River Forest, Il Fall Photo Sessions
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."
[Notebook, Oct. 10, 1842]”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne
Fall Family Photos, River Forest, Il
“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” — Humbert Wolfe
Fall Family Photo Session, Oak Park, Il
My fall sessions wouldn’t be complete with out Jill and her beautiful family! I love, love these folks and always have the best time with them.
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it but…my favorite thing about their sessions is that Jill has always incorporated individual portraits of herself with every session. With most family shoots, I’ll take individual shots of each kid but the adults don’t usually want to do the same. Jill started this tradition with their 2nd photo session and it’s become a tradition that I LOVE. In fact, I think I end up taking more photos of her than the kids…because why not?!? Moms deserve their own portraits, ya know?
Fall Photo Sessions, Wabash Arts Corridor
Well…it’s officially fall. Temps have been in the high 70’s and low 80’s…are you feeling autumnal yet?
I love green. LOVE IT…except in photos. What do I mean? Bright green grass, bright green trees, bright green color casts on everyone’s skin. Yes, I can set my color balance and color correct and all that but there’s just something about it. Personal preference for sure but I look forward to the de-saturation of fall.
So. Until the leaves begin the process of senescence, I opt for locations where I won’t be fighting green chlorophyll…like sidewalks, parking garages, and other areas that aren’t necessarily “nature” (parks, yards, etc).
City sessions are quite popular & I love them for the abundance of options offered. Going from block to block, I’m able to have a variety of backdrops to choose from. This is especially nice for mini sessions…variety is the spice of life, right? (that’s a saying, no?)
With so many repeat clients, it’s nice to mix things up from year to year.
Documentary / Storytelling session
One of the things that was lost in 2020 was the ability to safely shoot indoor, storytelling sessions. From Fresh 48’s (in hospital) to in-home sessions, they disappeared from my calendar overnight.
In recent years, they’ve slowly made their way back and I could not be happier. Yesterday I had the opportunity to join a beautiful family in their home for a few hours and I loved every minute of it!
If I’m being 100% honest, these types of sessions feel most authentically “me”. From a high school student just learning how to use my camera to a college student who was finding a deeper understanding of the craft to a new mom in my late 30’s, I have often carried my camera with me, ready to capture whatever unfolded.
I’ve always had a deep appreciation for character studies, photographing people as authentically as possible, being themselves. I think it’s important, especially in a time of highly curated social media feeds, to let go of the idea of the perfect, polished family portrait and see what reveals itself.
These types of sessions work well for all ages but I find them especially wonderful when children are 10-ish and under. Anyone who has ever attempted to pose young kids and make them sit still for 30+ minutes knows what I’m saying…it’s often like herding feral cats. When all is said and done, parents are exhausted and kids are not at all happy. Is that perfectly posed photo worth it? I guess it depends.
There’s a time and place for all types of photography and as long as you have realistic expectations, then all will be well.
I can tell you that my children have had a heavily documented childhood. There are very few posed photos of them on display in our home.
As they’ve gotten older, now 16 & 12, they are much less cooperative. To be fair, the level of activity and time spent meandering and building forts, lego, mag-tiles, etc has also changed. I’m less inclined to photograph them as they close themselves up in their bedrooms to play on their computers, lol.
Though the moments are fewer, I remain ready to document at any given moment. I treasure the images of my kids just being kids…muddy from the backyard slip n slide, hanging with friends in a hammock while camping, swimming in Lake Michigan with friends, building Lego creations, living room dance-offs, and game nights. These images bring me so much joy.
When you invite me into your world/home, my goal is the same…I hope to create images that will bring you joy (now and later!).
it's september, y'all...time to think about fall photo sessions {oak park, il family photo sessions}
“I never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly do - the day after.”
― Oscar Wilde
Hey, friends!
Whether or not we care to admit it, another summer is wrapping up. Soon we will be pulling out our fall necessities: sweaters, warm socks…snow boots (I know…I know.).
It also means that fall photo sessions are beginning to fill up…have you booked yours or have you been putting it off?
(tick, tock…)
Maybe you’re a planner and you’ve already booked your session. I tip my hat to you! Maybe you like to fly by the seat of your pants & wait until fall is a little closer before you can even THINK about scheduling. I think you’re fantastic (and I relate)!
If you’re still thinking about booking something this fall, now is the time.
I look forward to seeing you soon❤️
Joey