Category Archives: Columbus Ohio Portraits

Dreamy Hocking Hills Portrait Session

I had the great honor of traveling to Hocking Hills last spring with the one and the only Shannon Goode from GoodeBeauty. She asked for a romantic and earthy vibe for the photos, and I said: “I’ve got the place for you!” I love it when people are up for anything. Together we ventured to Hocking Hills and when we arrived, it couldn’t have been more spectacular. There was a low-hanging mist around all the trees giving a creamy and soft feel to the photos. I just loved the outfits that Shannon picked. Bright and beaming colors were such a nice compliment to the romantic, earthy setting. Shannon has a soft and relaxed demeanor which makes her a very calming and grounded presence to be around. She is strong, stunning, and basically a force to be reckoned with both in life and in the beauty industry. Not only has she been in the beauty industry since 1997, but she is also a founding partner of the Midwest Beauty Summit. She has done my hair on three separate special occasions and each time has blown me away. I always consider my hair to be very difficult to tame, and Shannon has had the most effortless way of making it look absolutely spectacular.

I am so thankful for our time on this day. It was so great to get to know her, talk about life and business, and shoot some beautiful photos. I love you Shannon and hope I get to have you in front of my camera again!

Downtown Columbus Engagement Photos

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What a stunning evening this was! I can’t get over how fun Bryan and Ryan are. Some of my past brides and grooms may recognize Bryan because he has been in the Columbus wedding and hospitality industry for years. When a fellow vendor chooses me to photograph their most important moments, it’s one of the highest compliments I can get.

One of the best parts of my engagement shoots is when pets are included! Bryan and Ryan have two adorable dogs who were very excited for their close-up. The sun was setting quickly, but wow the light did not disappoint. There were so many opportunities for golden hour lovey-photo goodness. Everything glowed like it was washed with golden honey. I especially liked some of the silhouettes we got against the dynamic Downtown Columbus sky.

We ended the engagement shoot at the Leveque Tower cheers-ing to the future in a big way! Little did we know late last year as we walked around the Scioto Mile talking and laughing, that this year would be so challenging. These two have unfortunately moved their wedding to 2021 because of this whole COVID-19 mess. I have now re-booked 8 of my weddings. My heart goes out to all those who are having their weddings delayed and rescheduled. Luckily, time moves so quickly and their wedding day will be here before we know it. Thank you so much, Bryan and Ryan and I cannot wait to get you back in front of my camera early next year! XO Jess

Bendora Wedding Gallery Wedding Photos

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Sarah and Rich were married a year ago this month but it’s never too late to blog a beautiful wedding! They held their intimate ceremony at the Bendora Wedding Gallery, which also happened to be a perfect backdrop for some indoor (and warm) wedding photos! Natural light flooded into the room and it felt like you were in someone’s personal home. I adored Sarah’s tea-length skirt that fit her like a dream. Rich and Sarah exchanged hand-written vows and shared a sand pouring ceremony with their kids. One of Sarah’s family members was even on FaceTime so they could see the ceremony. After they said their “I dos” the happy and tearful couple walked back down the aisle as husband and wife and were wrapped in hugs by all of their family that was there. It might have been cold outside, but there was so much love and joy in that room!

I can’t say enough good things about downtown Worthington for photos as well. We just walked around, smiled, laughed, and felt the sun on our faces. One thing about these two is their smiles are infectious and they immediately make you feel like you’re part of their family. Just as a general rule, I think people like this are the absolute best! After our portraits, we met at a local restaurant so the family could cheers to the happy couple before they all went to dinner.

Thank you, Sarah and Rich, for having me be part of this perfect day and cheers to your first year down as Mr. and Mrs.! XO Jess

Columbus OH Snowy Sessions

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Happy Snow day everyone! I have a new-found appreciation for the snowiest of days since my son is absolutely crazy about them! He literally started speaking in tongues this morning when he looked outside and saw the fluffy white stuff covering our entire backyard. It reminded of me of some of my other snow-loving clients who had their snowy portraits taken with me earlier this year. So many snowy snuggles and huge bursts of laughter. There were even some puppy kisses too!! I hope all of you are able to get outside today and build a snowman like we did. Or, just enjoy these winter nuzzles from the warmth of your home. XO Jess

Tartan Fields Engagement Photos

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When I first met Kendra, I felt like I was hanging out with the cool kid from school. She has fun hair and an awesome sense of style and self. Also, her middle name is Joy and just to be around her is to understand why. When I met Jacob, I felt like I was meeting a better-looking version of Prince Harry. They are both so laid back and easy to photograph together. They have a playful and loving way of interacting with each other.

Some of my brides might actually recognize Kendra, as shes a wedding and events coordinator for Tartan Fields. It’s actually where she and Jacob first met when he worked there as a golf instructor! So naturally, we started their engagement session on the golf course. Woods, wispy romantic grasses and two smiling faces, what’s not to love about this place. That mixed with some perfect lighting and I was in heaven! Speaking of perfect lighting, I adore having the opportunity to do a cool silhouette, and an embankment on the golf course provided the ideal opportunity. Big pillowy clouds offset against a bright blue sky were a stunning backdrop for these two. From there we went across town to German Village where everything was just the right amount of evening sun-kissed. I can’t wait for these two to say I do this November. Until then, I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them! XO Jess

Columbus Ohio Engagement Shoot at Franklin Park Conservatory

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One of the things I love most about being around Terri and Liza is they act like a new couple even though they’ve been together for years. Both of their faces just light up when they see each other. To have such a palpable love I think is pretty rare. It also made photographing them extremely easy.

We shot their engagement session at the Community Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory on the most beautiful September evening when the golden sun was low in the sky. The warm glow of the universe only made Terri and Liza that much more beautiful together. A couple of weeks later, these two tied the knot in an intimate German Village ceremony which I will blog about in the weeks to come. Until then, I hope you enjoy these as much as I did taking them! XO Jess

Columbus Coffee House Family Session

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Welcome to Babypalooza day 4!! I have been excited to share these photos since the day I took them. Alison and Mark have grown to be friends and I couldn’t wait to photograph their son Rhys as he turned the big ONE! This session actually turned into an all-morning hang-out session where we talked about everything from babies to life and got jacked up on way too much caffeine (basically my dream shoot). We started downtown at the Roosevelt Coffeehouse. For those of you who have never been there, they serve not only coffee but all sorts of coffee “mixed drinks” and flavored teas. As we sat and talked, Rhys loved to play with keys and make faces at his daddy. He just loved sticking his tongue out and it was so cute! His whole face would light up and he gives new meaning to the phrase “baby blues”. Gah, I love this age!

From The Roosevelt, we went over to The Joseph and had a mostly photodocumentary shoot of Rhys scurrying all over the place! He’s right at the moment of life before you can walk really well but you can crawl like a torpedo. Pretty soon there’ll be no containing him! I left this shoot feeling a natural high (In addition to all the caffeine). I feel so lucky to know these three and I can’t wait to watch as Rhys grows up and see how their family evolves. So without further ado, here is Rhys and his amazing parents!

Downtown Columbus Family Photos

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Babypalooza is in full swing- welcome to day 3 on the blog!!! I love this family and the shoot I’m sharing today. I photographed Kristin and David’s Via Vecchia wedding a few years back and to this day, I use those images in my sample albums. As it happens, life comes at you fast. Today, they have grown their family with two beautiful daughters.

I love this session for lots of reasons, but I think mostly it was so refreshing to have a family session downtown! I usually do family sessions in parks, but walking on the streets and having more of an urban backdrop made for a fun nontraditional collection! Parts of the building details even seemed to frame them in the first few you’ll see below. Kristen and David‘s two daughters are so sweet and charasmatic. They both have so much energy, charm, and spunk. And look at those sunglasses! Thank you so much, Kristin and David, for having me out this summer! It was so good to catch up with you both and see your beautiful family. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you all!

Park of Roses Family Photos

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Welcome to Babypalooza day 2!!!!

Today’s family is near and dear to me! I photographed Jess and Randy’s wedding a few years back. Since then, they have grown their family with the addition of their beautiful daughter Brooklyn.

Jess entered my “Celebrate Life” giveaway earlier this year and won a free family session! It was so good to see them again and I’m obsessed with the mommy and daughter matching dresses Jess picked out for her and Brooklyn! This day was no joke- it was well over 90 degrees outside. It was easily the hottest session I’ve ever photographed. So a huge thank you to Jess, Randy, and Brooklyn for bearing the heat with me. We made our way to the Whetstone Park of Roses. If you read my blog, you’ll know this is one of my favorite spots to do family photos. There’s a lot of variety and I have yet to see the park in any season where it’s not photogenic and beautiful. Brooklyn loved being tossed up in the air by daddy and twirl her dress for mommy. She has the sweetest face and cheeks you just want to nuzzle your face against. I’m so excited to show off these precious photos today!! Enjoy! XO Jess

Columbus Extended Family Session

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Welcome to the second annual Jessica Miller Photography Babypalooza week on the blog!! This year I’ve had the honor of photographing the sweetest families and I can’t wait to share them !! First up is a session that was almost like 5 mini-sessions rolled into one.

I knew there were going to be a lot of people at this extended family photo shoot so when I arrived I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. This family immediately made me feel so at ease and welcome. The whole session was a dream! They had the shoot on their parent’s property which was just a beautiful backdrop for the photos. We did one large family photo and then broke it down by each family. I even made sure to get some photos of just the parents together, as I feel like that’s an opportunity missed at most family shoots. Couples spend so much time thinking about the kids, it’s really nice to have a few photos (and moments) of just you and your significant other.

In all five family units, there were 9 grandchildren including one set of triplet girls! I was so impressed at how the kids were totally into getting their photo taken, as that can be a crap shoot sometimes.

Erin and Lindsay, thank you so much for having me out to photograph your incredible family!!

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