Author Archives: Joan Marie Photography

October 14, 2023

A Newborn Session with Sweet Mateyko

One month of sweetness <3

Sometimes mommas contact me after baby has been born to schedule their Newborn shoot. And while we (speaking for Newborn Photographers across the world) always recommend booking in advance, we understand that is not always what happens. Why? Well, because, LIFE! Life in general can be crazy and busy and overwhelming. Now throw in growing a baby in your belly and all the planning that takes place just to be prepared for the baby!

What’s the best age for a newborn shoot?

All Newborn Photographers have different thoughts on the “ideal” time to photograph a newborn. And the windows can vary greatly. Some don’t take on Newborns after they reach a certain age, like oh, I don’t know, over 2 weeks. And while that may sound crazy calling a 2 week old baby “too old”, the reality is that the photographer doesn’t believe they will be able to deliver the images that they would be happy with. So thank them for being honest with you and themself about it! It CAN get more difficult to do a newborn shoot as the baby gets older because they are awake more often and can be more difficult to pose.

Then there are also some photographers who legit don’t have any availability for a newborn session because they have a full calendar of shoots that were booked 6 months before baby was born.

But the good news is…there are a lot of us! Especially here in NJ! With various price ranges and packages and experience and props and equipment and training. There is no shortage of Newborn Photographers in NJ to choose from. 🙂

And I am so happy that I had availability on my calendar when this momma called me. I actually only take a number of Newborn Sessions a month so that I am able to accommodate parents who didn’t have a chance to book months in advance. He was just super adorable and so were his big sis and bro!

So Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you, this adorably handsome little boy Mateyko…

October 12, 2023

Capturing Leanne and Rich’s growing family in Scotch Plains NJ

I truly get so excited when one of my Mommas contacts me to let me know that they are expecting! Leanne is one of those mommas! I’m not sure if she feels the same way, but I genuinely feel like we have become friends over the years since she started coming to me for her family photos. It seems to happen that way. And it only makes sense since I literally get to celebrate the most important milestones with them! When you love what you do, and you have families who can see that and feel it in your energy, it really feels like such a complete blessing.

Rosanna Lynne

Do you want to hear the most adorable and sweetest thing you’ve ever heard??? Leanne and her husband, Rich, have a daughter named Violet who just turned 2 (check out her newborn session here or her cake smash from last summer here). She is a little sweetheart! When they were coming up with a name for their second baby, they decided on Rosanna Lynne. Leanne told me that Rich came up with that name because, are you ready? Because he wanted to have a LITTLE GARDEN!!! Are you KIDDING ME!?! How ridiculously cute is that??

Well Rosanna Lynne came earthside and we had such a beautiful session. Her mom owns a Pilates and Yoga Studio in Garwood, NJ called M Pilates and Yoga (go check them out!). And I’m telling you, Leanne is just so chill. I think she passed that on to both of her girls because they both were great with posing and letting me do my thing!

One day Leanne stopped by my studio and saw a backdrop that I was thinking about selling and she pointed it out and mentioned she would love to incorporate it in her session. Who am I to deny her of this!??! I was also probably looking for any reason NOT to sell one of my backdrops anyway LOL. I’m so glad I was able to use it in her session too!

Leanne, Rich, Violet and Rosanna – I love you guys! You feel more like friends than Clients and I am so grateful and thankful for you! I hope you love the images we captured and I cannot wait to get your album! XOXO

October 11, 2023

Recent Headshots!

I’ve been doing a good amount of professional headshots lately and I freakin’ love them! I have a variety of backdrop colors that I use for these sessions and I really enjoy playing with colors. One thing I’ve noticed I’m drawn to is how color choices can really enhance and pick up natural skin tones. I have always been interested in color theory and I really want to delve deeper into the power of color and how colors can compliment one another.

I consider my headshots to be a bit more artistic than what most people think of when they hear “headshots”. For me, there’s definitely more involved than having a camera. And I also think a headshot should capture your personality. That can be done in a number of ways. Your hair style, makeup, posing, outfit choice all work together to tell a story; the story of YOU! But another way we can do that is through COLOR! And that doesn’t mean that it has to be BOLD color. It can be subtle, monochromatic, feminine, soft, and of course it CAN be bold too!

While there are so many challenges with the world we are living in today, there are some things that I truly love about these times. We are more open minded and able to present ourselves in a more meaningful way through pictures. Humankind has always had a propensity for storytelling. It’s one of the things I love most about photography. It is a challenge for sure, but to be able to capture and tell a story through one single image literally gives me life. And I even strive to do that with my headshot photography.

Headshot Guides

I recently started sending out a professional headshot guide to my Clients to help them plan for their session. I think it is helpful to think about color and style choices of outfits for their session. But it also gives them the power to interpret it in their own unique way.

Another suggestion I give is to use Pinterest. Create a board and pin pictures of professional headshots that you love. This can help you see the types of posing, outfits, colors and composition that you are drawn to. Not only does it help them get inspiration and ideas, but it is helpful for your photographer! It gives ME inspiration. It gets me excited to work with you and capture you in a way that you are bound to love!

WIN – WIN!

So anywho, here are some of the headshots I’ve been doing recently. I put so much into my work and it really makes me feel so special that the photographs that I make for people could play an important part in getting them that next big promotion or job! I love giving people confidence and I’m telling you…a FIRE (yeah I have a teenager) headshot can give you a big confidence boost!

Want to know more?

Head on over to my headshot page to read more about my headshots and see the work I do!

September 21, 2023

Dating Profile Pictures

Lessons in Chemistry – or dating pictures

I had a blast with Mimi at her Dating Profile session a couple of weeks ago! We met up at a spot in Cranford, NJ that I had never been to. And it did NOT DISAPPOINT! We treated ourselves to coffee, tea and some danishes (cheese and almond…OMG!)! Lokal Coffee & Co is on Miln Street just on the outskirts of the downtown area and conveniently located with ample parking. I am a big fan of Moody and they have an amazing mural on the wall that added the perfect amount of interest to our profile pics!

Mimi is smart, funny, adorable and FUN! I usually have my Clients bring some “props” to our shoot and Mimi brought the coolest little foldup bike that fits right in her car! I had never seen one of these before and it is a must for someone who lives in a city and likes to bike! All about the space saving!

Mimi doesn’t have any pets, but she loves dogs and “tolerates cats” HAHA! One of my favorite answers from Mimi’s questionnaire was in response to my question asking “what brings you joy?”. Mimi answered:

Seeing unadulterated, of-the-moment joy in other people, or animals, like when smiles spread across the faces of young children at my antics, or watching off-leashed dogs chasing after balls. Their joy is so infectious that I can’t help but be joyful as well.
Mimi

Another question I ask on my questionnaires is “who is your hero and why”. These answers always get me. Mimi answered that her hero was…

Nelson Mandela: for how he led his country and his people (black and white) out of apartheid (with minimal violence) and into fully representative democratic elections; and for retiring from the South African presidency after one term.
Mimi

There are so many great qualities Mimi has to offer, but if you want to know more, you’ll just have to ask her yourself! I promise you’ll have fun with her! Here are some of the pics from our session. You can find more of my dating profile sessions here.

September 8, 2023

“Jersey Girl for LIFE!”

Time is once again getting away from me and I am realizing that I haven’t blogged about some of the best shoots I’ve had this Summer! The dating profile session I did with Ali was nothing short of AWESOME!

When Ali first reached out to me she was on the fence about doing a dating profile session. I get it. Believe me I do! Would we be able to get enough variety, could we capture her personality, could we REALLY get enough material in the one hour session to yield 5 unique images that are included in the package? My answer is always a resounding YES!

Questionnaires

I think part of this can be credited to the questionnaire that my Clients fill out. I don’t know what it is, but I really find it helps me connect with the individual and almost know them personally before we even meet. The questions I ask aren’t only for MY benefit, but I think they help get my dating peeps in the right mindset and remembering who THEY are and not so much who they want to meet. I think that’s really important! We all have something to offer and we need to remember that. But it also helps us to come up with outfit ideas and “props” for the shoot. These are simple things that can really create a completely different look and feel!

When Ali and I first spoke she mentioned wanting to give 80’s vibes in her dating profile. I loved it and I had the best idea! Let’s turn one of the images into a polaroid with some cool prism like colors overlaid on it! I knew right away we were on the same page! And that was confirmed once again when I read her answers to the questionnaire. She is a really freakin’ cool girl!

Ali and I originally planned on meeting at Van Gogh’s Ear in Union only to find out the day of that it was CLOSED! But, we go with the flow and we pivot! PIVOT!!! (Friends reference ;)) And I really believe that these things do happen for a reason and when you go with the flow, it all works out in the end! We ended up at a cute little spot in Westfield called Reeve’s Smoothie Cafe. We got the Berry Betsy and it was delicious!!

So let’s get right into it! Here is a little bit more about Ali <3

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy gardening, playing chess, dancing, running, checking out new restaurants/going cruising in the car.

What are the 3 most important things you’re looking for in a partner?

(Ali listed five LOL!)

Fun
Kind
Good conversationalist.
Loves/ed his mother.
Sense of Humor

Favorite book? (this was a good one…she listed some of my own personal favorites.)

I have a couple books I enjoyed reading. The Alchemist, The old man and the sea, The Four agreements.

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Coffee and hugs!

So yeah, now you can see why I think Ali is so cool! One of my favorite answers she gave was whether or not she has any strange or unique talents. She made me promise that I wouldn’t include her answer here…so if you want to know what it is, I guess you’ll just have to meet Alide for yourself! HAHA!

Ali – I had so much fun gettting to know you! I know that you will meet someone who is worthy of you because you are true to yourself! Best of luck!! XOXO

View More Dating Profile Sessions

September 4, 2023

I’m still Joni from the Block – BLOCK PARTY, that is!

If my sons read that or knew that I used that in a blog post they would tell me how cringe I am. LOL, oh well! I will wear it proudly!

This Saturday is the first East 2nd Street Block Party in Scotch Plains! I’m super excited to be participating in it along with a bunch of other local businesses! There is even going to be a car show! I never had that official tape cutting Grand Opening for The Studio so while it has been so exciting getting that space, it was also pretty anti climatic! HAHA! So I feel like this Saturday will be a great opportunity for me to meet people and the other business owners that I haven’t had a chance to meet yet. I’m a Fanwood resident so not only is this where my business is, but it’s my COMMUNITY.

I know that some of the businesses will be offering things from their establishments, but I am a Portrait Studio so it’s a little bit different. I AM thinking about doing a fun selfie station (think pink), having photographic prints available for purchase, maybe even do a raffle? But I am excited to show my face and also talk about the services and products that I offer which make me different than other photographers.

To read more about The East 2nd Street Block Party and the participants, click HERE!

September 3, 2023

Where my Seniors at??

So I don’t know about you, but I’m just going to come right out and say it. High School Seniors today are WAY cooler than when I was a Senior! From the makeup to their taste in style. They seem so much more grown up looking than I did in the goofy picture that I have to remember my Senior year.

Maybe that is part of the problem? Photography has evolved so much since I was 17! Like there was only one way of doing Senior portraits. Put on an outfit that is SO NOT who you are as a person, go lean up against a tree in a weird way that you would never do in real life, and smile akwardly at some random dude you’ve never met or talked to in your whole life as if this is all natural. Ugh! NOPE! Hard PASS!

And when I THINK back to my Senior year, I have GREAT memories! Memories of my friends, my favorite band, the sports I played, my family <3. THAT’S what we should have captured in my Senior Portraits! Me wearing my favorite pair of jeans and my favorite hippie band shirt! That’s who I was! THAT’S the person that I remember, and it surely is NOT the person I see in those Senior Portrait photos I took and that my parents paid ALOT of money for!

What makes my Senior Portraits stand out?

What I do for my High School Seniors is much different. It’s not just about taking pictures. It is about TRULY connecting with them. Listening to them. I want to learn about the UNIQUE person that they are and I want to capture the REAL them! It is an EXPERIENCE. Not only do we have a great time during our shoot, but we all leave on cloud nine, feeling confident, seen, heard, loved and valued. I swear, I am not exaggerating! It is a major feeling of empowerment! I think EVERYONE should experience this!

I invite Families to come and join in for a family portrait, encourage my Senior to bring a bestie along for the experience and a portrait of the 2 of them. Because THESE are the things that matter.

So why invest in a High School Senior portrait session? Because it only happens once. And it is a HUGE milestone for our babies! They are about to set off onto the next phase of their lives, whatever and WHEREVER that may be! It is exciting and new and these images help us encapsulate the NOW.

Model Call Opportunity!

I am currently looking for 12th graders to do a model call for an upcoming promotional shoot. The dates are TBD, but I am looking to schedule 1 or 2 dates in September. Each child will have about 10 minutes in front of the camera and will receive 4 files that they can share on social media. But that’s not all! The models that we select will also receive $100 off of a full Senior Session!

Do you want to apply for our model call? Do you know a High School Senior who would be interested in this opportunity? Please share and click the link below to apply:

CLICK HERE

August 26, 2023

Pet Portrait Special

In honor of National Dog Day, and the 1 year anniversary of my pup’s “gotcha day”, I will be offering a Pet Portraits Promotion for the month of September!

$99 Pet Portrait Sessions!

These will be 15 minute professional portrait sessions of your pup. Includes 1 8×10 and matching digital file. Gallery reveal and image selection will take place immediately after with the option to purchase additional products. That’s over $300 in savings! Check out some of my pet portraits HERE!

BOOK NOW!

July 10, 2023

Studio Newborn Photography Session in Scotch Plains

We had a great Newborn Photography Session in my Scotch Plains Studio! Not only do I have the honor of photographing these precious little babies, but sometimes I get to photograph my own cousins! This is Finbar Toughey. My littlest cousin. He may be a 2nd cousin or 1st cousin twice removed, or some sort of version of a cousin that I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around, but HE’S MY COUSIN! 🙂

Hannah and Stephen came with their little Vivian from NYC for their Maternity session and came back once Finbar was born for their Newborn session. I do Maternity as an add-on for my booked Newborn clients (incase you were wondering). And Hannah had some ideas and inspiration for her Maternity session which I love. Because it is a collaboration after all.

They are the sweetest little family and I will cherish the time we spent together capturing the new life they have built with one another!

June 30, 2023

Communion Photography

This is a little story about an event I did for communion photography. This post is kinda personal. I don’t like to talk about religion. I believe everyone has a right to believe what they want. I was raised Catholic. I went to public school my whole life, but ended up at an all girls Catholic high school, The Academy of St Elizabeth, when I was 14. Going from knowing no one and having no friends, feeling lost and sad and angry, to meeting some of the most amazing girls (now women) that I will ever know. Some of my best friends to this day are girls that I met in my four years at this small and tight knit school. I am by no means a deeply “religious” person, but I am spiritual and I LOVE my St E’s girls.

My friend Lauren

One of the girls I met was Lauren. Lauren was younger than me, but we both played softball. Age didn’t really matter much once you crossed that sports line. Our teams were like family and we really genuinely cared about each other. Lauren was a hell of a pitcher too, so she had that going for her 😉

Years later (not telling how many LOL) and Lauren reached out to me for family Christmas photos. When I met her 2 girls I immediately fell in love! They were little fire crackers! And seeing Lauren was like a sweet memory of being young again. Now it’s 2021 and her older daughter was making her Communion. I was lucky enough to be able to come and document the reception. Lauren’s family is pure and loving and genuine and real and sweet and I honestly feel like another one of the family when I am around them. So I was so happy when she asked me to do their communion photography.

Sweet Papa

But one of my favorite memories of this day was Lauren’s Papa. He was the same age as my Grandma and had this twinkle in his eye. The love that poured out of him when he looked at his family was literally tangible. And I caught it that day. The way he looked at Lauren’s daughters, the way he looked at Lauren. I caught it. This is what I live for…

Lauren recently lost her Papa. I recently lost my Grandma. They were both in their late 90’s. So when I saw her share that he had passed away I immediately understood her sorrow. We were so lucky to have these strong and important people in our lives for so long. To have our kids know their Great Grandparents is such a gift. And while we understand how lucky we are, it is still such a deep loss. Maybe BECAUSE of all the time we had with them.

The Meaning of Communion

So when I write this and share pictures from Giuliana’s Communion, the definition of Communion holds so much more meaning. “The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” I’m sharing the communion of the day I captured with Lauren’s family. I am letting Lauren know that I love her and I am so grateful for her and for the honor to be able to capture these special moments in time for her and her family.

Lauren I am so sorry about your Papa. I met him ONE time that I can remember. Who knows, he may have been at some of our softball games! But he was special. I felt it. I saw it. And you were so lucky to have him in your life. XOXO

All the love to my SEAster, Lauren and her amazing family <3

Here are some photos from 2021. Next time I won’t be 2 years behind on blogging and will share pics from Olivia’s Communion soon!