westfield Archives - Joan Marie Photography

NJ Dating Profile Photographer | Westfield, NJ

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

NJ Dating Photographer | Westfield, NJ

June 23, 2023

“There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

I heard from Howard today and realized that tomorrow will be ONE YEAR since we did his dating profile session! And he also just celebrated his ONE YEAR dating anniversary! If you are saying “wait, that doesn’t make sense. How did he have a one year dating anniversary BEFORE the one year anniversary of his dating shoot”, then you’re right! It doesn’t really add up!

But let me explain…Howard and I scheduled his shoot when he was still doing the online dating thing. In fact I think we started talking about scheduling something about 2-3 weeks before our scheduled shoot date. And when he showed up on the day of our session he confided in me that he had started dating a woman that he really liked. But you know what? That’s the thing about these shoots! When people contact me about dating profile sessions, what they have in mind is getting some good shots that they can use for their online dating profile. But every single time they leave with much more than that. These sessions are a confidence booster. It is an amazing feeling to have someone (me) completely excited about capturing YOU! Like the REAL you! Genuine and true and really having your personality shine through. And even though Howard had a really good feeling about the woman he had just started seeing, he went forward with our session. Because this was not just an investment in his dating game, but an investment in HIMSELF! And we had a great time!

I could write all about Howard and his likes and dislikes, but really I’m just super happy that he is still with the woman he met over a year ago. Because ultimately my goal for these sessions is to help people find love. And whether these pics helped with that or not is not important. But that he is happy and in a committed relationship, that’s what makes me happy.

Here are some shots from our shoot almost a year ago!

NJ Dating Profile Photography | Summit, NJ | Rahul

June 20, 2023

“Another one rides the bus”

If you know where those lyrics are from, then you are probably a fan of Weird Al Yankovik. Which means you’d probably have a great time hanging out with Rahul who has seen Weird Al multiple times! I thought that was an interesting bit to find out about him.

I always ask my clients if they could live anywhere, where would it be? Rahul’s answer? Toronto! And if he could choose between the city or the country he would pick the city. While he enjoys the beauty of the country, he is really drawn to the culture you find in the city.

When I asked Rahul what it is that makes him happy, he responded as I would imagine a psychiatrist would:

I mostly find joy in helping others feel better.

Imagine that!? A man who finds joy in helping others feel better. Rahul is generous and is looking for the same in his partner(s). He is smart, interesting, skeptical, and enjoys connecting on a deeper level. He even enjoys yoga and has experience with salsa dancing!

We had a beautiful day for our dating shoot and we even got to experience the 11AM Pack Walk with Wonder Dog Studio! Imagine turning a corner to see a sea of Golden Retrievers coming towards you!? It was so awesome and impressive!

Thank you Rahul for trusting me to capture YOU last week and I can’t wait to hear how things work out for you!

Dating Profile Session | Somerville, NJ

May 1, 2023

If I could have ANY job, I would love to own a candy shop…. you’re literally handing out “happiness” all day long… how could anything be better!?

I had a great time hanging out with Jason on an early weekday morning in Somerville, NJ! We were a little worried about the weather, but the sun showed up and helped us capture some awesome shots!

Jason has a demanding job, but he understands the importance of balance between work and family. He also is serious about finding the right person and was able to dedicate some time from his busy schedule to meet with me for our photoshoot.

While Jason’s job may be demanding, it is also extremely fulfilling. He is doing really important work that is quite literally changing and saving lives! But if he could have ANY job, it would be owning a candy shop so he could put smiles on other people’s faces. How “sweet” is that?!?

When I was younger I thought I had the right temperament to be a great doctor, but then I realized how much school was necessary! My current job brings me a lot of fulfillment and is rewarding.

I asked Jason what the last thing was that he wished for. His answer was the perfect amount of seriousness and humor, in my opinion. His initial response was:

I feel blessed to have my health, happiness, and a constant flow of opportunities coming my way to learn and grow. So, whenever I’m offered a chance to make a wish, I always say “I’m thankful for what I have, and I want nothing more.”

Which he quickly followed up with:

But I wish I could eat a pound of M&M’s a week and not get fat!! That’s my favorite candy by the way!

Jason has “the world’s most amazing 11 year old boy… he has no idea how much I love him”. But that’s not all! He also is the proud Dad to 3 pathos plants! He even named them! Gertrude (she’s a southern belle), Mariah (cuz she’s on fire!), and Suzanne. LOL!

I asked Jason what are the 3 most important things he is looking for in a partner.

Honesty, Trust, and Communication are essential for me.

Jason, I had a great time learning about you and exploring around Somerville. I hope you find your special someone <3 You may have to meet some frogs before you meet your princess!

So let’s get to the photos!

If you are interested in scheduling a dating profile session with me, fill out my contact form for more information!

The Senior Experience | Carly

April 14, 2023

Senior Sessions have my Heart <3

What can I say, I literally get the best of both worlds. I have the opportunity to take the first photos of your babies and then I get to take their last pics as kids before they move onto the next chapter of their lives and embark on their journey into adulthood. It is truly a very special experience I get to have and it is not lost on me.

Carly is one of the coolest kids I have had the opportunity to meet. We had a ton of fun at their Senior Session and just played around as the sun dipped down on the last hours of daylight. We did this session in March so it was actually a bit cold and windy that evening, but Carly didn’t mind and neither did I!

These sessions are really just fun hanging out, talking about their future, their dreams, their plans, dancing to music if we feel like it and me being their hype girl! That’s what these are all about! Capturing your child, their personality, THEM as they are today, in this very moment. I always find that they leave these sessions not only feeling excited about what their futures hold, but a sense of feeling empowered and SEEN! Isn’t that what we all want?

So even though we got a TON of amazing photos from this session, I am going to share the ones that I love the most.

Oh, and Carly also had a more “formal” portrait in The Studio beforehand. Those are also some of my most favorite shoots to do. It’s a new take on a classic shot. You can see some of those further down this page!

The Studio Experience

While I’m at it, let’s take a look at some of the awesome shots we got from the Studio portion of her shoot!