Jenn Hildebrand

Killarney Secondary – Pre Prom

Before I start, can I just say how sorry I am for being super MIA over the last month? I genuinely don’t know where June went (and clearly forgot how to write a blog post..)! So I’m back with a super cute pre-prom photo shoot I did in June with a group of girls from a local secondary school.

I was first approached by one of the girls (Mariah – she’s the one giving super Morticia Addams vibes in her black dress and classy red lip. GORGE!) who happened to be one of my old youth (and now intern at the church I work at). She asked if I’d be free to photograph a group of her friends before they danced the night away at prom. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity because if you know me, you know how much I love proms. The dresses, the laughs, the freedom in their eyes knowing high school is OVER. It’s one of my favourite things to photograph.

Even though I’m pretty sure this was the hottest day in June (to the point where it was hard to tell if it was highlight on my cheeks or sweat), that didn’t matter. We found some shady spots and even braved the hills in their high heels. They had me laughing and awe-ing the whole time!

PS. If you are a grade 12 student (in the lower mainland) and already planning your prom for next year, I would LOVE to talk senior photos or pre-prom photographs. Feel free to shoot me a message!

OK! That’s all for me.

Enjoy!

Jenn x

The BFF turned 25

One of my besties, Kaysee, turned 25 not too long ago and I had been racking my brain for the best, most perfect gift that I could give her.

Here’s the thing. I love giving gifts. There’s something special about picking out something for someone you love. However, I suck at picking them. It took me ages to think of the best gift for Kaysee. I normally buy her makeup – she’s the only one who truly understands my obsession with it… but I still felt like it wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t the right gift to give her.

However, when I did think of something, I felt like a right idiot for not thinking of it sooner.

A photoshoot! 

Kaysee loves a good photograph. I think that’s why we get along so well! So to celebrate her big 2-5 (ps, when did we grow up so quickly?!?), I arranged to have a fun, golden hour shoot.

Driving to the shoot was an adventure in itself. Our first location ended up being a dark, mosquito ridden forrest in West Vancouver and we were not feeling it one bit. So we jumped back into her car and drove even further out, past the ferry terminal to Wycliffe Park. We climbed some rocks, caught that golden hour light, and ignored the itchiest mosquito bites we’ve ever gotten. And it was worth it! Flower crowns, a pretty dress, and lots of laughter later, here are some of my favourite shots from Kaysee’s birthday shoot.

J. x

Crofton House – Pre Grad

This post is incredibly overdue. I had originally planned on posting this before I left for London (watch out for a travel blog post!!) but life got busy, and well, here we are now.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of doing a pre-prom shoot (one of my first!) for a group of girls from Crofton House. It was super fun and solidified my love of pre prom-senior photography. It was from posting that shoot, and word of mouth, that I met Christina (You can see her personal shoot from a few years back here). She has been one of the coolest clients that I’ve worked with. Her enthusiasm for this little business is amazing – and always recommends me to people she knows! I basically need to hire her as my hype girl.

Anyways! It seemed like a bit of a no brainer that I would work with her when she asked me about doing a pre-prom shoot for her and her friends.

Crofton House is an all girl’s school in Vancouver, found near Kerrisdale – one of my favourite Vancouver neighbourhoods. I think what really stood out about this group was not only their super awesome personalities (because trust me- these girls were a BLAST to work with), but the fact that they opted out for dates and went with each other instead. Beyonce’s Formation and Run The World (Girls) was practically their theme songs.

I am so happy that I got to photograph their day. It started off with a pre-pre prom party at one of their homes. Champagne and appetizers were consumed, while laughter and chatter could be heard all throughout the home as they celebrated with their families. Afterwards, the girls and I made our way to Queen Elizabeth Park where we shot their portraits. I don’t think I’ve laughed as much as I have at a shoot. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

J.

York House – Pre Grad

One of my favourite times of the year is prom season. There’s something so exciting about pretty dresses and sparkly heels, young men trading in their basketball shorts and nike shoes for a fitted suit and oxfords, and the smell of hairspray filling the air. It’s hands down one of my favourite times to photograph.

This year, I booked three separate pre-grad sessions. Two of which were on the same day. At first, I was ready to tell the second booking that I would be unable to photograph them for I already had promised that day to another group. However, the world is in fact a very small place, and my second client was not only from the same school as my first client, but also in her group of friends. Deciding to book Lucia and her family was then a no brainer.

The first booking – a group of friends from York House, an all girls school in Vancouver, had found me through Gaby – one of my long time youth girls. She had asked me if I would be interested in photographing her friends, and of course I said yes! There’s something incredibly special about being able to capture one of the most exciting moments in any teenagers life- especially for a girl I’ve seen grow and mature over the span of her high school career.

It was a rainy day – a stresser for any photographer. However with lots and lots of prayer, the rain had eased up during the course of both shoots. It wasn’t until the end, when we struggled to get past the traffic of downtown Vancouver and to our final destination, that it started to downpour. But it’s okay! Because these girls (and their lovely dates) are troopers. Graceful and elegant troopers that stood in the cold Vancouver weather, and looked absolutely beautiful doing so.

Here are a few portraits from Lucia’s shoot, and then her and Gaby’s group of friends.

Enjoy!

J.

FAMILY: MITTELSTAEDT, RYDER + JACOB

Have you ever had a friend from childhood that moved away, but then ten years later you reunite? It’s one of those situations that could go either of two ways – really, really awkward, or really, really good (almost as if you saw them the day before).

This reunion was definitely the latter.

Katelyn and I were the best of friends when we were preteens. We both attended the same church where her father was pastoring. With two other girls, we were our own little group of pals. It was when we were thirteen that her family moved churches and we quickly lost touch. Thankfully with technology being as great as it is, we were able to reconnect over social media. Not only that, but her cousins, Phil and Simone Mittelstaedt, are my pastor and friends. (Small world, innit?)   Thus, leading us to this shoot. It’s pretty neat when things come to a full circle!

It was a very rainy day – typical of Vancouver. Bundled in jackets and scarves, with umbrellas in our hands, we made our way to Stanley Park. Even though by the end of it our fingers were numb and our faces painted a rosy red, it was a fun filled shoot!

Enjoy!

 

FAMILY: MITTELSTAEDT

Meet the Mittelstaedts. 

There are many families that just radiate pure joy, kindness and love. This is one of them. I’ve known the Mittelstaedts for four years now, and during those four years, I’ve seen these kids grow up, obsessed over mason jars and burlap with Simone, and swapped corny jokes with Phil. They’ve made me feel welcome and part of the team at Bethel International church and have supported Jenn Hildebrand Photography throughout the three years. They’re a huge support system and I couldn’t be more thankful.  They’re definitely one of a kind!

Here are some shots that we took on a chilly fall afternoon. The kids were less than thrilled to be sitting in the cold and would have much rather play in the jungle gym. But those smiles? Definitely worth the seawall breeze and crisp autumn air.

J.

Christina

Fall evenings are officially my favourite times to shoot.

The evening was crisp, the wind a bit chilly, but the sunshine glistened.

Meet Christina. Christina was super lovely to photograph! I had so much fun working with her. She was up to trying different things (including laying in leaves and dirt!!) Which made for some beautiful shots!

Can we please talk about the leaves and colours? Gorgeous!

       

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