Jen McKen Photography bio picture
  • hey! i’m jen mcken, let’s be friends!

    Howdy people of the world! I’m Jennifer McKendrick but my “friends” have always called me “jen mcken”! I’m a lifestyle destination wedding and portrait photographer for some of the coolest clients EVER! I’m based out of SOUTHWESTERN, PA but I travel all over the world!

    This blog is meant to be informal while following both my personal and professional life, and features images from the weddings and portraits I shoot, the places I travel and the friends and family that mean so very much to me.

    I hope you enjoy stopping by every now and then to check out what I’ve been up to and to see some of the latest examples of my work. Please, make yourself at home here-hangout as long as you’d like, invite some friends over and while you’re at it, leave a comment or two so I know you were here!

    Disclaimer: I’m not a writer, I don’t claim to be, I don’t want to be. I have horrible spelling, awful grammar and downright nasty punctuation...but I do promise, I AM college ed-uma-cated! haha! But on a serious note, this place is where none of that matters. This is my little piece of the inter-webber and I can say, spell and punctuate any way I want :-)

    Go ahead-snoop around, I’m not shy!

sometimes i just get…. | jen mcken, photographer

…lucky with an itty bitty that is just all smiles! Meet Kade and his family! This session has been a long time coming….with the unpredictable southwestern, pa weather we’ve been having. On one of our scheduled days we had SNOW… but we finally found THE PERFECT day to shoot little Kade and it was worth the wait! He had to be one of the most pleasant babies that I’ve had the opportunity to shoot! All smiles……:-)

Seriously, I dare you not to smile!:-)

Seriously….how can you not smile!

 

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Sarah Thompson - I LOVE this lil boy!! He’s so cute!!

..if you want it bad enough… | jen mcken, photographer

Happy early Birthday to MEEEEE!!!! This morning I did something I have DREAMED of doing since I graduated college 8 years ago…….I paid off my student loans…awwwwwe yeah!!! 

For some of you, you’re thinking, well big deal, I graduated with zero loans and I say…..AWESOME!!! And for those of you who say, that it will be forever before you get to say the same, I say, you can DEWIT! I put myself through college 100% on my own, with ZERO help from anyone! I didn’t qualify for a lot of financial aid because my family was part of the “working poor” that made just enough to be exempt. My parents obviously didn’t have the extra cash so I was determined not to let money be the reason NOT to go to college. No one in my family had gone past a high school diploma…and I wanted to break the cycle!  I worked 2 jobs thru  college while building up my business on the side and it’s been a LONG 8 years but I can finally say that my school loans can “kiss it”! haha!

This morning I wrote the last and final check I will EVER be paying to the American Education Services….it’s been nice knowing you! As I wrote “Paid in Full” in the memo of my check, I got emotional. It’s corny-I know this! BUT this is a huge milestone for me! I turn the big THREE-ZERO in two days….*sniff sniff* and I had a few goals that I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30. One was to be completely self employed and the other was to pay off my student loans….check….and CHECK!

Hard work and determination can get you anywhere. Now that I’m debt free (except my mortgage) in both my personal AND business life….I can finally thank my Mom for being so annoying growing up and drilling into my mind that it pays to  ”put a little elbow grease in it”, “hard work won’t kill you”…and “if you want it bad enough,  you’ll find a way to make it happen!”

 

 

 

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Natalie Dunlap - That’s AWESOME Jen!! Congrats

Heather - Congratulations!! Can’t wait for that day!!

Cherron - That’s awesome and you should be proud!!!

Tanya W. - WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oops, there was a little word I had to bleep out there LOL
So happy for you, and excited, proud, emotional (duh, us criers flock together).
Yippee, happy dancing in Indiana (the State)

Life with Kaishon - That is an awesome birthday present. Way to go!

Renae B - I just graduated in December and my goal is to have mine paid off in 10 years. Knowing you also put yourself 100% through college is such an inspiration!

Kora K - You are such an inspiration! I had to put myself through school too, and I’m looking forward to being debt free which wont be for a while though :(

I’ve been reading your blog like a religion. Just started doing photography full time and I love the things you write for photographers. Keep it up!

Joy - That is awesome! I so look up to you! This is a reminder for myself that all the work I’m putting into my business will pay off, and that even building up a ridiculous amount of student aid debt won’t be so bad, because I’ll be able to pay it off eventually. :) Serious props to you *haha, photography pun* for being able to do that! Can’t wait till I’m done with school (I still have at least 3 years to go) so I can see how fast I can pay it off! :)

sarah: whimsical maternity shoot | jen mcken, photographer

LOOOOOVE!!!

She may look familiar….if not, she should! She’s graced the presence of my blog 2 other times………engagement, her wedding and now…..she has a baby bump!! I LOVE working with Sarah because she’s a planner and she always has lots of ideas. I mean, check out her previous sessions! She explained that the theme of her nursery and baby shower were going to be based off of the story of the The Velveteen Rabbit, so I knew it was going to be a very earthy and whimsical session.

The Velveteen Rabbit an amazing story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was also a gift from her mom…..so I knew this was going to be a special shoot! Together we collaborated and came up with these images. We met up at Twin Lakes in Westmoreland County, PA and went for a hike!!! BIG shout out to JT for meeting up with us on his lunch break! He’s such a sport!

If you think these are cute……wait till you see the ideas she has for when “HE” is born! Eeeek, I can’t wait to get my hands on him!:-)

 

 

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kaylan - love these jen!

Emily - These are amazing. Wish I was pregnant and didn’t live 2000 miles from you. I especially love the last one. You are very talented!

Suzanne - These are spectacular Jen! I LOVE them! Almost makes me want another baby just so you can do my maternity shots…. ALMOST, lol! The very first one is just amazing.

Danielle - Beautiful job, Jen!!! I LOVE the last one!

Tangie - LOVE IT!!! Cool concept…brilliantly executed, Jen!

Monique - Love them!!! Omg why is she so cute!

Jill heupel - Love this! Nice work, Jen!

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