In control on the ground and in the air...
My name is Jess. I am not only a photographer, but also a pilot. If you are getting portraits done for the first time- I got you covered! Being a pilot as well as a photographer, I am good at thinking on my feet. It is my job to do all of the work during a session, and your job to sit back and relax.
I first picked up a camera at a young age. Later, I was a member of my high school's yearbook and newspaper staff. I realized how much I loved making images & creating artwork, and here I am, years later, working freelance jobs to support myself through college and share my adventures with the world.
Get to know me!
My favorite person...
is my fiance. He and I got engaged in May of 2023 and we are just starting to plan. We are looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.
A hobby of mine is...
antiquing. I love collecting vintage postcards, books, and brass. My dream of mine is to have my house look like it is straight out of a Jane Austen novel.
My favorite food is..
ice cream! I could eat that stuff for every meal of the day. My go-to choice is cookie dough with rainbow sprinkles :)
Dogs or cats?
While I love all animals, I am very much a cat person. My cat is named Dasher. While he is very ornery, he is my little buddy.
Here's what people are saying about me:
Lea G.
Jess is one of the best photographers! She is very experienced in her field and has that special eye for photography that photographers should have. She captures you in your best light, with soft beautifully lit photos (no harsh lighting to be seen👌🏻) and she will give you exactly what you want in terms of poses and themes as well! I would also like to note- she is not afraid to get creative and go out of her comfort zone! Jess is a sweet and kind soul, what more could you ask for in a photographer? Thank you so much Jess for capturing the love between me and my Fiancé, Shane (and for lending me your parasol from the 1940’s 😍) Can’t wait to use you for future benchmarks in life. ❤️
Frank M.
Our experience working with Jess was outstanding! We were a large group of 19 and she was able to capture the most beautiful photos of each individual family as well as our large group of 19, and she finished in about 35 minutes! It was freezing outside so we couldn’t have been more pleased with her efficiency!
Christie P.
Jessica was so easy to work with and versatile! We went to the school as well as a park in one day. She checked out the park prior to our shoot and had amazing spots picked out that we would never have thought of! We started losing light and Jessica assured us we could go back another day and take more photos. She immediately connected with my son and made him feel so comfortable. She made what could be a stressful experience into a wonderful experience and fond memory.
Julia F.
I loved having my senior photos done by Jess! She is an amazing photographer who makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera! She has a great eye and always suggests fun poses to try, I couldn’t recommend her enough!
Barb M.
I can't recommend Jess with Stay Focused Photography enough!! I reached out to Jess to do a Fall family photo shoot and she immediately had convenient locations in mind, listened to our wants for our session and brought them to fruition for us. She was ready to execute the plan the day of, had wonderful additional photo ideas for us and most of all she was extremely professional and made our session FUN and enjoyable. We had lots of laughs and I really appreciate it as it helped us be calm and more organic and candid for our photos. Our photos she took are amazing and she made our Fall family photo session a reality and we are so pleased! Don't think about it for one more second, call Jess for your next family photo shoot - SHE IS AMAZING!
Emily M.
Jess did an amazing job capturing our family! She photographed 7 kids, ages ranging from 8 months to 7 years old. That is an exhausting session for a photographer and she did it with such excitement and enthusiasm. I would book Jess over and over in the future.
Jorge B.
Not only did Jess provide exceptional customer service, but she accommodated our hectic schedule and helped plan everything right from the start. Her recommendations were spot on and eliminated a lot of our stress. Her attention to detail was nothing short of perfection. Her patience and flexibility made everything seem peaceful. We are so thankful Jess was able to capture the essence of our family and provided quality work. Extremely grateful.
Cary D.
Jessica is easy to get in touch with and responds to emails very quickly. She had a lot of suggestions to make picture day a success and was flexible with schedules. She put my daughter at ease and we got a ton of great shots. It's going to be hard to choose our favorites! I would definitely use Jess again in the future and would recommend her.
Laura M.
Had an awesome experience with Jessica taking my daughter’s senior pictures! Maria was thrilled working with Jessica. She was very helpful, professional and knowledgeable! Thumbs up and recommend her!!
Danielle H.
I am so glad I booked my son’s Senior pictures with Jessica! She made the process so fun and the images turned out great! We got a lot of images to choose from and the price was perfect!
Tricia F.
Jess is so easy to work with and at a great price! We are so pleased with Caroline's senior pictures. Thank you!
Mel S.
Amazing job with my daughter’s senior pictures. Beautiful photos and very affordable too.
Tesia C.
Photographer was flexible and took good direction on what we wanted. Very friendly and willing to go with the flow!
Lea G.
I enjoyed how Jess took the time to come early to the location and scoped out the best spots for our photos. She also made sure we had good posture and poses so we didn’t look awkward or stiff! I also have to note how she listens to exactly what you want. I wanted a subtle and soft Jane Austen theme, and she made sure they had an old classic feel to them, and even brought a parasol from the 1940’s to add an extra special touch to the photos!
Kathryn K.
Jessica is so talented and imaginative with her shoots! I had an amazing time taking photos with her, and they came out gorgeous! 10/10 experience, would absolutely recommend.
Lori A.
Artistic, reasonable, dedicated, and accommodating!
Why choose me?
Unlike most portrait photographers, I don't make you choose which photos are your favorite- you get all fully-edited images at no additional cost.
I have no hidden fees. I am very upfront with my cost breakdown.
You are guaranteed at least twenty digital images for each session and the rights to print them.
I store all photographs for at least one year.
While many photographers can take several weeks -even months- to get your fully edited images finishes, but I deliver them within two weeks.
I am willing to travel for sessions.
I am extremely flexible, so if you have any suggestions or concerns I am willing to work with you.
For more information on pricing, location recommendations, and availability contact me through this site, phone, email, or my socials.
My Work
I am a natural light photographer, so I choose not to use any external lighting. I want my images to feel real and authentic- natural.
I started off my professional career as a nature photographer. Now, I have shifted my focus to include portraits because of my love for interacting with new people.
My nature photography has won several local and national competitions. In 2017, I earned first place honors at the Pennsylvania School Press Association's regional competition for my photography.
My Equipment
I shoot with the Nikon Z6 and D3200. I have a variety of lenses including a Sigma 85 mm f/1.4, NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G, NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G, and NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens.
Purchasing Prints
All nature and travel photography are available as prints. I have most in stock as 8X10s, but some I may have to special order. If you would like sizes other than 8X10, please expect delays on shipping. I also have assorted notecard packs. Prints are $10 and notecard packs are $12, not including shipping. If interested in purchasing, please visit my contact page.