Janell Marie Photography

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United States
Toledo, OH
Janell Marie Photography

Providing Mom’s with tangible memories with their families- whatever season of life they’re in. Fall minis: www.janellmariephotography.com/events

08/21/2026

I want to talk to the expecting mamas for a second, especially the ones who are in their third trimester and have “figure out newborn photos” somewhere on a list that’s growing longer by the day.

Here’s the thing… This is actually one of the easiest items on that list to check off because I do most of the heavy lifting for you. You reach out, tell me your due date, and I hold your spot on my calendar with a retainer, and then we don’t have to figure out the actual session date until after baby arrives. You don’t have to have anything figured out beyond reaching out, simple as that.

So, if you’re due this October- December, my calendar is open right now and I would love to take this one off your plate.

08/19/2026

Can I take you behind the scenes of how I actually prep for a storytelling session? Because long before I ever pick up my camera, I’m learning about your family.

It starts with a questionnaire.

I want to know who you are, what this season of life looks like, what your kids are into right now, the little mundane things you never want to forget, how your family connects, and what you’re hoping to feel when you look back at these photographs years from now.

Then I take everything you’ve shared and start piecing together a loose flow for your session. Not a shot list or a list of poses to check off. More like... these are the things I want to make space for. Maybe something you tell me about your toddler becomes an activity we weave into the session. Maybe an ordinary part of your family’s routine becomes something I know I want to document. I have an idea of where we’ll begin and where we might naturally go, while leaving plenty of room for your family to simply be together.

And sometimes, those little pieces reveal themselves once I’m actually there. At a recent session, their oldest son started telling me all about birds and showing me one of his bird books. We moved on, but I tucked that little detail away. Later, while everyone was cuddled up together, I asked him to grab the book again. Not because I walked in thinking I need a photo of him with this book, but because I realized it mattered to him. Ten years from now, that book may be collecting dust on a shelf, but his mom will look at those photographs and think, Oh my gosh, he LOVED that book. That’s the point—paying attention to those seemingly insignificant pieces of your life and making space for them to be remembered.

I’ll also connect you with Vanessa, my stylist. She knows my work and what photographs beautifully through my lens, while also considering your personal style, what you feel good in, what you already own, and the overall feel of your session. She’s another set of eyes helping bring everything together while still making sure it feels like you.

So by the time I show up for your session, I’ve already spent time learning about your family. I’m thinking about what you told me, the little

08/17/2026

Something nobody really talks about in this industry is how personal the work actually is. Not just for the client, but for the photographer, too.

I think about several newborn sessions I photographed earlier this year, often actually. The moms who let themselves be vulnerable. The ones who shed tears while holding their babies. Who, for just a little while, slowed down enough to really feel all of it.

The exhaustion. The love. The weight of how much life had just changed.

There’s something incredibly intimate about being invited into that space.

I’m not just photographing what your baby looked like when they were two weeks old. I’m watching the way you instinctively pull them closer. The way their entire body fits against your chest. The way you look at them when you forget for a second that I’m there.

And sometimes, I’m watching a mom see herself differently, too.

I’ve had moms cry over photographs because they didn’t realize how beautiful this season looked from the outside. Because while they were living it, they mostly felt tired, emotional, overwhelmed, or unlike themselves.

Those moments stay with me.

This job changes me a little every season, and I think that’s something I want people to know before they book with me.

This isn’t just a transaction for me.

You’re inviting me into a tiny piece of your life that you’ll never get back exactly as it is right now. And these sessions live with me long after your gallery is delivered.

08/14/2026

Join me in the studio on August 23rd for Back-to-School Minis! ✏️📚

Whether they're heading off to preschool, starting kindergarten, moving up another grade, or you're kicking off a new year of homeschooling together, it's a new chapter worth remembering.

These aren't your typical school pictures. Think a little more personality, a little less "sit still and smile." We'll have a timeless, school-inspired setup with a vintage desk, books, pencils, paper airplanes, a globe, and plenty of room for them to be them.

And if a school-themed setup isn't quite your thing, I'll also be offering my classic Little Faces black + white portraits that day too- the perfect excuse for an updated portrait of your growing kiddo, just send me a message and I will send you the link to book the last spot!

📅 August 23rd
📍 Suite 100 Studio
✏️ Back-to-School Minis + Little Faces Portraits

Spots are limited and booking is officially open!

Reserve your spot via the link in the comments below!

08/11/2026

Here’s something I want every family to know before they book a session: I do not need your kids to cooperate.

I know that’s the thing everyone worries about. I’ve had parents text me the morning of a session genuinely apologetic before we’ve even started, like their four-year-old’s mood is somehow their fault. It’s not. And honestly? The kids who “won’t listen” and “won’t sit still” and “won’t stop making that face” are usually my favorite kids to photograph, because they’re just being exactly who they are, and that is the whole point.

The galleries that make parents cry when they open them are never the ones where everyone was perfectly posed. They’re the ones where I caught something real. And I’m really, really good at catching something real.

If you want fall family photos, I’d love to make that happen for you!

07/30/2026

Summer session tip ☀️

Don’t worry about getting your kids to smile before I even arrive.

Save the bribes, save the “say cheese,” and let them just be themselves. The first few minutes are for settling in, exploring, and getting comfortable. That’s often when the most genuine moments begin to happen as well

07/24/2026

Summer or Fall sessions? Which one do you love more and why?

I have strong feelings for both, so I’d love to hear yours in the comments 👇

On another note, I cannot wait to share more from this session…. soon😍

07/21/2026

We are halfway through summer and I am already wildly behind on sharing so many sessions, so let’s fix that by starting with this sweet family’s sessions from a few weeks back. I cannot stop scrolling through these and loving how good the summer light has been to us this year (minus the smoke from last week🤪)

07/16/2026

Halfway through July and I just want to say thank you!

Thank you for trusting me with your families, your milestones, your big days and most importantly, the in-between. This job is a privilege and I do not take that lightly.

If you’ve been waning to book photos and just haven’t reached out yet, this is your nudge😉 I’d love to work with you before summer wraps up.

And I have to share a little from my story session with the sweetest family last night. This sweet girl was full of smiles (of course none shown in this post buttttt, I promise). She was truly so full of joy!

07/15/2026

If your due date is sometime this fall, this post is for you😉

Newborn sessions get booked a little differently than any of my other sessions. Your spot on my calendar is held by your babies due date. Once baby arrives, we will schedule the actual session at that time in (let’s be honest, they come when they want basically🤪)

The best thing to do is get on my calendar now so that it’s one less thing to think about once baby is here!

Address

500 Madison Ave
Toledo, OH
43604

Website

https://www.janellmariephotography.com/, http://www.janellmariephotography.com/events

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