Lakeside Park in Ft. Wayne does not disappoint! And neither did Ally & her sisters! These girls are just stunning, with their joyful smiles! 
Seniors
Jordan Family + Hale Senior . Ft. Wayne IN Family Photographer, Columbia City IN Family Photographer, Midwest Photographer
Today I’m sharing the Jordan family at their beautiful historic home in downtown Columbia City! AND their oldest son, Hale’s senior portraits at a friends home in town. We did back to back sessions, Senior & Family, which ends up saving you $100, as opposed to doing two separate 1 hour sessions!
Story Family . Ft. Wayne IN Family Photographer, Columbia City IN Family Photographer, Midwest Photographer
I shot the Story family portraits on their property in Columbia City. We had beautiful sunlight through their mature trees, and their sparkling smiles just light up every photo!
They also chose to break up their session into 30 minutes of family photos, and 30 minutes of Weston’s senior photos. So you’ll see Wes’s individual shots sprinkled in throughout.
Wes is joining the Air Force next year so we did a few shots in his USAF shirt. I love these shots because they have his childhood home behind him, and his future on his chest. So meaningful!
Mini Sessions vs. Full Sessions . Ft. Wayne IN Family Photographer, Columbia City IN Family Photographer
I almost called this “Pro’s & Con’s of Mini Sessions vs. Full Sessions”, BUT it really just comes down to preferences. So I don’t want to say one way is BETTER than another way. It’s totally up to the photographer and client as to what they prefer. If you’re considering having your family portraits taken, this might be really helpful for you to find what fits your preferences best!
(Disclaimer: Every photographer is slightly different in how they price, shoot, and deliver their sessions. So this post is tailored to your experience with me specifically. This is how Valerie Joy Photography does sessions. But it may overlap to other photographers in various ways. I’d suggest clarifying with your photographer how they do things.)
Mini Sessions:
-Location is chosen by the photographer, not the client. Typically a themed session (Fall, Christmas, Snow, Sunflower field, Studio backdrop, etc.)
-Photographer chooses the dates that clients have to work around.
-$125. Lower total cost compared to Full Session. But not as good of a deal if you break it down per minute.
-15 minutes of shooting.
-Fast paced, to get the most photos during our time together. This naturally doesn’t leave much time for personal discussions, or breaks for fussy children. (It has happened that a child was fussy during their mini session, and the gallery was very limited because of that. If we’d had more time, we could have taken a break to have a snack, and I could have delivered a much larger gallery.)
-Approximately 30 images in final edited online gallery for download.
-Best for clients on a smaller budget, families with members who can’t make it through a full hour of shooting, clients who prefer multiple smaller sessions per year, or only want a handful of images for whatever reason.
(If you want to know when I offer Mini Sessions, be sure to follow me on Facebook & Instagram to see those announcements.)
Full Sessions:
-Location is chosen by client (based on photographer suggestions, if needed.)
-Client chooses the date and time which works best for them (within photographer’s availability, of course.)
-$250. Higher total cost compared to Mini Session. But a better deal if you break it down per minute.
-60 minutes of shooting.
-More casual pace, allowing kids to relax between poses, and photographer and client to get to know each other a little bit. This pace usually leads clients to be much more comfortable in front of the camera.
-Approximately 120 images in final edited online gallery for download.
-Best for clients who want a larger gallery with LOTS of variety to choose from, who want to have more of a say in when & where their session is, and who want an individualized, relaxing experiences.
If you’d like to book a Full Session with me, my favorite season for photos is almost here (FALL!!!!!) and my schedule fills up quick, so contact me ASAP!
Emma’s Senior Portraits . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Columbia City IN Senior Photographer
I’m so glad we could squeeze in Emma’s senior session while we still had some gorgeous leaves hanging on. We spent the evening at Lakeside Park, in Fort Wayne this week, and she just shines in these photos! What a beautiful lady!!
Ellenor Senior . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Columbia City IN Senior Photographer
Ellenor: Class of 2019!
Matea Park, Ft. Wayne
Jacob’s Senior Portraits . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Columbia City IN Senior Photographer
Jacob and I went to Foster Park for his senior session last week. Jacob would consider himself more of an athlete than a photography model, but I’m pretty sure no one can tell, because he did a great job listening to my instruction and together we created some super handsome portraits!
If you don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera, I want to reassure you that it doesn’t matter!! I am here to guide you through every pose. I want every client to know they can trust me to create beautiful photos, whether you know what you’re doing or feel a little unsure (like most of us do when the camera is pointed at us). That’s what I’m here for!! 
Jackson’s Senior Portraits . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Columbia City IN Senior Photographer
We went downtown in Ft. Wayne this weekend for Jackson’s senior session. He was so comfortable in front of the camera, that it made my job pretty easy! Thanks, man!
I pray you make the most of this last year in High School, Jackson! God Bless!
Karina’s Senior Portraits . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Sarasota FL Senior Photographer, Columbia City IN Senior Photographer
Karina has grown into such a beautiful, smiley, sweet young woman! I can’t believe she’ll be a senior in High School in a few short weeks! I met her when she was only 3 years old (as she’s my husband’s cousin).
She killed it at her session at Matea Park yesterday! She was hoping for flowers, and we found plenty! And then we ended the session splashing in a river. Super fun! Check out this gorgeous girl!
my “little” cousin isn’t so little anymore!
Mark’s Senior Portraits . Ft. Wayne IN Senior Photographer, Sarasota FL Senior Photographer, Warsaw IN Senior Photographer
Mark will be graduating with the class of 2018! What a handsome guy, right?
We got so lucky with the weather for this session! It was 50 degrees in early December!! And my favorite spot was a gorgeous row of bushes we found with lots of fall color still holding on!
(not his car…but YOU BET we posed in front of it, as if it was. 😉 )
