

 

But I want more.

I have for the past 2 years been very intentional about preparing JMP so that when I am “ready” to devote more time and have more to give, I can just DO IT!

But as I am typing this, I can hear my 14-month-old breathing quietly as she sleeps.  It’s not time yet.  She is our last baby and as much as I want all of the good things that are on the horizon for Jenni M Photography, I REFUSE to rush through the last moments of her babyhood.

I am struggling though.  Desperately trying to keep my motivation bridled, so it doesn’t turn in to discontentment.  Internally reminding myself to appreciate the value of now and not focus on what is to come.  Reminding myself that achieving my goals won’t make me happy, only entertained.  I know I won’t be satisfied once I get there.  A new goal will form and I will be reaching yet again.

 

But it is really hard.

 

When the kids are making messes, and I feel like I am just a maid.

When they are fighting and all I want to do is hide in my room and lock the door.

When I didn’t get the memo that today is “only talk in a whiny voice” day.

When I have to shower with only one hand because the other must keep the door closed so my baby won’t join me with all of her clothes on.

When I can’t go to the bathroom without at least 3 children coming in to “tell me something”.

When I haven’t sat down at my computer for almost a week and have to do a marathon editing session until the wee hours of the morning to meet my deadlines.

 

I am maxed out.

 

I am on the edge of what I can juggle, and it is making me anxious about my kids getting older to ease some of the pressure.  BUT, in the same moment, I don’t want them to grow up.  I want them to stay little forever.

I hate that my goals for the future are pulling me towards discontented with my present!

I am a mom of 5 kids (that I adore when they aren’t fighting with each other) and I home school them.  My #1 struggle, is finding time to work.  Work on laundry, dishes (my nemesis), cleaning the house, keeping my kids slobbery at bay, editing, marketing, social media management, furthering my creative education, creating content, mentoring, creating workshops and even blogging from time to time.  I just about always have a baby on my lap, and I am swatting her hands away more than I am actually typing.  We also just moved out to our 17 acres of land where we will soon, be adding a bunch of chickens, a dog, and building our dream home to the list.

Nothing about my life is efficient.  I struggle every day with feeling like I am not being productive.

I am constantly in search of balance.  In theory, I should be able to set my alarm, get up, have some personal devotion time, work out, kids wake up, we eat, start school, finish school, have some play time, eat lunch, have quiet time (naps or reading) while I get some work done, run some errands, start dinner, hubby gets home, eat, family time, kids to bed, work a little more, go to sleep.

Let me tell you something.  Balance with kids isn’t possible.  You take whatever sliver of time they give you to work with.  Sometimes it’s a blissful hour with no one bothering you, but more often, you go 3 days without any time other than when you are sitting on the toilet trying to post something to Instagram with a baby simultaneously trying to dig through the trash.

“There is this beautiful thing called imperfect progress.

Slow steps of progress wrapped in grace.”

– Lysa Terkeurst –

I have learned that I am a whole lot better at achieving balance in my goals than in my life.  I’m not sure it’s even possible to tell you the truth.  Everyone talks about balance like it is something that is attainable, but either I am not wired that way, or it isn’t a reasonable goal.  What I have had to come to grips with, is that I can do, what I can do.  That’s it!  Most of the time that doesn’t line up with the timeline I want, but as long as I can make time to work towards my goals, (even if it’s just a little bit) it’s better than nothing.

I was sitting in church yesterday, and received a big dose of perspective.  So often in this culture of “pursue your dreams” and “self-care” I lose sight of the fact that it isn’t about me and what I want.  My purpose on this earth is not defined by what I think my dreams and goals are.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”

– Proverbs 19:21 –

Why is it so easy to lose sight of this truth?  It is His job to lead.  When I look back and see how far He has brought us, and how much He has blessed, and when He has protected, and the abundance He as provided, why in the world do I doubt his plans and timing?

My head and heart say to trust, but my anxiousness says that I don’t.

So I sit here typing…  Full of goals.  Homeschooling five kids on a farm with a husband who works hard for us every day and a photography business that I love.  This season of life I am in requires so much, and there is very little left over.

My advice?  Well…  All I know is that when I feel the pressure rising and that horrible mix of panic and frustration well up, it has helped me to take a little walk down memory lane.  To recognize and track my progress and His provision.  Because if I am being really honest with my self, the truth is that reaching my goals wont make me happy.  Neither will being recognized, winning the next photography competition, exploring my creative depths or even making a lot of money.  In my experience, happiness only comes when I have contentment in my heart.

 

I am NOT enough!

I can only do, what I can do, and strive for contentment while I wait.

He must provide the rest.

 

 

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Davis

Can you tell we had fun?  No seriously!  These 4 ladies were so full of joy and laughter, my face hurt from smiling by the end of their session.  It wasn’t the “polite” laughing either.  It was that laughter that comes from a deep seeded love that spilled over in to their hearts and bubbled out through their voices.

Often I hear it during a session.  I do my best to create situations that inspire genuine emotions, but to be honest, it gets harder and harder as the kids get older.  To have a 16, 10 and 8 year old show so much open love and affection for their mom, and to enjoy each other so completely, is gorgeous to observe.  It was such a privilege to document this special time in their lives.

This is a love worth documenting.

This is the beauty we never want to forget.

These are the moments our mama hearts cherish.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Chavez

Wana know what my FAVORITE part of my job is?  Getting to see those intimate gorgeous “real” moments in the “in between”.  Sure!  I do an awful lot of directing, prompting, suggesting, and I have been know to reach out and move someones head a bit with my hands to get it in the perfect spot. lol. but all of that is just leading up to the beauty.  The beauty is 100% not under my control.  The moments are 100% a reflection of something that is already there.  Unconditional love.

It’s breathtaking.

I never get tired of it…  After almost 5 years of photographing families and processing thousands of images, it is still my absolute favorite part.  Getting to see the kids light up when they look at their parents, and watching mom and dad’s hearts melt as they respond to the adoration their kids are lavishing on them.

It’s priceless.

This little guy just turned 1!  His mama wanted to document these moments to celebrate him and his world.  I honestly can’t imagine a better gift.  He won’t remember the party or the gifts, but these will be his memories that he gets to look back on.  Ones of family snuggles, daddy hugs, mommy kisses and a big brother that absolutely adores him.

It’s important.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Senior Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Cortelli

I absolutely love it when clients come back to me over and over again!

Two years ago, Mathew and Cindy drove their oldest daughter all the way down from North Carolina a day early (before Space Camp started) for me to take Rosie’s senior photos.  We had an amazing time and we all agreed, the photos turned out wonderfully!  I was over the moon when Cindy messaged me a few months ago asking if I had availability to fit Ava in to do her senior photos.

Let me just say this for a minute…  If you are willing to drive more than 4 hours to come and have your photos taken with me, I will MAKE time for you! lol. #justsayin

So of course, I got her on the schedule.  My first thought was “I need to make this EPIC”.  You see, I put her sister in to space…  lol.  No, really…  Check it out –> Huntsville Senior Photographer

Long story short, I came up with a “little something” and I really hope she likes it.  I love doing composite work from time to time and this was just a blast!

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Chitta

Goodness!  I have had the most amazing string of repeat clients back to back lately, and I am in complete heaven because of it!

There is NOTHING I take as a bigger compliment than for someone to go through a whole session with me, from the very beginning, (planning, prep, communication and styling) shoot the actual session, and then to the end, (editing, delivery, product selection and delivery) to then RETURN to me and do it again.  It communicates complete satisfaction in a job well done.  It is an investment in me and their appreciation and confidence in my work.  This job is so personal.  It is an expression of my heart and emotions for all the moments I wanted to make tangible with my own children, but was not able.

I want my images to be beautiful, yes…  But more than that, I want them to help you relive a memory, so personal, that only you posses it.  I want them to make you remember so well that you can smell their hair, hear their sounds, and feel their weight as you held them.  Because that is what it really is about right?  Photos hold so much value to us, because they enable us to make our memories tangible, so we don’t have to worry that the details and moments will be forgotten.

 

Three years later and they are now four. <3

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!

Huntsville & Madison Family Children Newborn Lifestyle Photographer Jenni M Photography – Webb

I have known this family for a good bit now, and had the pleasure of photographing Deb’s 2 girls and their families.  After 2 years, they have added even MORE adorable grand babies.  Deb recently realized how long it had been since their last family portrait, so she called me, and we set a date!

I absolutely love getting to see the same families over and over again.  I love watching them grow and change over time.  As the kids got out of the car, I could hear them yelling “Their here! Their here!!!” and the moment they were allowed, the cousins ran towards each other with hugs.  I couldn’t help but smile.  This family loves so well, and it is such a pleasure to make that love tangible for them.

I specialize in “Family” Photography (Children, Newborn and of course Families) with a lifestyle and fine art twist.  I love this style blend as it helps me focus on showcasing beautiful connections while incorporating the imagination of the every day magical moments.

Pricing questions?  Check out my packages! –> Packages

To book a session call (907-942-2358)
or email jenniMphotography@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you!