Summer & Dustin are the kind of couple that make me pause to thank my lucky stars that I get to meet and work with such amazing people…

Summer is incredibly sweet, laid back and radiates a gentleness about her.  And I love her name….

As I was editing, my mind wandered thinking about how having a name like Summer can potentially shape you in the way others perceive you.  I mean, practically everyone loves summer…  It reminds you of going to the beach, flip flops, sand between your toes, dark sunglasses, fresh produce, summer blooms, BBQs, pool parties, a refreshing tall glass of strong iced tea or an ice cold bottle of beer beautifully beading up on the coaster next to you on a lazy hazy summer’s eve.  Memories of summer vacations long or not so long ago…  In the end I thought to myself “Summer” is a pretty darn nice name to have.  By just having the name I bet she inadvertantly causes others to recall wonderful memories pretty much everywhere she goes.  How awesome is that?  And the more you get to know this beautiful woman, the more you find how perfectly the name suits her warm personality.  Oh and Summer is a 3rd grade Teacher.  So double awesome for being a teacher (I love teachers!) and triple awesome for having your vacation be your name!!!

Dustin is rad!  Like Summer he is gorgeous and in addition to that he is also funny, easy to talk to & get along with, simply adores his wife, works really hard and is financially responsible!  (I know, odd thing to throw in there but that is a pretty radical trait in my opinion!).  Dustin is the Principal at a Boy’s School which I imagine can have it’s challenges, although being a giant probably helps keeps kids in line.  (Yes I know, I know… compared to me everyone is a giant…)  They are just a perfect couple.  And back to the name thing… Dusty Summer Rose for some reason randomly pops into my head.  So oddly, I also have a color associated with this couple.  Weird, yes I know I can be…

So onto the photos… Well… just be prepared to fall blissfully in love with these 2…  This couple can not produce anything but gorgeous.  And in just a couple of weeks a tiny bundle of gorgeousness will soon bless their hearts & their home… I am so excited for you both!!!

And sweet Summer, got 2 messages from her letting me know these made her cry (in a good way though!).

-Grace

East Berlin Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Beth & Bob are an amazingly sweet couple who come off very doting on each other and even more so on the precious baby girl that will soon fill their lives with heart melting sweetness.  I can just imagine how much their cheeks will hurt from the millions of smiles they will have to endure and how much their hearts will ache from swelling 10 times their normal size over and over again.  What wonderful symptoms to look forward to!

 These were done especially for Beth & Bob, and of course sweet baby K.  And wow did they just BLOW me away with the strength of the emotions that come through these.  The images are both subtle and intense, intimate and mysterious and above all else, deeply beautiful and filled with love…

Grace

Duncannon Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

I first learned of Jessica back in early December when her Sister in Law called to order a Gift Certificate for her & her husband to go towards an Expectation Session.  It has been on her wish list.  “Oh how cool!”  My curiosity started building then.  And being a very curious person, of course I asked a bunch of questions as I tried to piece together this mysterious Jessica in my mind.

I learned she loved art in a variety of forms but in particular photography & music (I adore artists!).  I also gleaned that this was a very special pregnancy for the couple, I didn’t know the details but I sensed the greatness behind this particular milestone for them.

The New Year came and in January I got a call from another one of Jessica’s relatives, her sister, who called to purchase another gift certificate for the mysterious Jessica & Erik…  My curiousity doubled, I asked even more questions, when was she due?  What was she like?  “She loves art, photography & music….”  I reminded her to pass along to Jess to be sure to call me and I gave her the suggested time frame.   And I waited, wondering what she would be like, what her husband Erik would be like, the story behind their journey to now… 

Then finally!  I get the phone call!  It is the one & only Jessica, or Jess!  And then I think I said (a little too excitedly) something to the effect “Hi Jessica!  I have been eagerly waiting for your call!  I finally get to speak to THE Jessica!”.  We spent some time chatting and I greedily asked lots of questions which she enthusiastically answered.  As she revealed some of her personality, her interests, her loves and talked about her husband, their amazing journey into parenthood and the excitement they share over the baby they would soon meet, I felt more and more drawn in.  From her wide and surprising range of musical taste, her love of installation art (which she gladly explained to me), the story of how her & Erik met and some details into their opposite personalities and more… I was engrossed & inspired…

I get an e-mail a day or 2 prior to the session that Jess will be bringing her ukulele and a “music” throw that have been with the couple for 17 years.  I just smile and feel completely refreshed…

I don’t know if this explains it quite accurately but Jess is like a shooting star.  Her glow is powerful in it’s radiance and she leaves a trail of brilliance behind whereever she goes.  Her energy and love of life is infectious, it is hard to not smile around her.  Erik is just as amazing but in his “oppositeness”.  He is much more subdued in his ways.  However through the subtlety of his expressions, gestures and interactions with Jess you can clearly see his great pride, admiration, joy and love that he feels for his wife and their precious baby boy that she carries within her.  Their opposite personalities make 2 perfectly fitting puzzle pieces and I could not imagine a more perfect pairing.

I had one of the most refreshingly fun and wonderful times with Jess & Erik.  It was almost effortless to photograph them.  And inbetween shooting we all just talked and talked and talked…  And by the time they left I thought to myself, “Wow, their son does not know how lucky he is going to be”…

You can tell when I have been particularly struck by people, I start to go off rambling about things…  So I will force myself to stop short here before it turns into a novel… for more of Jess & Erik please click on the image below.  Prepare to feel the love!

Okay so you thought I would stop there (I did too!), oh I am so tricky!  So I did some research on installation art.  And WOW.  WOW….  WOW…. WOWOWOW!  Imagine not only just thinking outside of the box with art but completely blowing up the box, picking up the pieces of the box, gluing it to the outside of another box which is completely filled with fireworks, and then shooting that box into space so that it lands in the path of a comet which then smashes it into beautiful smitherines!  It is almost hard to really define so below are some links to some artwork I found that falls along the realm of installation art. 

Falling Garden

Stained Glass Art House

Popsicle Sticks

Urban Light

Trash into Art

Daniel Firman’s Elephant

What you can do with Thread

BTW did anyone see the “Up” house on the news recently? 

Thank you Jess & Erik for the mind & soul expansion.

~Grace

Harrisburg Modern Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

I could not be more floored with the results from Diane & Jon’s Expectation Session!!!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE love love love LOVE love love LOVE LOVE THEM!!!!!!

I had such a great time working with and especially getting to know Diane & Jon.  They are so unique in such a refreshing and uplifting way and if I could pick just 1 word to describe them it would probably be “free-spirited”.  (Okay maybe I just cheated and used 2 words with a hyphen.)  Anywho…

Diane & Jon have known and loved each other for a very long time, but you would not know it by being around them because they still exhibit the qualities that you find early on in love that usually temper with each passing year…  They dated on and off starting from High School at 15.  Diane recalled for me the times in high school where she would copy Jon’s homework and he would let her

Diane is super sweet, fun, funny & vibrant!  I loved that she brought COLOR for their outfits.  Diane is in the Army and serves as a Nurse caring for wounded officers that return over seas.  She recently returned from a year deployment.  A YEAR!  That seems like such a long time to be away from someone you love.  This is one of the cases where I am certain that distance makes the heart grow fonder.  They had a Wedding planned which had to be postponed when Diane got orders to deploy.  Not growing up in a Military environment, this seems so insane to me to. I could just imagine myself…  “Oh no they didn’t!”.  But Diane & Jon are the type of couple who have the strength & flexibility to easily handle this. 

Jon initially appears to be somewhat of a walking contradiction.  Diane sweetly described him as just a tiny bit “Crunchy Granola” which surprised Jon.  And I was surprised too when Jon walked in suited up all dapper and looking more like Mr. Wall street instead of Mr. Crunchy Granola.  By day he is a Financial Advisor at M&T Bank and when he is not working he is either skiing or thinking about skiing.  Jon is a huge ski fanatic!  He pulled up some incredibly breathtaking photos on his phone to show me some of the mountains he has hiked in order to ski down.  I am talking locations no ski lift will take you, above the clouds, 6 hour hike to the top of the mountain type views that would make a professional landscape photographer drool 20 inch icicles.

I also wanted to mention, Jon’s Grandfather played for the Boston Red Sox, so the entire Family is of course HUGE Red Sox Fans.

So I had such a hard time narrowing down my favorites for this set of sneaks too…  (This set has 15!) 

So how does this much deliciousness happen?  It is a combination of premium ingredients, the most important ones being Diane & Jon.  Who may just be one of the coolest couples I have ever had the pleasure of working with!  They were both incredibly laid back, awesomely funny, and head over heels smitten with each other!  (Not to mention GORGEOUS!)

Add to that the amazing Professional Hair & Make Up artistry of Jacqueline Malocu of Mark of Elegance Salon & Spa.  (YAY!!!!!  I always LOVE working with Jackie!!!)  And she did NOT dissappoint, she glammed up this gorgeous Mama-to-Be to the point all of our jaws had to be picked up off the ground.  Jon actually arrived shortly after I started shooting Diane and I don’t think he stopped smiling =)  I made sure to mention that they definitely should plan to go out to a nice dinner after the shoot.  (You just can’t get all glammed up like that and then go home right after the shoot…).  Jon took his lovely lady out for a romantic dinner at Briccos!

And the Pickle jar, their idea, love it!!!

And Diane was so sweet, she came to the session bearing a gift for Jackie & I!  A bottle of wine “Because everything is more fun with wine!”.  How awesome is this woman???  Thank you!  I enjoyed it the most

Okay I know, I know, shut up already Grace, sheesh!

Camp Hill Modern Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Okay I have an AMAZING set of Expectation Sneak Peeks coming up tomorrow but I wanted to share a few “Behind the Scenes” shots taken in preparation for that post.  Specifically the Hair & Make Up portion.

I think in most cases when I bring up the option of having hair & make up done professionally prior to a photo session, it takes most women by surprise.  I absolutely love it when the surprise is immediately followed by a tinge of excitement as I can tell they are considering the possibility as something they find intriguing or definitely a service they are interested in!

However many women do turn it down because it falls outside of their normal routine.  And while this is a natural reaction, it is important to remind yourself that if you are getting Professional Photos done, more than likely it is not because you are celebrating something normal & regular.  More likely you are getting Professional Portraits done because you want to celebrate a very special moment or milestone in your life.  So why hold back on treating yourself?  The results are undeniably AMAZING…

I have been offering & recommending the professional services of Jacqueline Malocu of Mark of Elegance Salon & Spa since this past fall to my Clients, and I cannot begin to express how much I LOVE working with her and the results she creates for my Clients.  And as much I can be heard going on and on about how amazing her work is, I promise it is not because I get some sort of kick back.  My reward comes in the time I save editing & retouching and the resulting gorgeousness that follows the amazing work created at the hands of Jackie. 

So lets say you are likely the type to say “Hmmm, no, I don’t think that is for me.”.  If the hold back is simply because it is outside of your normal routine here are some things I have observed for those who say “Yeah, sure, that sounds like a great idea!”

• If you are imagining Glamour Shots, gross, please don’t…  Your look is tailored to look as natural or as dramatic as you feel comfortable with.  The focus is primarily to even skin tone, add a little contouring & color to the cheeks, hide blemishes and accentuate eyes.  That can result in a very natural but flawless look or you can have Jackie increase the volume for more drama.
• Your Hair & MU is conveniently done at our Studio or On Location prior to your session and usually takes under 1 hour.  Jackie’s fee includes travel to our Studio.
• Jackie has over 20 years of experience in Hair & Make Up and owns Mark of Elegance Salon & Spa in Millerstown.  She specializes in Weddings & Commercial Production Hair & MU. 
• I love that she not only knows how to create a beautiful look, but more importantly that she knows how to create a beautiful camera-ready look.  There is a difference, sometimes HUGE.
• Jackie is undeniably fun to talk to and to hang out with!  And in her head is an encyclopedia of tips for styling and if you listen, watch & ask questions you will walk away learning some great practical styling tips.
• It is a pampering experience!  You feel like a star as you are bathed in her pro light set up while she expertly applies your make up and does your hair to bring out your best features.
• You will be air brushed.  (Yes it is a real thing!)
• Feel free to bring photos of the hair & MU look you would like to achieve.  You saved those fashion & beauty magazines for a reason, now use them!
• As long as her schedule allows, Jackie often will stay for at least 30 minutes during the session to help style and keep a watchful eye on things to ensure everything is in perfect place.  She is a true professional and takes her work VERY seriously!
• 2 words “False Lashes“!  Even if you have never tried them (or tried them but without success).  If you ever been curious about them, get them you won’t regret it!  Jackie will apply them so they look perfect and you and everyone else will fall head over heels at how AMAZING you look!  (And most people will have no idea it is the lashes!)
• Clients truly feel like a million $$ afterwards and will often exhibit a HUGE boost in confidence after their look has been completed.  It is as if an inner Super Model, Movie Star or Rock Star has been unlocked and has decided to make their debut.  The change in confidence is significant and that confidence translates right through to the camera. 
• Perfect for Senior Sessions, Couples, Expectation Sessions, Family Portraits, Individual Portraits, Professional Portraits & Boudoir
• Cost ranges from $60 for shorter than chin length hair, to $100 for longer hair.  Some looks may cost more depending on the amount of work and time needed to create the look.  An additional $25 for false lashes.  Tipping is at your discretion and I encourage it, she is worth it!

Before & After with lashes (all images in this post have been left unretouched)

Thank you Diane for allowing us to share these behind the scene glimpses!  And be sure to visit tomorrow to see the results from Diane & Jon’s INCREDIBLE Expectation Session.  Super amazing couple and one of my favorite Expectation Sets!  I can hardly contain myself over them!!

Grace

Central PA Modern Portrait Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Jess & Nicki have been best friends since high school.  And even as careers, marriage, children and life eventually took over their adult lives (at practically the same times for both), they still remain very close.  As a gift for her best friend who is expecting her 2nd child and 1st girl, Nicki got Jess an Expectation Session!  Nicki is just so sweet like that!  (I photographed Miss Nicki this past summer and was blown away by her amazing inner & outer beauty. )

So as she described her best friend Jess and their friendship, I just imagined how much fun they had back in high school when life was probably less complicated and a lot more fun.  One of the great benefits of staying friends with someone you were so close to in High School is the ability to magically & deliciously feel 16 again, just talking to that person over the phone (and sometimes in person too depending on how many years have past =) )  It is a priceless thing…

Jess came flanked by her BFF for support, (YAY!) and was just stunning!  A complete bombshell!  And those eyes…  I probably weirded her out as I found myself studying them a few times for just a couple of seconds too long   But I couldn’t help myself, Jess’s eyes were mesmerizing.  The edges of her irises were darker and the centers were just light enough to have the perfect amount of contrast to make a person stop in their tracks to admire them.  I am sure she get’s it all the time

If I can describe Jess in 1 word I think I would choose “Bubbly”.  She has this amazingly effervescent, care free personality that is full of energy, sass, flirtatiousness & giggles.  I usually favor more towards the dramatic & introspective feeling shots during Expectation Sessions, but with Jess I found her bubbliness to be so present that we just went with it.  And the results were spectacularly and uniquely all Jess.

For more fun, gorgeous & sassy images of this beautiful Momma, click on the image below!

Grace

Duncannon Maternity & Pregnancy Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Diane is a gentle soul of a beauty who wanted to celebrate her pregnancy with beautiful Expectation photos.  She had every intention of doing them when she was pregnant with her son Oliver, however Oliver was much too eager to enter the world earlier than expected.  So Diane’s 2nd chance came with the expectation of another little one, and wow how lovely she is in all of her glowing preggo-ness!

Diane’s handsome Husband (who is also an awesome Daddy) Bradley & son Oliver also took part in these Expectation Portraits as well as some Family Portraits.  I love the dynamic of their Family.  The warmth and love came so easy and radiates through their photos together. 

I have to say Oliver is one super cute little 3 year old!  Not only is he cute he is so fun, charming and easy going!  And he reminds me of a free-spirited California Boy with his beautiful long golden hair and his sunshine personality!

For more warm & fuzzy photos of this amazing Family please click on the image below!

Special thanks to Jacqueline Malocu for her Hair & Make Up Artistry and her Styling and Assistance during the session!

Hair & Make Up provided by Jacqueline Malocu of Mark of Elegance Salon and Spa

Duncannon Maternity & Family Portrait Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Laura is a walking advertisement on why Yoga does a body good.  At a couple of months away from delivery she looks beyond STUNNING!  Laura has a demure and mysterious quality about her that I felt really translated through her film. 

BTW these are a surprise for the hubby… so if you know them both keep your lips sealed until after Christmas!  Hubby’s gonna flip!!!   Shhhhhhhhh =)

For more of this glowing beauty please click on the image below!

And off the subject if you look through the slideshow, check out her unique custom Wedding ring.  So uniquely beautiful!  Just like Laura…

Mechanicsburg Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

Laura is WOW!  She makes pregnancy look so incredibly amazing!

This petite bombshell of a Mommy-To-Be is due in about 7 weeks yet there were times I had to request she push her belly out a little more =)  Her secret… Yoga!  (And of course I am sure her genes help too)

Laura wanted some simple portraits to remember this special time.  And in just a short (and super fun) mini session we captured these and several more…  Enjoy!

Camp Hill Maternity & Pregnancy Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography

It chokes me up a little to imagine the long emotional journey Dana & Randy have gone through to get to this very special place they are at now.  It is a personal miracle that deserved to be documented with a set of images that represented their love, joy, beauty and intimate emotions that surrounds their Expectation.

I met with Dana for a pre session consultation and was immediately struck by her vibrant & beautiful personality, beauty and passion in life.  We discussed ideas, looked over images and I got to know what kind of artistic photography spoke to her.  I was thrilled to find she was open to ideas in celebrating her stunning pregnant form and just as super excited about the session as I was.  Her husband Randy is Firefighter and it was important to incorporate this into the imagery. 

I spoke to Dana yesterday after she saw her final set of proofs and I have to say my face hurt from smiling after talking to her.  To say the least I think her & Randy were very happy with the results =)  Thanks so much Dana for making my smile muscles work so hard =)

For more beautiful Expectation photographs of this gorgeous couple, click on the image below.

Mechanicsburg Maternity Photographer | Grace Lightner Photography