Jessica Riehl Photography Blog

September Hampton Roads Sessions :: Book Now!!!

Jessica — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:31:27 +0000

JRP is hitting the road the first week or so of September and bringing the camera magic to Hampton Roads. If you are ready to update your family or children’s portraits, just let me know! I will be offering mini sessions and full sessions.

The mini sessions will include a 35-45 minute session, with 12 images on CD. The cost will be $550.

Full sessions will include a 1.5-2.0 hour session, with 40-50 images on CD. The cost will be $1150.

Headshot/Identity sessions will include a 30 minute session with 3 high resolution images. The cost will be $175. If you need something special, please email me.

Active duty military will receive 15% off on their session.

Recommended session locations: Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, Chesapeake Arboretum, First Landing State Park, Downtown Norfolk or Portsmouth, and the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.

Please email me at hello@jessicariehl.com to reserve your session today. Sessions are available September 6th – 13th.

Note: A down payment of $125 will be due to reserve your session. If for some reason a crazy random “weather” event disrupts our fabulous plans, I will refund your session fee. However, if you cancel and I am unable to fill your reserved spot or reschedule you immediately, your down payment is nonrefundable.

Mass MOCA

Jessica — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:27:18 +0000

Mass MOCA is awesome. Simply awesome. Jamie and I headed over for a jolt of creative adrenaline and lots of inspiration. We had so much fun interacting with the art and playing within the space. My absolute favorite was Sol LeWitt, the colors and lines just excite me, I guess. That is the easiest way to put it. If you have the opportunity and are close enough to visit Mass MOCA, you should definitely go. Here’s their website: http://www.massmoca.org/.

The artists are: Katharina Grosse: One Floor Up More Highly (spray paint), Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective (lines and color), and Natalie Jereminjenko with Tree Logic (upside down trees).

Jaime From VA

Jessica — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:16:36 +0000

My dear friend Jaime came up this past weekend to enjoy the delights of Saratoga County in the summer. As a trained ballerina, coming to Saratoga was like taking a pilgrimage. We went to the National Museum of Dance and two ballets at SPAC by the NYC ballet. I learned all about ballet; the people, the steps, different choreographers, the costumes, and schools. Jaime was a wealth of knowledge and she teaches ballet in Virginia Beach. I have a whole new appreciation for ballet now.

This photo was taken at the City Tavern after our trip to the top for a beer.

Jessi Arrington | TED Talk

Jessica — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:40:38 +0000

I absolutely love TED talks! Whenever I need a little inspiration or reasons to change up my routine, I browse TED. I really love Jessi Arrington’s thoughts about used clothing. She provides great motivation for going out and shopping at a thrift store or consignment store. She also talks about beauty, clothes, personal style and self confidence. I love that she says, “just be who you are” and “embrace your inner child!”.

The Farmer’s Market | Ballston Spa, NY

Jessica — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:43:07 +0000

Here’s a little happy for today! These are my finds from Saturday’s Farmer’s Market in Ballston Spa, NY. These flowers are from the Adirondack Flower Farm. I could stare at these all day long.

Sometimes Life Just Plain Sucks | Virginia Beach, VA

Jessica — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:05:24 +0000

Sometimes life just really, really sucks. Two Sundays ago, friends and clients, Katy and Adam lost their home in a house fire. I connected with Katy and Adam through the It Factor Job Club and then when I photographed them for their 6th anniversary in Williamsburg, VA. They were married near this inn and go there every year for their anniversary. We created a canvas collage for them from their images, but below is what’s left of it. However, thanks to the generous help of Simply Color Lab, my canvas company, we are getting them a new canvas cluster! While these might seem like the last thing necessary to rebuild your life and your personal space, they are critical to feeling normal again and having something familiar around you in trying times. These images will find an amazing new home with Katy and Adam in their rental home, while they are in the rebuilding phase.

Photographs are so important and you don’t really know how important until they are gone.

If you feel like helping out, you can go to this link: http://www.myregistry.com/visitors/giftlist.aspx?nowelcome=1&publicusername=coppinhousefire

Photos from their anniversary session are here: http://www.jessicariehl.net/katy-and-adam/

The Farmer’s Market | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:43:52 +0000

I simply love the farmer’s market. Big or small, here or there. They are always fun and I love giving my money to the gent or lady who made/produced my product. If you counted the number of years of experience at a farmer’s market, you would be blown away by the collective knowledge such a small space can hold. Farmer’s markets are wonderful because you can talk to your producer, ask questions about how to use the food your are purchasing, and find out exactly how your product was made (family secrets withheld, of course). If you want your children to see, touch and learn about their food, take them to a farmer’s market. Maybe even you can get a tour of the farm!

Here are this weeks finds from the farmer’s market (russian kale, garlic scapes, blueberries and currants):

Bubble 2 Boardroom | NYC

Jessica — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:00:42 +0000

This past Friday, I ventured down to amazing New York City to photograph a very timely event called Bubble 2 Boardroom. Dani Ticktin Koplik, the mastermind and creator of Bubble 2 Boardroom, aims to teach critical skills and strategies for success in the corporate world. In an age of digital overload, gadgets, and texting, many of the finer points of the job search and professional value are lost on the millennial age group. The art of the hand written note is lost on 20 somethings, many don’t make eye contact or fail to turn off their phones and truly engage in what is happening around them. Others don’t understand that social media has rules; such as, if you don’t want your momma to read it, don’t post it. Learning to dress appropriately and working on your handshake are other indicators of a well rounded individual. These and many, many more insights were hopefully gleaned by the attendees.

If you live in NYC and are struggling to figure out how to fit into the new job market, need to pump up your personal brand, or gain career insight, you need to be at the next Bubble 2 Boardroom event. It’s a tough world out there and many hiring managers are “old school”, so understanding the tried and true finer points of marketing yourself and your career is critical. Your smart phone will only get you so far…

Bubble 2 Boardroom provides a timely and needed message. As the world grows smaller and the economy goes up and down, we all need to take charge of our personal brand. However, understanding how to do that in a vastly more technologically enhanced world is daunting. Bubble 2 Boardroom even has it’s own piece of the sustainability pie. By educating our youth to be successful, get jobs and provide for themselves; they will continue to be successful and contributing members of society.

Rob Roy, Navy Veteran, Seal Team Six and owner of Special Operations Training Group

Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer of Collective Bias. You can find him on Twitter.

Personal Career Coaching sessions were available to all participants.

Lisa Birnbach, author of the Official Preppy Handbook, NY Times Bestseller. You can find her on Twitter. She has a new book out called True Preppy.

Eric Barron, Personal Branding Guru. You can find his blog at Eric Barron Live.

Leslie Grossman, creator of the Women’s Leadership Exchange.

Dani Ticktin Koplik, mastermind behind Bubble2Boardroom.

Future leaders…

Pinhole Pro visits JRP in Ballston Spa!

Jessica — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:38:39 +0000

Before I tell you what Pinhole Press is, I am going to tell you how I found out about them. This spring one of my classes for my grad degree was Strategic Management for Sustainability required us to do company case studies. I choose Mohawk Papers, located about 30 minutes south of my house in Cohoes, NY. After spending several weeks researching their sustainability efforts, I developed a great respect for their company and their environmental efforts. They were the first paper company to hire an Environmental Coordinator, and the same gentleman is now the VP of environmental affairs. Mohawk is always pushing the limits and boundaries of sustainability, looking for better products, methods and equipment. In greening my business, it has been a struggle to find companies that walk the walk, have invested in the right kind of initiatives, and truly understand what sustainability means. Through my research I found Pinhole Press, which was such a relief! A parent company that leads the way in sustainability, has the purchasing power to make changes and is committed to great design and product, perfect!

Now, what is Pinhole Pro, you say? Pinhole Press is an online press lab offering cards, press books, calendars, framed prints, note pads, and journals. Their press items use beautiful, thick, luxurious, matte paper. Pinhole Press is a consumer lab, allowing everyone the ability to use their services. This spring, they came out with a new feature to their offering called Pinhole Pro. Pinhole Pro allows me to be an associate photographer. By visiting my photographer page or using my photographer code, you can access a greater and more expansive product line up. The best part: when you purchase through Pinhole Pro, you support JRP (and fund my graduate degree). JRP receives a commission on any product sold through my link or photographer code. So please, it’s time to switch to a more environmentally friendly company and make this world a little bit better in the process.

If you are ready to find a better press lab, more environmentally friendly and one who supports their professional photographers; well then visit Pinhole Pro! You won’t be disappointed. The peeps from Pinhole Pro came to visit the studio last Thursday to show me a line up of their products and give me a catalog of products. If you see their car this summer, honk! You can’t miss it.

My link: Pinhole Pro

My photographer code: IHEARTPHOTOS

Saratoga BrewFest | Ballston Spa, NY

Jessica — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:10:33 +0000

My husband and I went to the Saratoga BrewFest this past weekend at Ellms Family Farm here in Ballston Spa. It was awesome! We love craft brews and getting the opportunity to sample so many is right up our alley. My husband managed to get VIP tickets to the event and they were 100% worth their value. We were able to taste Peak Organic Brewing special brews that the general public didn’t get to taste, a beer and cheese tasting and lunch catered by the Charlton Tavern. The owner of Peak Organic also gave us a talk about his brewery and their sustainability (I was quite interested). I think of all the beers we tried, Hop Noir from Peak Organic was my favorite.

Greg Engert, Food and Wines Beer Sommelier of the year, also talked about how cheese is a superior food pairing for tasting over wine. He said that cheese coats your palette not allowing you to taste the finery aspects of the wine. Beer on the other hand, cleanses your palette (unlike wine), so you can taste both the cheese and beer. Jim and I will have to do a comparison sometime!

This was an excellent way to start of Jim’s birthday week!