Posts by Jen Ritchie
Lessons from Winter Wildlife Photography
Coming into winter, I was afraid I wouldn’t see my camera for a while. With temperatures dropping into the teens and twenties, would I need it? Would I find wildlife? My normal places were growing quieter and quieter. The green herons no longer fished from fallen trees in the marsh; the sounds of songbirds floated…
Read More7 Tips for a Great College Graduation Photo Session
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” —E. E. Cummings Living in a college town these past 19 years, I’ve certainly become accustomed to graduation seasons. Each May, August, and December it’s not uncommon to see graduation caps dotting the sidewalks of Purdue University. Students huddle to take selfies with…
Read MoreFinding the Sacred with Nature Photography
In Beth and David Booram’s book When Faith Becomes Sight, they take time in their second chapter to talk about transcendent moments. When I hear the word transcendent, I think of something extraordinary or something spiritually way beyond me, but they explain that these moments don’t have to necessarily be rapturous or extraordinary. They write,…
Read MoreA Morning with White-Tailed Deer
Do you have those mornings in wildlife photography where the woods are silent and you wonder if you are ever going to see anything? A squirrel? A bird? Something?! This morning started like that. As my husband and I walked through the tree-lined trails, everything was silent. No movement whatsoever. Just the crunch of our…
Read MoreSenior Photos: AJ and the Contagious Smile
I’ve gotten to know AJ and his family over the years, at first from a distance working for our neighborhood publication and then via marching band carpool and band events. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed photographing the Sound of West Side marching band at football games, their March-a-Thon fundraising event, and homecoming. Once…
Read MoreThe Fleming Family Photos
What a fun family session with two generations Saturday evening! When the Fleming’s session suddenly changed and one of their kids couldn’t be in the photos, they pivoted and asked their in-laws to be in the session instead. It reminded me of how important it is to encourage people to be in photos. For as…
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