Mini Portrait Sessions available!

I will be offering mini portrait sessions now through March!



Half off the regular portrait package price, these sessions will be only $225, will run 30-45 minutes, and will include online hosting, digital proofing/ online hosting, a slideshow of favorites, and an 8x10" print of your choice. Availability is limited, but there is still time to get some holiday or just-because photos made of your family. These sessions are good for groups of up to four people (or pets), maternity photos, newborn shots, senior portraits, engagement shoots, or anything else you can think of - a very good deal for any of those possibilities!

Shoots must take place within Sonoma County (at your home or favorite location), although other accomodations can be made for Marin, San Francisco, the East Bay, and beyond, so just ask! You can email me at j@jessamynharris.com

I plan to keep shooting for fun and work as long as I can until our baby's birth. So this special will run at least up until I start my maternity leave in March.

On a somewhat related note, I came across this post last week about how looking at photographs of loved ones can ease pain and suffering. Absolutely fascinating!

"Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles recently published a study showing that looking at photos helps people experience less physical pain.

The experimenters applied painful heat to the arms of female volunteers under several different conditions. The subjects were asked to rate the discomfort they felt while...

(a) holding the hand of their long-term romantic partner (as he sat behind the curtain),
(b) holding the hand of a male stranger (also behind the curtain),
(c) holding a squeeze ball,
(d) viewing the partner’s photographs (taken upon his arrival) on a computer screen,
(e) viewing photographs of a male stranger (ethnicity-matched to the participant’s partner),
(f) viewing photographs of a chair, and
(g) viewing a crosshair.

The subjects reported the lowest levels of discomfort under condition (d), viewing a photograph of their partner. Surprisingly, looking at a picture made them feel better than when they were holding their partner's hand.

...'The findings suggest that bringing loved ones’ photographs to painful procedures may be beneficial, particularly if those individuals cannot be there. In fact, because loved ones vary in their ability to provide support, photographs may, in some cases, be more effective than in-person support. In sum, these findings challenge the notion that the beneficial effects of social support come solely from supportive social interactions and suggest that simple reminders of loved ones may be sufficient to engender feelings of support.'"

I have read about similar scenarios in some of my pregnancy and birthing books. I think this will inspire me to keep an image of our baby from her ultrasound on hand when I go into labor! I can't wait to meet her :)

Rose's Senior Portraits, Penngrove

Rose is my cousin Henry (and Morgan and Josh)'s half sister - so, no blood relation to me, but it's been fun knowing her since she was a baby. And now, suddenly, she's starting her senior year of high school! I was honored that she and her parents chose me to do her senior portraits, and she is so beautiful that it was a treat to do it!





We did these in Rose's parents' backyard. We had talked about going to some nearby locations, but when I got there I thought, "are you kidding me?! This is perfect!". What a beautiful, quintessential Sonoma County evening.



It also meant we got to include the pets in some shots:



And Rose got to change outfits easily and privately. Everyone should have such a beautiful backyard!































You may be wondering why these don't look like "typical" senior portraits. We're lucky in that Rose goes to a school that requires complete uniformity with the drape and the studio lighting, to the point that they do all of their yearbook senior shots at school. So we had complete freedom to do whatever we wanted, and to get some really unique, fun shots in natural light, for these non-yearbook shots. I love this one!











And, of course, a few shots of Rose with roses. Her dad's a big gardener, so I thought Bob would like a little shout out to his rose garden!











Thank you, Rose, Sally and Bob! Enjoy your senior year!

Austin and Emily!

My "baby" bro (who just turned 26... which makes me... really old!), Austin, lives in New York City with his lovely girlfriend, Emily. I miss them and wish they lived closer, but Austin comes back so much for gigs (he's a jazz drummer) and other things, that I see him almost as much as I did when he lived in San Francisco.



Anyway, we finally made time to do a photo shoot of the two of them together, as well as some headshots for Austin to use for music stuff. Since it was rainy and everyone was exhausted, we ended up staying right around my house... and I am so happy with the results! Aren't these guys cutie pies?!



(don't worry, that's not our roof in the background... sadly, that's the house next to ours that is for sale, but probably won't ever sell!)









Little Austie Bost on his own:





I love this series!













I love this tree on our neighbor's lawn... what are those flowers?!



California:



Austin has two bossy big sisters, and so doesn't flinch when one of them makes him pose with a bouquet of flowers... (even when I told him to look like a pretty bride):





Smoochies!



Pretty, pretty Emily:









Little buddy on his own:



Ranunculus - the ones I planted didn't grow, these came from the store. So pretty!









Love you guys! Come back to California and stay in our guest room anytime...