a month of mamas: day 4 {oak park, il photo sessions}

“I am a mother and mothers don’t have the luxury of falling apart in front of their children, even when they are afraid, even when their children are adults.” 
― Kristin Hannah

To all the mamas who get shit done & keep on doing it, over and over again…

Interested in booking a session for yourself or someone that you adore?

A limited number of Summer & Fall Mini Sessions are available…book now!

a month of mamas: day 3 {oak park, il photo sessions}

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” 
― Washington Irving

Here’s to one of my favorite mamas…

a month of mamas: day 2 (sort of)...{oak park, il portrait photographer}

“Children are knives, my mother once said. They don’t mean to, but they cut. And yet we cling to them, don’t we, we clasp them until the blood flows.” 
― Joanne Harris

Tough as a mother…

(Interested in booking a session? Find dates & times here: Booking Calendar)

a month of mamas {oak park, il portrait photographer}

“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood - finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.” 
― Jodi Picoult

For May, I’m going to TRY to post a blog every day. Except for yesterday…I already missed that one…

I’ll only be sharing photos of mamas this month.

31 days of mom. Or, 30…

Let’s celebrate mother’s, shall we?

Starting with the gorgeous Q family…can you handle all the beautiful in this family?

word to your mother! {oak park portrait photographer}

“Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” 
― Donna Ball

Do me a favor and stop what you're doing (I know you just started reading this blog & now I'm asking you to stop reading...stick with me...or not?).

Take a look around your home and your Facebook/Instagram pages. 

When you look through the images that tell your story, how do they make you feel? 

Here's a better question: When your kids are older and they look back on these same photos (I hope you printed them...), how will it make them feel? Will the story make sense or will there be huge gaps? 

For somebody who takes up so much space in our hearts and lives, moms are suspiciously absent from our photos.

When you look through the photos in your home and on your social media accounts, how many include mom? My hope is that mom is in a lot of photos, but realistically, mom doesn't make too many appearances. I'm sure there are a million reasons why, including the fact that mom is usually the one behind the camera. 

"So when all is said and done, if I can’t do it for myself, I want to do it for my kids. I want to be in the picture, to give them that visual memory of me. I want them to see how much I am here, how my body looks wrapped around them in a hug, how loved they are."-Allison Tate

I think that quote pretty much sums up how I feel about mamas getting in the frame. Do yourself a favor and read the whole piece. It's a quick read, but maybe it will help give you the nudge you've been needing!

The Mom Stays in the Picture

I always try to make sure that my sessions include a few frames with just mom & kids, but I also offer a few mini sessions during the year that are only for mothers & kids. Any of the portrait sessions I offer can be Motherhood sessions, but since mom's tend to prioritize everyone but themselves, I like to give you the option to do something that is only for YOU. It's in the title, so it's just for MOM! Maybe you hadn't considered it before or maybe you just needed "permission"...

Whatever reason you've been using for not being in photos, can we agree that there is a huge reason why you need to put that aside & get in the frame? 

Our kids need to be able to see that we were there...we are/were part of the story. Part of their story.

So, whether you want to book a session that's especially for you or you want to book a regular session, just make sure that you grab a few frames with just you and the kids or just YOU. Why not?

Session date: April 27 & 28

Exact location to be determined as the date approaches.
If you'd like to book a Motherhood Mini, follow this booking link
(Motherhood session dates are not available on my regular booking calendar)
Motherhood sessions are for moms & kids only!

springtime? not so fast...{oak park & chicago area senior portrait sessions}

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.” 
― Marty Rubin

Every year it happens…March arrives and I’m certain that the ground will thaw and flowers will bloom and trees will once again be covered in green. By the time April rolls around, I start to feel a little defeated and I become desperate for warmer days and sunshine.

Everyday, I think “Today is the day. It has to feel like Spring. We NEED Spring.”

Finally, when we reach May, I forget how horrible and long the winter was.

Is it May yet? I would love to fast forward to May & be done with winter for now. Pretty please?

The next best thing that I can do is prepare for Spring’s arrival: plant seeds indoors and watch them pop out of their soil, plan for summer camp and maybe plan a few getaways.

Some of my clients are planning big things for Spring/Summer as well: I’ve got a couple of weddings booked, several corporate headshot events, and high school graduations.

Speaking of high school graduations…

My niece, who lives in Texas, recently came to visit & we spent a couple of days shooting her Senior portraits. You wouldn’t really know it by looking at her, but it felt very much like winter while we were shooting. On the plus side, the sun did come out…so…it could have felt worse, right?

How do you stay upbeat during these last months/days of winter? What are your plans?

happy NEW year! {oak park newborn photographer}

“Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” 
― A.A. Milne

It’s January 14 and my new year has been filled with new life.

My first clients of 2019 were a family of 4, whose newest member was a beautiful 6 week old boy. After that, I had the pleasure of photographing a long time client & her 3rd baby…a baby girl who was less than 24 hours old when I got to photograph her. Today, I got to photograph Tina Harle, a friend and fellow Oak Park photographer, and her family of 4, including her newest addition: a baby girl who was a little more than 24 hours old when I got to the hospital.

It’s always a little nerve-wracking when I’m photographing another photographer. You never know how it will all play out, especially when small children are involved. I know that my kids are terribly uncooperative with me, but they do ok with other photographers (usually). Tina and her family were amazing though…there’s nothing I love more than a client who tells me to do whatever I want & that nothing is off limits. I can just shoot what I see & document the moments as they happen.

Tina has a 6 year old who was there for the session. She was so sweet & caring towards her new baby sister…”teaching” her the alphabet, talking to her, combing her hair, and giving her lots of kisses. I was able to capture so many loving gazes from her…these were genuine moments! My newborn sessions aren’t staged, so what you see is what was occurring naturally. It was beyond adorable! It was not the experience that I had with my kids…Oliver wouldn’t go anywhere near Milo in those early days…I think he was terrified of him! HA! (We should all be a little terrified of Milo…just saying!)

It’s truly a gift to be invited into people’s lives, homes, and hospital rooms during these early, hazy, sleepless days. I do not take it lightly and I am so thankful that I get to be an observer of these real and special early days.

How’s your new year going?

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!

here comes the bride {oak park, il documentary photographer}

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” 
― Eleanor Roosevelt

A little over a month ago, I came across this post on a local Facebook page:

"Wise Moms, I'm looking for advice and recommendations for a wedding dress shop in the area for my Mom, who's nearly 70 and living with Parkinson's. Short of the long story: my parents were broke as a joke when they got married in 1968 and my mom wore a dress she made herself. (She had bought all the material and her college roommate was supposed to make the dress, but roommate dropped out of school and left town with the dress half-finished. My mom can't sew, but cobbled it together.) She's always hated her wedding dress. My sister and I want to make up for it by buying her a wedding dress she loves for their 50th anniversary this year. We'd love to take her to a shop that has a selection for "older" brides and a staff that will make her feel special and fabulous, despite her age and shakes. She never had any of the experiences she gave to my sis and I, and we want to pay it back!"

So many people posted comments to this sweet daughter with advice & words of encouragement. I did not, but I read & re-read the post a few times. I couldn't stop thinking about it. 

The next day, I sent a private message to this stranger who had been on my mind. I won't bore you with the planning & chatting, but I will tell you that I'm so glad that I made the decision to reach out.

Being a fly on the wall during this beautiful day was such an honor. These are the moments when I can say that, without a doubt, I am doing what I was meant to do. 

I loved meeting these amazing women & spending a few hours with them at House of Brides in Glen Ellyn! Here's a little sample of their magical day... 

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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.

 

once around the sun! {oak park lifestyle photo session}

Today I got to help celebrate the first birthday of Rhys!

It wasn't that long ago that I photographed his baptism...

Just a couple of years prior to that, I documented the wedding of the 2 lovely humans who made Rhys! 

It's truly such a gift to be able to tell their story as the years go by...it makes my heart happy!

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...

and baby makes 3! {chicago newborn lifestyle photographer}

“The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.” 
― Elliott Erwitt

With that quote in mind...enjoy a recent day in the life/newborn session!