The Adventures of Jenny Megenney

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Two days ago I was sitting in my most favorite spot to edit, the sun room of the A.K. Smiley Library in Redlands. I always choose to sit in two spots, either right up against the clear glass windows that faces a beautiful garden filled with orange trees, wooden benches, and birds, or back one table so I can see the entire room. It is absolutely beautiful, that room that is filled with vintage wooden tables and chairs, lanterns that illuminate just the right amount of light, and a magical aura. Although just describing this room gives my body chills, while inside of it, it is as if you can feel the souls of each of the authors who's books resides there.

As I was editing Jessica and Alexander's session, I laughed out loud, wiped away several run away trickling tears, and I then decided to reflected on what love meant to me in that moment...

Love is unconditional, it allows us room to grow together. It is laughing at each other, encouraging each other, and respecting each other. It's compromise and hard work. It is raw and authentic. It is playful and fun. It is honesty and trust. It is giving everything you have got to one person without hesitation. It is passionate... but above all, it is coming together as two individuals and growing as one soul... and it is so much more.

This Christmas, and holiday season, I hope we can all take the time to reflect on what we believe love is and express it to each other. I defined my idea of love with two people, but there are so many other kinds to reflect on as well, self love, family love, love for your pets, your job, your children, etc.

Allow love to grow. Allow it to flourish.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland...

Thursday, December 15, 2016

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Alright friends, I am not going to lie to you I am the Queen of Christmas and this year has been a little on the rough side getting into the spirit. The weather was 90 the other day, I wore shorts and a tank top, school doesn't get out until the 23rd (pure torture), and I have been so busy editing I feel like I have barely had a minute to breathe let alone soak in the season (hug your local photog today...)

There have only been a few really big holiday moments for me so far, my annual ugly sweater party, Christmas movies, and my senior session with Sam. Here in SoCal, snow is pretty much a foreign language. We don't know what to do with it, we think all snow is the same (except the yellow don't worry...) so I am sure you could imagine our excitement when driving and seeing all this gorgeous powder on the ground!

We were like two kids in a candy store running around in this winter wonderland!

Merry early Christmas to us!

Monday, November 21, 2016

Rooftop Daze

Monday, November 21, 2016

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There's nothing more exhilarating than sneaking on a rooftop in an old apartment complex in Los Angles with model and blogger Nikia from Mad Maven Style. Looking across the city of Angels from this view was already an incredible experience in itself, but the afternoon created a gorgeous backdrop where the shining city met the blue sky and the breeze was just right, crisp and subtle.

Our time on that rooftop was just like any others I am sure you all have experienced. At first we were nervous and anxiety ridden, tip toeing across the sunken ground below our feet, hoping we wouldn't get caught. Then the adrenaline perished, and we were faced to listen no more to the hard beating of our hearts, but to the whispering wind. Moments passed, a friendship was built, and we began what everyone does when faced with a gorgeous view and a free afternoon...we talked.

Our words were filled with mutual understandings of the industry both of us are in and the struggles we face on a daily basis to remain unique enough to have companies want to work with us. We talked collaboration, failed attempts at fashion, and then we moved into the deeper conversations of friendships and our passions, and of course love.

I am so thankful for that day on that rooftop, to have made a new friend. I am also so excited to say that only a few days later, Nikia got engaged to the man of her dream, the love of her life. I only got to meet him for a quick second at their home, but I could tell their love is something sweet...

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Aces at the Ace

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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Let's talk about one of my favorite spots in all of Palm Springs, the Ace Hotel!

This place is THE happenin' spot in the desert. They are most known for their minimalistic rooms and their vintage decor... but I have heard their pool parties are pretty wild too... I'm not sure, it's still on my bucket list, ha! But really Lisa from Lmpcolletctions blog and I had an amazing time for our short visit. We got to lounge around in the gorgeous courtyards, have some sweet heart to heart talks about life and our love of fashion, and of course we took tons of fun photos.

My favorite thing about the Ace is just the overall atmosphere. Everyone is so laid-back and relaxed, without a care in the world. It is truly a place of peace. There are macrame everywhere, warm yet subtle Earth tones, and rock music always playing. It really is a desert paradise.

On a totally random side note, the entire time we were walking around, and even as I was editing these photos, I thought about how people used to say "aces" back in the day as a way to say cool or awesome and right on, and I don't ever hear it spoken anymore... I think it's super rad and I think we need to all bring it back... who's with me?!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Upon the Open Land

Thursday, November 10, 2016

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"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences,

and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon,

for each day to have a new and different sun."

- Christopher McCandless

I will always remember the first time I went to Joshua Tree. I was with my friend and fellow photog. Gabi Adams. We went to go check out a venue for a wedding I had planned a few weeks out. I had always driven by never thinking much of it. Gabi insisted that we had to go watch a sunset on top of a rock, so we drove through the park, climbed on top of a huge jumbo rock, sat down, and embraced the golden sunset. In that moment I had felt more peace and serenity than I had in a long time. I will always treasure the vivid memories I have from watching that sunset, where the sky melted into the Earth and along with it, so did my soul.

Since that day, many memories have been made upon the open land sprinkled with bunches of yellow wild flowers and spread a crossed with these magnificent Joshua trees. I can remember in my undergrad talking about sublimity, and my mind always went to that exact spot before traveling anywhere else in the world. I always felt that said more about my encounters among the desert than anything else could.

I'm sure you could understand my excitement when high school senior Savannah told me that this is where she wanted to have her senior session. Only moments before this absolutely gorgeous sunset, it was pouring down rain, the entire Yucca Valley had gone under a storm watch, but we decided to wait it out... I am so thankful we did.

All of us can relate for waiting for the storm to pass, and let me tell you all, once it does, it is truly magnificent. It is a life lesson all of us need to embrace and hold onto. Sometime the storm has thunder and lightening and is too dangerous to dance in, so we wait, patiently, but we wait... until we can get up on our toes once again and move swiftly and delightfully through our lives.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Guess Who's Coming to Town

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

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Guess who just told me that he is coming to town soon... SANTA!

We have turned your old fashioned Santa sessions into a one of a kind interactive experience. This year Santa will be visiting his favorite magical home that has been featured in magazines across the country for the warm decor and vibrant cheer. This year the home even made the cover of Flea Market Decor's Magazine!

We all know Santa loves to give out presents, so this year he will be giving special goodie bags full of surprises out to all of the children who come and visit with him. He also loves milk and cookies, so his elves put together a delicious milk and coco bar for everyone to enjoy!

Unfortunately, Santa is a very busy man and will only be in Redlands on December 3rd in the morning. Make sure to reserve your time with him early to ensure a spot.

You've heard it from Santa himself guys! He is so excited to meet all of you and hear you tell him what you want for Christmas this year!

Dying to see more of this gorgeous home? Pick up a copy of this year's Flea Market Decor Magazine. Or just come take a photo with Jolly St.Nick and see for yourself how festive it is!

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Fiancés & Fiestas

Sunday, November 6, 2016

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It’s a beautiful Saturday morning in November. The sky is clear, the birds are singing, and the sounds of acoustic guitars are strumming a faint Spanish song in the background. It’s the day of my “sister-in-law & brother-in-laws” engagement party that I have been planning for months. The day is finally here, exactly one year away from when they will say their I do’s and seal their vows with a kiss. So how do we celebrate so much love in one night… we fiesta of course! Growing up in a mixed half white half Latino family, I know the best parties are always the ones filled with the most love, and the most food.

That being said, each of our families got together to create an atmosphere they would cherish and remember for forever. The centerpieces were inspired by our love of the desert with a spark of romance. With warm yet subtle candlelight and rich colorful florals, we wanted our family to feel transported into another city in another time. The comfort food was delicious … savory tacos, creamy beans, Spanish rice, crisp salads, sweet fruit, and a desert bar that would have you saying, "el amour es dulce" all night long. We ate, drank, danced, and partied into the night to celebrate love, life, and soon to be family.

Congratulations to the soon to be Mr & Mrs. Fiacco !

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Fashion, Food, and Photos... What More Could a Girl Want?

Saturday, November 5, 2016

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A La Minute: A style of cooking where an item, or particularly its accompanying sauce, is prepared to order, rather than being prepped in advance and held for service.

I think we need a term like this in photography. I mean, really, every time I go to photograph a session, whether it be with a client, model, or if it's wedding, event etc, I always try to make the most with what we have available to us at that time. It could be super awesome lighting, an amazing location, or, it could even be delicious ice cream made entirely fresh with local ingredients in the shop we decide to shoot in. I guess we got lucky this time, ha!

Hannah, blogger of Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget didn't believe me when I hyped up how incredible A La Minute's ice cream really is. I convinced her to grab a fresh made strawberry sorbet cone for a few photos... and notice how big her smile gets after consuming... just saying...

Her wide smile also might have had to do with the fact that we both got pulled over in the street by a completely random stranger just moments before. Apparently he liked both of our style so much that he wanted to feature us in the orange county register for a segment called street style (haven't seen it published yet, but still). She couldn't stop laughing at the fact that I, the photographer, was getting photographed along with her during her own photo shoot... ha! The one day I actually get ready guys...

On one last note, it is always fun shooting with bloggers and models you can see a friendship forming with. I know Hannah and I will have many shoots and adventures in the future together, with our love of photos, fashion, and food! I can't wait to share them all with you.

On a bitter sweet random side note, many of you know that I met my boyfriend while he was working one day at the Redlands location of the ice cream shop. Today is his last day working there, and although I will miss coming in to bring him dinner, or to reminisce and relive the moment I first saw him, I am so excited for why he chose to leave. He is currently getting his masters degree in GIS, hoping to save the world one environmental map at a time. Cheers to a new chapter!

Want to get Hannah's look? Check out the links below:

Top: http://bit.ly/2fGvpHU

Skirt: http://bit.ly/2dHbl9h

Boots: Old - similar - http://bit.ly/2fCfTNo

Bag: http://bit.ly/2efVY1D

Earrings: http://bit.ly/2emxntm

Sunglasses: http://bit.ly/2efLvDe

Friday, November 4, 2016

The Serenity of Silence

Friday, November 4, 2016

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There's something sublime about standing alone in the middle of a golden field. The swift yet subtle movement in the air creates an elegant ambiance, while the sound of silence is captivating because it is something we aren't entirely used to. Throughout our busy days during our busy lives, we hardly have a moment to spare to soak in our surroundings, or even to acknowledge them, but even if we did, I bet most of us would be staring into a screen, listening to the latest songs, or calling our friends to tell them about the kind day we've had.

During this senior session with my rep Madison, I made sure she was aware of that serene beauty. She had picked the locations for those exact reasons, she told me she loved the golden color, the openness, and the simplicity of it all. We talked about how the weather was perfect that day, with a subtle warmth on the skin and a chill in the air that was just crisp enough to make the hairs stand up on your neck. The sunset could not have been more delicate and gentle just like Madison. I often have my models close their eyes during our sessions and I encourage them to take a deep breath in and then out to relax them a little. I almost always get a gentle smile after guiding them in this way... I love it...