Hi, I’m Jenny.
I’m the photographer behind Dear Jenny Photo, bringing more than a decade of creative experience to artful portraits for families, kids, and dogs across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
I have always had a creative soul and a deep curiosity about the world. I was the kid poring over stacks of National Geographic, studying the photographs and dreaming about faraway places. That curiosity has since taken me to more than 50 countries and left me with a habit of noticing things: beautiful light, fleeting expressions, and the small details that make people feel completely themselves.
When I was sixteen, I begged my mom for a camera and received my first 35mm film camera, a 1970s Minolta I still own today. It now lives among a slightly unreasonable collection of more than 30 film cameras.
My career began in advertising agencies, including one chapter that felt appropriately Mad Men, and grew into years of creative direction and storytelling for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. I have built a career around words, design, and imagery, always thinking about what makes people stop, look, and feel something.
Dear Jenny Photo brings that experience together with the things I have always loved most: art, people, pets, beautiful light, and the imperfect moments that make a life feel like yours.
I believe family photos can be beautiful without feeling formal. A little posed, a little playful, occasionally editorial, and always true to the people in them. There should be room for the portrait you will frame and the unexpected moment you may love even more.
I live in Arlington, Virginia, with my husband, our daughter, and Nigel, our very photogenic dog. Your kids can be themselves. Your dog can too. You just need to show up as you.
A few things I hold dear
The kind of giggles that make everyone else laugh, too.
Burying my face in the top of my dog’s head.
Making things by hand.
The thrill of finding something beautiful by accident.
Photographs that grow more meaningful with time.
A few things I know to be true
I’m drawn to the real stuff: small hands, wild hair, dog noses, crooked grins, couch cuddles, and the moments that happen when everyone stops trying so hard.
I believe family photos can be beautiful without feeling formal—a little posed, a little playful, a little editorial, a little true to life. The best sessions make room for both the portrait you’ll frame and the unexpected moment you’ll love just as much.
Your kids can be themselves. Your dog can be opinionated. You just need to show up as you.
The magic is usually already there. I just help you hold onto it.
