2020 Through the Lens of Denver Newborn and Maternity Photographer
“Talented photographer. Friendly. Responsive. Real eye for details and great photos. Could not be happier!”
There’s no denying it’s been an insane year. We’ve been asked to grow into versions of ourselves that we’ve never knew we’d need to become. Evolved in ways that we could never have predicted. It seems 2020 wants us to take a good look at what’s working {and not working} in our lives as we shift and pivot into these versions of ourselves we’ve never been before. It’s like we’re birthing these new versions of ourselves and there are evident growing pains in the mix.
It reminds me a bit how it must be like to be a big brother who had no idea what brotherhood would look and feel like, but here he is, figuring it out one day at a time.
It reminds me a bit of what a mother experiences as a baby grows within her body, as she grows and shifts along with the growth and shifts of her baby into a version of herself she could never fully understand until experienced firsthand. 2020 appears to be the embodiment of that uncomfortable growth that leads us along the path of our journey.
We’re enduring a global pandemic. We’ve experienced huge shifts in civil rights. Don’t even get me started about politics.
We witnessed ash falling from the smoky skies like snow.
Whoa 2020. I see you. I’m listening. Let’s see what you have to say.
“Jessica was AMAZING to work with during our maternity photo shoot. Our pictures came out better than I could have imagined. She was very helpful and communicative during the entire process. Once our baby girl is born, I will be reaching out for newborn pictures. I highly recommend Jessica.”
This year has brought big wins and big failures for me in so many layers. I took a trip to Steamboat Springs for the first time and it was just gorgeous. I timed the trip justs right for maximum color this year. Score for hitting the nail on the head in some realm in 2020. :)
“I cannot believe I’m writing this review about 2 years after our newborn photoshoot but it was literally everything we expected in a newborn photoshoot and more. She was accommodating (I delivered 3 weeks before my due date and she shuffled dates for our photoshoot without a hassle). She is super talented and has an eye for detail. She was easy to work with, super friendly and a WIZ with my daughter. I’m a pediatrician and work with babies all the time but wow, I was absolutely amazed at how gentle, delicate and careful Jessica was. My daughter kept sleeping throughout our session. She has the cutest props and the daintiest headbands with the most beautiful wraps. I was so happy with how our pictures turned out! She also offered us a complementary 11x14 canvas. I mean who does that! Totally recommending Jessica to all my friends and if you’re in any doubt, don’t think twice!”
“Jessica was such a pleasure to work with and captured some incredible photos of my husband and I with our newborn son in our backyard that we will cherish forever. She was very easy-going and made us feel comfortable during the photo shoot, in addition to being flexible and efficient during our timed session. Highly recommend!”
What a gift it is to see my people grow and change. I’ve been in Denver for six years now and it’s such a gift to see families for our 5th or 6th session.
Fun facts - I photographed a record number of sessions in 2020 including a newborn session that featured a rain shower.
I made two big rookie mistakes: I accidentally double booked myself in the same place on the same day and time, sorry Mary and Kristen! The second eye rolling frustrating move - I forgot to download files and deleted them. In almost 11 years as a photographer, I’ve never made either of these mistakes. Whew 2020. Ouch.
I discovered my love for outdoor newborn sessions which I plan to continue to offer. Even a quick shot out in front of the house seems such a worthy investment of time and energy. This backyard newborn session justs makes my heart smile.
“Highly recommend! The photos turned out beautifully, and we will definitely enjoy them for years to come. We really appreciated Jessica’s flexibility and creativity during the photoshoot.”
“Our experience with Jessica Jo was amazing. I absolutely adore her. She knew exactly which shots to take, where to take them, and how to make my daughter feel comfortable. I love our final photos! All around, our experience with Jessica was perfect. She deserves hundreds of stars!”
These sessions just feed my soul so profoundly. Sunshine and nature and babies? Yes please!
Front porch newborn sessions were another favorite from 2020. I’ll never look at the front of a Denver newborn lifestyle session’s home the same way!
Location Exploration
I explored a few new locations this year and I fell in love with two spots with creeks that actually connect yet are quite far from each other.
Whether you desire your maternity or newborn session to be in Parker or Cherry Creek and desire a creekside setting…I totally got you! :)
“Jessica always captures beautiful images for our family. She captured my son’s first birthday in 2017 and has been our go-to family and kid photographer since then (including newborn and cake smash for my daughter). She pays attention to detail and easily connects with kids to make them feel at ease. Her images are incredible and I am always in awe of the expressions she captures (particularly of kiddos). Totally worth the investment!!!”
The impact of smoky skies showering us with ash was a red sunset with such vibrant color. It was like the sky was on fire.
“We have had 3 photo shoots with Jessica, two at outdoor locations and one at a studio. Each session was great. Jessica always checked in multiple times to confirm and sent us exact details on where to meet. She was willing to take her time to get as many great shots of our family. Which was not easy with a baby and toddler. We look forward to many more photo sessions with her.”
“Jessica was fantastic to work with! She made me feel very comfortable in front of the camera, directed me when I needed it and produced some beautiful maternity pictures that I love. She’s also very responsive to emails and questions. Overall, it was a great experience and I can’t wait to work with her again for our newborn pictures. Thanks, Jessica!”
Isn’t the creek in Cherry Creek just gorgeous?!!? The spot down in Parker is pretty great for sessions, too! Safe to say I fell in love with it immediatly after this session.
This sweet little spot in Parker became a favorite escape away from the crowds of the city. I think it’s a gorgeous location for a Denver Maternity session!
This adorable trio lives in Colorado Springs and JUST welcomed #2. This spot in Parker was the perfect midpoint for our little session together in May.
Here they are as a crew of four - two boys 2.5 years apart in November.
My love for lifestyle newborn sessions stays STRONG. Love love love the energy present in the home of a family that’s just welcomed a newborn.
“We hired Jessica to do some family photos for us at the end of October. We are new to the Denver area, and wanted to capture some mountain pictures for holiday cards. Not knowing any photographers in the area, I found Jessica through a Google search and was impressed by the her website/portfolio of work and Google reviews. Needless to say, Jess lived up to the hype! Jessica was quick and responsive to set up a time and had great suggestions for potential spots. We absolutely loved our setting and the way our pictures turned out! They are absolutely gorgeous, and exactly what we wanted for our first family pictures in Colorado. She is reasonable price wise and quick to return pictures via a gallery. We had so many wonderful pictures to choose from. I would highly recommend Jessica!”
“I cannot recommend Jessica enough! We had a mini session done on a Friday afternoon, and she had our preview photos over by Saturday. She was so easy to work with and offered great posing advice. Our 9 month old was not very smiley this day, but she still managed to capture a bunch of adorable shots. It was so hard to pick which photos we wanted because they were all beautiful!”
“Jessica took photos of me and my new office for me. I wanted to have some professional branding photos. Jessica took some awesome photos that I will be proud to share with customers. She truly captured the purpose I was going for and did it effortlessly. She didn’t just try to take random photos, she really made sure the backgrounds and lights fit in with the theme we were going for!”
Maternity sessions might be my favorite outdoor session. It’s such a special time of sweet anticipation.
Can you believe I shot this snow day front porch session in May? Last spring dump of snow for 2020! I actually just shot this crew’s maternity session!
Branding is another element of photography that just totally caught my heart this year. Hello headshots and branding photos for entrepreneurs and executives!
“Jessica Jo is an amazing photographer. The process was smooth, easy and fun. I could immediately tell she was a master at what she did. After what was an incredibly fun afternoon of pictures she sent me a preview of her work...I was floored. Then I got the final product and have to say not only was I floored by the quality and spirit she was able to catch in me but my online inquiries DOUBLED over the next month! This woman is magic! If you know what’s good for you and you are still reading this contact her ASAP and get ready to be amazed!”
I photographed this gorgeous jewelry launch over the summer! I adore the images we captured.
Helping other brands just makes my heart so damn happy.
You know when you’re in those creative inspiration modes where everything you see has potential to inspire?
I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw a tattoo on a woman that I thought looked amazing. But I couldn’t find it after I initially viewed it. I had an idea of what it looked like but so didn’t remember the details.
I was shooting in one of my favorite locations and the woman w the tattoo walked right by me!! My mouth dropped. We were both working with clients so I didn’t stop her but went back to my favorite female Facebook photographer group and asked if anyone knew who she might be. I was in luck!! More than one photographer mentioned that her name was Julia Morgan.
I sent a Facebook request her way and we were instantly digital friends. I remember looking at her photos and fawning over her left shoulder tattoo.
A couple of days later I saw her again driving to pickup Indian takeaway. I drove right by her and Mia, totally honked at them and was 100% sure had to meet Julia Morgan.
This woman has been a favorite of mine since we met. Her energy is like butter, her eyes are like tiger eyes and her presence makes my heart happy.
Meet Julia Morgan.
If I ever decide to make the leap to get inked, it’s likely I’d put a wee spin on what you see here. All the love to you, beautiful mama!!
Cheers to celebrating all the amazing things born in 2020, the wins of the year and setting forth with solid manifestation vibes for good things in 2021! Sending love out into the world. <3
