Preschool Picture Day! (River Forest, Oak Park, Illinois)

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Will I ever tire of photographing these tiny, adorable humans? I can’t even imagine that happening…

Though I’ve cut back on the amount of preschools that I photograph each year, there are a few that I get to come back to year after year. I love documenting these growing kiddos and it’s especially fun when a sibling or 2 is in the mix.

I know that many parents & caregivers are hoping for the perfect smile…I do have some tricks to make that happen but there are no guarantees, ya know? I will never force a smile and I will never force a child in front of the camera if they are clearly distressed. I would never want to make photography a stressful or traumatic experience for anyone, but especially young children! If a smirk or a serious face is how your child is feeling on picture day, that’s great. Wouldn’t you prefer to document who they are in this moment?

They’re perfect…just as they are!

Headshot Happy Hour Booking is Live! {oak park, il headshot photographer}

Hey, y'all!

 I’m working on my 2025 booking calendar…hoping to have it live by the end of January or early February!

In the meantime, if you’ve been thinking about scheduling that headshot…now is the time! I’ll be hosting happy hours in February, March, and April (more to come but these are live now!). Details and links 👇

And…my gal Sara Jean Stevens will be back to fix yo’ face/hair*!

Got questions? Let’s chat! joey@littlebittyproductions.com

*Limited spots available for hair and makeup, additional fees apply

“There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes.”

— Abraham Lincoln

(but I think you’re gorgeous!😘)

Hope to see you soon!

too cool for school (photos)? studio portrait session booking is live... {oak park, il photographer}

“There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes” – Abraham Lincoln 

School picture day…the day when kids are forced into awkward poses, wear clothes they'd never choose, and smile as if they're being tortured. I suppose it’s a right of passage but if you find yourself wondering why they never quite look “normal”, maybe a studio session is the answer.

Skip the school picture order & bring your kiddos into the studio for a quick, updated yearly portrait. I promise not to force anyone to smile & I can almost guarantee that the photos will actually look like your kid. Wild, right?

There are 2 types of sessions to choose from: Tiny Studio Sessions and Fine Art Portrait Sessions.

Tiny Sessions

Fine Art Portrait Sessions: 1 Child | Fine Art Portrait Sessions: Up to 3 Children

What is the best session for you? So happy you asked… as always, if you have further questions or concerns, send me a message! joey@littlebittyproductions.com

happy belated new year...

“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.”
― Ellen Goodman

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for another great year! I'm so grateful for all of my amazing clients, past and present. 

I know that the new year usually brings talk of “new year, new me!” or any number of proclamations focusing on improving ourselves somehow. If that’s your thing, I will enthusiastically cheer you on! If you’re like me & have decided that resolutions aren’t your thing, I will applaud you with the same enthusiasm…and maybe we can grab a slice of pie? The point is…y’all are all great❤️

2022 Highlight Reel

…and now that we’ve established how amazing you all are, let’s talk shop (I mean…this is my business blog so I’m gonna talk about business, ya know?)!

Have you been thinking about updating your headshot? What’s holding you back from doing so? Is it nerves, lack of time/inconvenient session times, or cost? I’d love to hear your feedback!

If you’re ready to get a session on the books, I’ve got several options for the new year.

Since January's weekend headshot date seemed to be a hit, I'm opening up another weekend date for Social Media Headshots. If you missed out on the January date, you can grab a weekend session in February! I’ve also added headshot dates for March and April, including some evening hours for those who can’t make it during the day…

The Social Media sessions are short & sweet (15 minutes)! If you are uncomfortable or need time to get comfortable in front of the camera, our regular session might be a better fit.

Up to 15 minutes in the studio | One look/One location | Includes 1 low-resolution, edited digital file* | $100/150

Question: What's the difference between Social Media 1 and Social Media Plus?

I'm glad you asked!

Social Media 1 includes one file, delivered in color and Social Media Plus includes 1 file, delivered in color AND b/w. Each session will include a gallery of images in which you will choose your favorite shot!

Find your session here:

Social Media Headshot 1: https://bit.ly/socialheadshot1

Social Media Headshot Plus: https://bit.ly/socialheadshotplus

Regular Headshot session: https://bit.ly/lbpheadshots

If you’re not quite ready to book but are looking for ways to support me right now, I’d love for you to leave me a google review…these go a long way in helping clients find me! (link below)

Take me to google!

I look forward to the year ahead and seeing you in front of my camera soon!

fall updates, y'all!🍁 {oak park, il family photographer}

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

Happy fall, y'all!

Outdoor photo sessions are in full swing & the busy fall season is upon me.

I wanted to take a minute to send out an update on the remaining sessions for 2022.

Here's a quick breakdown of the remaining October sessions:
Weekday Mini Sessions - 4 sessions (10/24 & 26)
Sidewalk Mini Sessions - 2 sessions (10/11 & 18)
Weekday One-Hour Sessions - 4 sessions (10/20, 21, 27, and 28)

There's also a handful of outdoor dates for November...

By popular demand, I've added two days of children's studio sessions. Two options are available this year...these sessions are perfect for updated children's portraits!

Find all available sessions here: Fall Bookings

I'm excited to see returning clients & meeting new clients in the coming weeks!

See you soon!
Be well.❤️❤️

fall photo sessions are live!🍁 (and a few summer sessions remain!)-Oak Park, Il Family Photographer

Hey, y'all!

It's that time again...fall session dates are live!

*For those of you who prefer a warmer session, I also have a limited number of summer sessions in June and July...beach sesh? city sesh? Let's mix it up!

Heads up-There are only a few weekend dates remaining but there are plenty of weekday sessions!

As always, I'm grateful for your continued support and trust.

Be well.

1-hour Session

Up to 1-hour session outdoors  
20 hand-edited, high-resolution image files
4x6 prints of your chosen image files
print release with rights to make prints for personal use
Option to purchase additional files, print products, and full gallery upgrade.

$600 weekdays
$700 weekends

Sidewalk Sessions

Up to 30-minute session on the sidewalks in your neighborhood, your front porch, or backyard*
10 hand-edited, high-resolution image files
4x6 prints of your chosen image files
print release with rights to make prints for personal use
Option to purchase additional files, print products, and full gallery upgrade.

$425
*due to time constraints, sidewalk sessions must be in or very near Oak Park

Headshot Sessions

Headshot sessions take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the package
Pricing is for one person only
Additional files & prints are available for an additional fee
Location: our Oak Park Studio*

Pricing starts at $250

*We can also come to you! For non-studio location headshots or office events, please reach out to plan your session

Want to be the first to know when we have openings? Join our mailing list! We promise not to send too many emails…we usually only send 2-4 newsletters a year. That’s not so bad, right?

spring is coming...are you ready?

“That is one good thing about this world...there are always sure to be more springs.”
― L.M. Montgomery

Hi friends.

How are you?

Today is the day.

On this day last year, our lives were about to change in a way that I don't think many of us could have possibly imagined. 

On this day last year, I spent the morning photographing a preschool full of beautiful children. 

On this day last year, I walked into Costco for my normal supply run & was taken aback by the crowds of people who were filling up their carts with toilet paper and bottled water (still haven't figured out why folks were hoarding water but you do you...). 

On this day last year, I picked my boys up from their afterschool program and was told that they had been advised to take home ALL of their belongings and anything they might need for the foreseeable future.

It's hard to imagine that a year has passed since this all began and yet...here we are.

Like many of you, I’ve spent the past 12 months navigating strange and unfamiliar waters. I've learned to be flexible with my time and energy even when I desperately want to give up from the exhaustion of trying to manage ALL THE THINGS. 

But I'm still here, y'all. There are days when it feels like I'm hanging on by a thread but I am still hanging on!

My amazing clients (that's y'all!) have helped me get through this and I'm so thankful and grateful. 

And because you all are the absolute best...you get first dibs on prime Fall 2021 session dates! These sessions fall during what is typically peak Autumn colors in Chicagoland.*
*I obviously cannot promise or predict the future...I have no personal intel on the comings and goings of Mother Nature but based on many years of shooting, these are the dates when colors tend to be the most beautiful.

Not ready to commit? No worries...my normal fall dates will roll out sometime in July/August & you'll be the first to know!

In addition to sharing these prime Autumn sessions, I have a few Spring sessions available including more Tiny Session School Portrait and Social Media Headshot sessions. Oh...don't forget about Motherhood sessions! I have a few openings for those as well

Don't see what you're looking for? Give me a shout (email, yo!) & we'll set something up!

I hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe and remaining hopeful…❤️

Find Your Fall Session

Find Your Tiny Session

Find Your Social Media Headshot Session

Find Your Motherhood Session

wrapping up 2020...{oak park, il photographer}

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I really try to wake up each day without the heaviness of past missteps on my shoulders. I fail quite often but life goes on, as the saying goes.

I know that we won’t wake up to a problem-free world on January 1, 2021, but something about a new beginning feels very different than it has in past years. I would actually love to skip past all the holiday hubbub and go straight to 2021.

2020 has tested me in ways I never could have imagined. I know I’m not alone in this.

As a small business owner, the uncertainty of what lies ahead has been a lot to manage. Trying to plan for tomorrow when tomorrows limitations are not known can feel impossible. There are a lot of “what ifs” and “maybes” but the truth is, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to work again in any “normal” capacity.

So I take it day by day. What option do I have? Every day is a new day.

I’m grateful for the health of my family and friends.

I’m grateful for a business that will crawl across the finish line this year. It isn’t the year I expected but I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

So…as I wrap up the year and prepare to take some time off, I just want to say thanks.

Thank you to everyone who supported my small business. I am so grateful to all of you!

I look forward to better days in 2021!

headshot happy hour, part deux {headshot event, amy's winehouse, forest park, il}

Last year's headshot event was so much fun that I decided to schedule another one! 

I'm partnering again with Amy's Winehouse, in Forest Park, and this year, the lovely Sara Jean, makeup artist extraordinaire, will be joining in for a headshot happy hour event.

Due to time constraints, there are only 6 spots available that include professional makeup. Grab your spot NOW…Sara Jean is a magician!

Here's the details: 

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Location: Amy’s Winehouse, 7235 Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park, IL 

Booking Links:

Headshot Session $125

Headshot Session with professional makeup $200

All paid sessions include a glass of wine and charcuterie...but you should definitely stick around afterward to mingle. (Additional food & wine will be available for purchase)

Fine Print: Each session will last 5-10 minutes and includes 1 image, fully edited* and delivered in color and black & white (2 total files). If you book a session with professional makeup, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your booked session. Within 2 weeks of your session, you will receive a password protected online gallery from which you can choose your favorite image. Additional files are available for purchase.

*Editing includes: color correction, exposure, light skin smoothing, and stray hair removal. Editing that goes beyond that will incur additional fees.

Send me an email if you have further questions: joey@littlebittyproductions.com

getting to know you... {oak park headshot event}

“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”
-Alfred Eisenstaedt

One of the things I love most about my job is that I meet so many people. When I'm photographing families, If I'm doing a good job, I get to see many of them on a (fairly) regular basis. The better I know my clients, the easier my job becomes. 

For headshot clients, I may not see them as often. But, if I'm doing a good job, I get a LOT of referrals. A LOT. My headshot clients are quickly gaining on my family clients!

(this is me, doing a happy dance!)

I think it is important to be tuned into what my client wants & needs from me, especially regarding headshots. It's not enough to sit them in front of my lens & release the shutter a few times, I want to know how they see themselves and get a feel for their comfort level. These photographs will represent them to potential employers, clients, etc and it's important that people feel good about how their headshot looks. It's crucial that they be comfortable. 

Many times, I hear "You're the professional. You tell me what to do." While this is fair to say & I do plenty of guiding, I often don't REALLY know your quirks. So many people have a "good" side...did you know that? Do you have one? Take a quick scan of your photos (selfies count) & see if there is a pattern. If so, then you fall into the "good" side group.

This isn't a bad thing. In fact, this is great info to share with your photographer! This is information I can use! 

I hope that my most recent headshot clients LOVE their portraits. I am always so thankful to be trusted with such an important & intimate job.