welcome to the world, baby girl! {oak park, il newborn photographer, oak park documentary photographer}

“What strange creatures brothers are!”
― Jane Austen

This lovely family recently moved from California to Oak Park & I had the pleasure of being invited into their home as they welcomed their sweet, baby girl into the world.

This sweet girl is lucky enough to have 2 big brothers who are ready to jump in and help out…well…right now they have shenanigans to attend to but I believe that in time, they will be her biggest champions!

It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to document these moments for people. I recognize the trust that is being extended to me and I do not take that lightly.

october...{oak park, il family photo session}

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L. M. Montgomery

We are past the halfway mark for October and in the past few days, the colors have finally been poppin’! Do you have a favorite autumn ritual? Is it apple orchards or pumpkin farms or…just enjoying all the wonderful changes that take the world from bright green to warm reds, oranges, and yellows?

For me, it’s really about watching the green disappear. I’m just going to say it…photographing super green environments makes me bananas. I need a little variety to break it up…flowers, prairie grass…something besides ALL THE BRIGHT GREEN!

Don’t get me wrong, I love when everything is blooming and green. But I prefer to photograph in more urban environments when the world is blanketed in lush, green grass. Give me sidewalks & brick walls & pops of green…I could keep going but I won’t bore you with more color talk.

Instead, I’ll share a few images from tonight’s session.

Those colors though…amiright?

this is fall in the midwest...{oak park, il family photo sessions}

“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.”
― Chad Sugg

Well, friends…here we are. We talk about it & wish it would arrive & then autumn is here & suddenly…we’re scrambling to do the things we’ve been so anxiously looking forward to.

Apple picking, pumpkin farms, sweater weather…all things I love about fall.

Rain, unpredictable weather shifts…not totally loving these things.

Today was especially tricky because we had wind gusts up to 22 mph. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not fight the wind during my family photo session.

Luckily, my clients are braver than I and and we took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and moderate temps.

It’s here, folks…welcome to fall in the midwest. Enjoy the sunshine when it comes out & invest in a cute sock hat (I like the Free People sock hats…they don’t pay me to say that).

catching my breath {oak park fall photos}

“Everything turns, rotates, spins, circles, loops, pulsates, resonates, and repeats.”
― Suzy Kassem

October is the busiest month for most family photographers. It can feel a bit overwhelming, at times, but when you finally reach the (almost) end, the relief is EPIC.

I have 3 more sessions to finish up the month and MANY sessions to edit, so I’ll keep this brief.

If you haven’t already scheduled your session for fall, I have bad news…you may have missed it. This week, the colors are finally bursting & in a few days, they will all be on the ground (sad trombone), plus…I am booked until December.

So, maybe you can schedule a winter session?

Enjoy the beautiful day!

wrapping up september sessions...{chicago family photo session, humboldt park}

Now that I’m knee deep in fall photo sessions, it feels calming to look back to a less hectic time…I mean, it was only about a month ago that I shot this beautiful family, but it seems like longer!

(October feels like a steamroller, so I’m trying to take my moments when I can.)

This session was led by an adorable 2 year old. It was a beautiful, warm, summer-like day in mid-September…these are the best days…the little breaks before the weather changes & we all need our coats & boots.

Enjoy these sunny, warm family photos!

summertime...{oak park, il photographer}

"We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer's wreckage. We will welcome summer's ghost."

-Henry Rollins

19 family sessions, 11 headshot sessions, 220 hours of editing (this is part time, summer hours, by the way), about 70 hours spent at a swimming pool, various hours exploring our city, 1 camping trip, road trip to for weekend trip to Iowa, road trip for weeklong visit to Texas...how did you spend your summer "vacation"?

Now that it's September, it seems like a good time to post some snippets of summer. I wish that I was better about blogging as I go, but apparently this is who I am. I have the best of intentions but my execution is typically lacking.

For me, summer is not the easy, laid back affair that I remember it being when I was a child. It's a struggle to fit in any & all fun things for my kids, while still working full time, from home. It's a rush to the finish line...and I always breath a deep sigh of relief when it's over.

So, now that school is back in session (holla!), here's what I've been doing all summer (client-wise)...

Enjoy! And...happy end of summer!

word to your mother! {motherhood photo sessions, oak park, il photographer}

“But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run.”
― Barbara Kingsolver

This quote always gives me pause.

As much as I dream of a day with uninterrupted bathroom breaks, a car without goldfish crackers in every nook & cranny, and a day free of screaming, bickering children, I also know that this time is fleeting.

Every mom with a young child has been told to "enjoy this time...they will be grown before you know it!", or some variation of that. I'm sure this is sage advice, but it can feel...overwhelming, condescending, scary. Pick an emotion...it can make you feel all the things!

I take a lot of photos of my kids. Obviously. But, since I'm the one taking those photos, I don't show up in too many of them.

Over the years, we've booked family photo sessions. We've also taken family photos by setting the camera on a tripod & setting the timer. They were always fine & marked the moment in time, but I wanted something more.

Last year, I gifted myself a motherhood photo session. It was me & my boys. The images are beautiful & I could not love them more.

You know what else? I was not feeling particularly beautiful. I still "needed" to lose weight. My busy schedule made it tricky to find a time. My boys wouldn't "cooperate".

I could find a million reasons why I needed to postpone the session. But, I didn't.

I got my uncooperative boys to wear jeans (gasp!), put on clean shirts, brush their hair, and we drove an hour and half (in the pouring rain) to our session. We were late (of course). I was nervous and flustered. But, we did it. We survived! And now...I have the most beautiful images to document that moment in time.

Even though it was only a year ago, I look at the images & my boys look so much younger. Oliver still had his baby teeth (I know...he didn't start losing teeth until the end of 2nd grade). Milo still wanted to cuddle with me in front of strangers.

Most importantly, I'm in the frame. They will have proof of my existence.

Have you been putting it off? Forget about all the reasons why you can't. Do it for your kids. Do it for yourself. You won't be sorry.

(Book a session or get a gift certificate)

hop in my time machine...{spring & fall mini photo sessions}

"Photography is a form of time travel…A ghost preserved by light” -Neil deGrasse Tyson

Last week, I added Spring, Summer, and a few Fall sessions to my booking calendar. For those who get my newsletter, I included a few promo sessions with 2017 pricing.

These sessions can't be found through my regular booking link, but if you're still reading this blog post...you can follow this link & grab one of those sessions before they are released into the wild, at their regular price.

Take me back in time: Spring/Fall Session Promo

Grab your session soon, because the promo pricing is only good until April 15, or until all sessions are booked.

new addition! {oak park lifestyle newborn photo session}

“I don’t trust words. I trust pictures.”
-Gilles Peress

I'll never be accused of being the most eloquent person in the room.

Writing doesn't come easily for me.

The one place where I have always been comfortable is behind the camera, any camera. Put a person on the other side of the lens and it always feels right.

Quick shoots are great & I can almost always capture a great portrait, but I love nothing more than a slow, laid back lifestyle session. These are the sessions where I am able to relax, observe, and let the photo reveal itself to me. I can chat, engage, and help my client relax.

On the other side of these sessions, I am almost always in love with the images. They bring me joy and, hopefully, my client feels the same...