I've been a photographer for fun for nearly a decade, and I've been photographing families, newborns, and the motherhood experience for over three years. After struggling with secondary infertility for over six years, I realized that my heart is entirely devoted to capturing the unique, yet universal experience of motherhood.
I'm based in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, where I reside with my husband Eric, my second heart Declan, and my two pups.
your newborn & motherhood photographer
meet jessica
am so excited you're here! I'm Jessica, the face behind Second Heart Photography.
I
Midwestern girl Moves to New england
My background story
I was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. In 2011, my husband and I got married and I moved away from home for the first time... all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii.
We lived in Honolulu for almost three years, and welcomed our son Declan to the world. When Declan was born, I realized that having a child is like having a heart that beats outside of your body... a second heart.
When he was just a few weeks old, we moved to Connecticut, where we have been for nearly eight years. Though I've considered myself a New Englander at heart for a long time (I've been a Patriots fan since I was 11), I have a Chicago accent that never ever seems to go away.
Eric and I in Hawaii before Declan was born.
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I love these people more than anything else. They're my two favourite people in the world.
Our family is probably best described by our Sunday dinners (meatloaf and mashed potatoes, of course), Minecraft marathons, front yard football games, brewery adventures, and movie nights.
My two favourite people
Family
my favourite things
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My mama and I go on girls' trips as often as we can and I look forward to it all year!
So far we've visited Boston, Maui, New York City, Charleston, SC, Nashville, TN, Provincetown, MA, and Newport, RI. Even when the trips are close to home, they're a great way to get away and spend time with just us.
We're hoping to visit Albuquerque for the hot air balloon festival as one of our next trips.
Exploring new places
travel
My Favorite Things
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To say I read a lot is almost an understatement. I read over 150 books in 2023. Reading is my ultimate escapism from the crazy world, so I nearly exclusively read romance novels with happy endings.
My current favourite authors are Tessa Bailey and Lucy Score.
If you're a reader, let's chat books!
one of my fave things
Books
My Favorite Things
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I am such a plant nerd. I spend a lot of my spring days walking through forests and removing invasive species. My yard is a designated wildlife habitat with a huge focus on butterfly host plants. If we're ever at an outdoor session, I can guarantee I will talk about at least one plant species.
I also have a large garden where I grow more tomatoes than anyone could possibly eat, peppers, carrots (a host plant for Black Swallowtail butterflies!), herbs, and more.
My Designated Wildlife habitat
Native Plants
My Favorite Things
"...I could not be happier with the experience and photos. Jessica was communicative, professional, considerate and kind... Having a newborn is very challenging and everything Jess did made the process of having photos taken easier... The photos came out beautifully. We bought the complete package with the photo book, which Jess personally designed the layout. The photo book was beautiful. I highly recommend buying it! We'll cherish these photos for the rest of our lives."
- Emily
"As a first time mom, I wanted to have pictures taken to capture our nursing journey together. Breastfeeding is such an intimate bond between mom and baby and Jess captured that intimacy beautifully during our session. She was super down to earth and easy to talk to which made the session feel comfortable and natural. If you’re on the fence about doing a nursing session, don’t be! This is your sign to book it with Jess, you won’t regret it. I will treasure these pictures forever!"
-Caitlyn
"Jessica has done family photos for us three times now and each time I love our pictures even more. She is very easy to communicate with, laid back, and such a joy to work with. Personally, I love her 15 minute sessions she offers throughout the year because let’s be real- toddlers and husbands only have so much patience. I highly recommend her for any of your photography needs!"
-Emily
"With my first son, I didn’t get many photos to capture our nursing journey and when it abruptly came to an end nine months in, I regretted that deeply. With my second babe, I knew I needed to do better. This is the best, most rewarding time in my life and I needed photos to capture that memory forever. Jes absolutely exceeded my expectations. We walked and talked about life while we scoped out a beautiful location she recommended. I got to sit back and nurse my son out in the sun and didn’t feel like I was doing it just for a photo. It felt natural and comfortable with her as my photographer. Highly recommend her..."
-Kelsey
"I can’t recommend Jessica enough! I reached out to her the day before my husband left on deployment to book her for homecoming. Because she only does one family per command, I wanted to make sure I got to her early. She not only captured our moments, but that of many of the other families there as well. If you are thinking about booking a photographer for homecoming, do not hesitate and reach out!"
- Jill
"Jessica was fantastic shooting my daughter's first birthday cake smash session! She was professional and extremely patient. I knew I was going to love our pictures before we even received our gallery. She truly cared about our session down to the colors I wanted in the background, helping me choose an outfit, and offering an allergen friendly cake, which we needed! I can't wait for our next session with Second Heart Photography!"
- Nicole
"Jessica is amazing to work with and extremely patient and understanding for when it comes to working around a military schedule! Anytime anyone ask me about a local newborn photographer I always recommend her ever since she did our fresh 48."
- Madison
love notes
You Deserve the best
Let's freeze time together. Someday, sooner than you think, you'll wake up and the messes and noise will be gone, and you'll have photos that take you right back to how it felt to be so consumed by all of it and grateful for every moment.
