Photographer Overview

Hi! I'm Jennifer Penford, and I've been practicing photography for almost a decade now. From a young age I’ve always had an interest in photography. However, it wasn't until my Freshman teacher went up to my mom and said "You know your daughter really has an eye for this" that I decided to pursue photography as a lifelong career. Throughout high school, I was able to learn the foundations of photography and begin exploring my passion. By 2007 I had received my first award, and was recognized for winning the Grand Prize Brickfish Photography award. From there, I continued to grow and in 2010 was published in the "Best Photographers of the Year" storybook collection. Flash-forward to 2011, where I was gearing up to graduate from Sparta High School and decided to take a leap-of-faith and move to Nashville, TN to attend Nossi College of Arts. Through hard work and dedication, I graduated top of my class with an Associate’s Degree in Commercial Digital Photography. While in Nashville, I was blessed with the opportunity to shoot everything from the County Music Awards and Grammy Nominations to runway, glamour, and cosplay sessions. In 2014, my focus changed after my dad passed away from Melanoma. I decided that I needed to return home and be with my family. I was lucky to find the love of my life during High School, Sam, who decided to make it official after 6 years together. We are now happily married and own a home together in Marissa, IL that we share with our little pupper Daisy and our big pupper Milo. In 2017, I officially opened my own in-home studio, Jennifer Penford Photography, in Marissa, IL. I feel very blessed to be able to continue my photography career serving my hometown community. ? As your photographer, it is my absolute goal to make your experience more than just a timeslot. I want you to create memories with your family; enjoy their laughs and smiles. These are the moments that will be hanging on your walls for years to come.