When your life long friend asks you to take pictures of her VERY special baby cousin, well, there is absolutely nothing better!  Meet baby A....she is 1 month old!  Typically I like my newborns to be 14days and younger, but that doesn't mean that they ALWAYS have to be that young!  This sweet girl ROCKED her session!!!  Her mama is a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so of course we incorporated some of my Harry Potter props (except that is mom's amazing wand!  I need to get one of those).  Newborns are always a special treat!  I love them, but getting to work with a family I have known since 4th grade is even more special!  It was so fun catching up!!!!

I was even able to capture a few awake smiles!!!  I love this image!  I seriously love my job!!!!

Mark your calendars, February 2nd is Valentine’s Day Minis! The set will be as shown above (there may be some slight changes, but this is the idea). These are ideal for the 8 and under child! $20 per kiddo includes 3 digital images! Email me today to book your time slot! These go fast!!!

Photography was a hobby in the beginning! I took tons and tons of pictures of my kids/dogs/nature, you name it! Then in 2011 it became the most amazing job in the entire world! In the past year, I have done a lot of self reflection, and one of the biggest things I have learned is that I need some non-work related hobbies! Those hobbies will enrich my life and help me to be a better wife, mother, friend, and photographer! So here are my top 5 hobbies!!

1. Knitting! I always say I just knit in straight rows, and don’t count! Hahaha. That is sort of true. I have made lots of blankets, some of which are more shaped like towels, but I am proud of each one! Recently, I made a newborn bonnet! I am pretty proud of that and am excited to use it at my next newborn session!
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2. Reading! I love to read! I read a LOT of inspirational books and self help books! They have been a intricate part of my self reflection! I take a little bit away from each book I read! Right now this is what I am reading, and I am loving it!!

3. Running. My love for running started in 2011! I have started and stopped my running a lot over the years, but 2018 is the year I have set some running and fitness goals! I run very slow, but I enjoy it so much!

4. Oh how I love all things Pioneer Woman! From her amazing and delicious recipes to all the adorable kitchenware, I am 100% hooked! I watch all her cooking shows over and over! I want to be her SUPER BAD!

5. My dogs. They literally drive me crazy, but are my two bestest friends! They can be found lying next to me while I edit....or barking at the fence at the stupid possums that run our fence at night! I have a million stories about these two, but I won’t bore you! I’ll just say that getting 2 large 100lb puppies was, well, interesting!


So that’s a little about me! Thanks for reading ❤️📷

When your morning consists of a face like this, you know your day is going to be epic!  This little man came to my studio Monday with his family!  He is the baby brother to an adorable big sister and the son of two of the NICEST people!  

I often get called the 'baby whisper', and that is seriously the HIGHEST form of flattery!  I don't really consider myself anything more than an expert baby snuggler!  I have a zillion tricks up my sleeve to get the babies to sleep that I have learned throughout the years, but the one that I think works the best is to make my studio ridiculously warm (like 90 degrees).  Baby's can't resist being warm and cuddled!  It puts them right to sleep!

Another little trick I use is wrapping!  I start every session with the baby wrapped up!  It helps them get into a deep sleep so that they stay asleep when I move them around! 

All babies have their own personalities and will want/need something to make them feel comfortable and content!   It is my job to figure out what they want and make sure their need is met when they are in my care!  I love the challenge and reward of working with these special little humans in the first 10 days of their lives!  It is something I never take for granted!!!

A few months back I was approached by a family to teach their daughter photography. I have NEVER fancied myself a teacher, but I love the thought of passing the love I have for photography onto another person, so I said, ‘sure’!

It is week 3 of her class, and I am loving every second of it! Mostly I love sharing in her enthusiasm for creating art! We meet once a week, share photos on a private Facebook group, and she has even come along on a shoot with me! It is so rewarding seeing her passion for photography grow with her continued knowledge in the art!

I felt very compelled to share this image with you! Pets are amazing to have at your family session! They always bring the best energy, and they always steal the show!!!! This pup gave me some of the most HILARIOS smiles! I know this family will love their images!

It was the first rainy day in a very long time. So I decided to grab a cup of coffee and sit in the front of my studio and watch it rain!

Catching raindrops fall is really fun! It typically takes a very high shutter speed to do this. So that means you’re going to have to compensate with either your ISO or your aperture. Luckily I have a really wonderful lens that always helps me out! The dots all over the front of this image or actually raindrops either coming down, or splashing back up.

I watch this little guy crawl across the floor for quite a while. I really wanted him to sit up and put his antennae in the air, but he never did! Guess I’m not going to be a professional snail photographer!!

The very coolest thing in the whole world is when your children show interest in your job. Andrew has been showing interest in photography lately. He wanted to learn how to paint with the light! So he did some research on YouTube and found a laser in our house. We went into the studio, turned all the lights off and created this cool image with just a laser and a long exposure on the camera. He’s going to take what he learned and apply it to the photography that he loves, car photography. I can’t wait to see what he creates!

Happy New Year!

Working with families is always so fun! But it is especially fun to work with them when they bring their beloved pets!

I have to say that my own dogs would have never behaved as amazing as their dogs! (I’m prettt sure my Lylah would go live in the forest with the coyotes!)

Getting everyone to look at the camera isn’t always easy (mostly for the humans) but the quick trick I use is usually a winner (think the sound of a screeching seal). They will only fall for it a few times, so you can’t use it to much, but generally it does the trick (at least for the humans)

A special thanks to Keri (my amazing assistant) for helping out with all the pups this day! She was definitely the dog whisperer while I shot the family!!!

FALL IS HERE!!!!!!  And you know what that means….

ANNUAL FALL PORTRAITS!


I still have LOTS of available session spots, so email me and I would love to get you on my calendar!

IS A MINI SESSION MORE YOUR STYLE???

I still have openings for my October 22nd AND November 4th mini sessions

The session fee is $175 and includes 5 digital images.  Sessions will be shot at Glen Arbor Park.  Email me for session time availability.


HALLOWEEN MINI SESSIONS:

October 20th just $20 per child

I had so much fun shooting all the adorable littles in their costumes, I decided to do it AGAIN!  I have some cute new props to use and can’t wait to see your kiddo in their costume!  I still have some session spots left, so email me for session time availability.

I can’t thank you enough for supporting my business!  If I have taken your picture recently, please consider giving me a review on my facebook page and YELP!!  Word of mouth is how my business is driven, so I appreciate all of the referrals you have given me!!!!  


As always, feel free to contact me with any questions!  I look forward to photographing your family this fall!

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​I have had some unexpected session times open up and want to give everyone an opportunity to book them at a discount!  It is the PERFECT time to get that Christmas card photo taken before the rush!  The openings are as follows:


October 7th at 3:00
October 8th at 3:00
October 8th at 5:00


These sessions are being offered with a $50 discount (session fee is $200 and includes 15+ digital images).  



**These are for new bookings only, no Black Friday discounts, gift certificates, or prepaid sessions.  Local Murrieta locations only.

Please email me if you would like to take advantage of one of these sessions!



PRINT SALE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am offering 10% on all orders placed until October 6th!!!!  Just use the promo code 10OFF at checkout.

*If you need your gallery reloaded, just let me know and I am happy to do that for you!

Thank you so much for all your support!  I can’t wait to see all of you this fall season!

Jennifer Hess
Whimsical Moments by Jennifer Hess
951-326-0704
Whimsicalmomentsbyjenniferhess@gmail.com