spring sessions...now booking!

So, I started writing this post on January 15 and then everything went south...

We had a plague that hit our home & had a total of TWO days in January that were without sick people. TWO days. 

Now that we are (mostly) on the mend, let's get back to our regularly scheduled programming, shall we?

2016 has come to an end and I, for one, am thankful for that. It was, at times, a very trying year for me.

Work was busier than ever, and for that; I'm so thankful. If there is a downside to that, it's that I missed out on a lot of time with my boys (all 3). I hear a lot of talk about work/life balance and "having it all". That this conversation is typically reserved for women is not lost on me.  If there is a formula or magic wand that can get me closer to "having it all", I haven't found it yet. In fact, I'm certain that this is a myth. 

my boys

With balance in mind, I'm working toward a more organized and thoughtful business schedule. I understand that September through December will always be a bit crazier than all the other months and I will embrace that, but I also hope to come up with a better session schedule and stick to it.

Without further ado, my scheduling calendar is up to date and ready for bookings through the end of May. 

Available Spring session dates can be found here: book your session

As an early booking incentive, any regular portrait session (1 hour or more) that is fully booked* by February 15, will receive a $100 file or print credit. 

I know that everyone is different and not everyone plans that far in advance, so I will do everything that is reasonable to fit in last minute sessions or alternate dates for current/past clients. Just send me an email!

Spring Mini session dates will be released this week, so stay tuned...

*the fine print: a session isn't considered fully booked until it is paid in full. to receive the early incentive file or print credit, sessions must be paid in full by february 15, 2017. 

Happy Holidays & a family session sneak peek {garfield park conservatory}

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” 
― George Burns

I hope that everyone is having a lovely holiday season, spending time with family, spending time alone, or doing whatever it is that fills your heart. 

We are spending time with family, in Texas, and currently winding down the first leg of our trip. We will be driving south today, to spend a few days in Houston...followed by the third leg of the trip, Dallas. When all is said and done, we are/will be exhausted, but it will all be worth it!

With family in mind, I wanted to share a little sneak peek from my final session of 2016. This adorable family is celebrating once around the sun for their little guy! We spent a Sunday afternoon at Garfield Park conservatory, a perfect alternative when the windchill is negative 20. Enjoy!

frightful weather...delightful offers {Minted discounts included!}

first snow

As my busy season winds down, I've been able to spend more time with family & friends. We've got a busy month ahead, filled with all things holiday: school events, parties, travel! We even got to enjoy our first snow over the weekend! (I had to pull out my camera...my camera has a winter coat, so if you want family photos in the snow, let's do it!)

So, the race towards the end of the year has begun. If you are still thinking about holiday cards or fine art prints, I've got promos for you! 

Print & File offers (available through your online gallery)

~20% off orders of $100 or more: use code wahoo20

~30% off orders of $250 or more: use code cyber30

~50% off full gallery upgrade (all files in your gallery, regular price $200): use code galleryhalf

Photographs make lovely gifts and if you're hoping to give a beautiful print this holiday season, you still have time to order! If print orders are placed by December 15, I guarantee hand delivery by the December 21 (for local clients). 

For those of you looking for beautiful holiday cards, I have a couple of promos from Minted & Tiny Prints (affiliate links & details below). 

Minted offer:

Enjoy 10% off holiday cards $100+, 15% off $150+. Use code: SENDCARDS. Offer expires 12/12.

I hope that everyone has a lovely and relaxing December, whether you are celebrating the holidays with family, taking it easy at home, or enjoying a vacation away from the holiday chaos.

who likes a good deal? {tiny prints discount code included!!}

I hope that everyone had or is having a restful break during the days that follow Thanksgiving. Since moving to the Chicago area almost 10 years ago, we miss out on the big family gatherings happening in Texas. Our Thanksgiving plans have varied from year to year...we've celebrated "friendsgiving" with a variety of wonderful friends and sometimes it's just the 4 of us.

No matter what, we continue to have an abundance for which to be thankful.

Here are some things I am thankful for (in no particular order): my family, my friends, coconuts, lip balm, my health, not having to eat any more turkey, and all of my amazing clients! 

To show my appreciation to my wonderful clients, I will be offering a really super deal on client galleries. Details will be sent on Cyber Monday (November 28)...so keep an eye out!

In the meantime & in the spirit of Small Business Saturday, I have an affiliate offer from Tiny Prints. (To be clear, little bitty productions is the small business to which I'm referring... not Tiny Prints.) 

40% off Tiny Prints orders (plus a bonus!)

If you've been thinking about ordering holiday cards,  I've got a great promo from Tiny Prints! Follow the link below & use the code TPPH6449C5 to receive 40% off your purchase PLUS 10 free custom envelopes. That's a sweet deal! This offer is good until 12/31/16, so get crackin! 

(The discount isn't limited to holiday cards, but can be applied to most other items. See the fine print for exclusions)

THE FINE PRINT: Offer expires 12/31/2016 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save 40% off and enjoy 10 free custom envelopes using the code TPPH6449C5 at checkout. There is no minimum purchase required for this promotion. Free offer applies exclusively to custom envelopes and is not applicable to previously placed orders, taxes, and rush processing charges. The 40% offer is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, gift certificates and personalized postage stamps. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.

an intimate wedding {chicago}

“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” 
― Roald Dahl

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of documenting the wedding day of Alexander & Carolina. I know I've said it before (when I blogged about their engagement photos), but they are truly lovely. Inside and out. I couldn't be more happy for them. It was an honor to be part of their happy day!

I got home late (for me, after 10 is late...I'm old-ish) and was up early to do family stuff...I should be napping, but I was too excited to see and share a few images. So, I will leave you with a few, for now...

family photo session {lincoln park zoo}

I'll be sending out several galleries tomorrow, including this fun family session at the lincoln park zoo...does it feel like fall yet? It definitely felt like fall 2 weeks ago, when we were just hoping the rain would stay away. Luckily, it did & we were able to romp around for a bit. Here's a few images to enjoy...

catching up on family sessions! {oak park & riverside}

I hope that everyone has been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather...I certainly have & I think my clients can appreciate November outdoor photo sessions that don't require layers & blankets. It can't last forever, but let's soak it in while we can! 

Here's a few sneak peeks from recent sessions...enjoy!

early morning mini sessions {oak park, il}

I normally like to write or muse about recent work or other points of interest, but since I'm still trying to catch up with my client work...I'm afraid I've got no witticisms to lay out for you. It's time to share some sneak peeks from a couple of recent mini sessions. 

I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing weather!

sunset photo sessions {riverside, il}

I'm finalizing my galleries from the weekend of October 22 & 23, including 2 lovely family sessions in beautiful Riverside. I'm excited to get caught up on editing and looking forward to delivering so many wonderful family galleries!

fall photo mini sessions...now with more fall color! {oak park, il}

Nothing can bring workflow to a halt quite like a trip to the emergency room, with your 3 year old. Happily, it was a minor hiccup and Milo seems to be on the upswing. 

{Deep breath}

Now I'm back at it & working on getting galleries ready for delivery...I try to deliver sneak peeks about a week after a session, but sometimes, things just happen. I'll keep chipping away at it and in the meantime, here's a little taste from 3 recent shoots. Until next time!

family sneak peeks {oak park, il}

I'm lagging on sneak peeks, but I pulled a few from last week's sessions.

I still have a few more sessions to catch up on, but hopefully I'll have those sneaks up in the next day or so. Until then, here are a few from a hybrid in-home/outdoor lifestyle session. These types of sessions are, by far, a favorite of mine. There's nothing better than catching people where they are most comfortable & at ease. It's always a pleasure and an honor to be invited in to capture a snippet of the day to day stuff...playing with a favorite toy, reading a book or just being silly. Enjoy this little peek...

sunset sneak peeks {oak park & st. charles}

On Monday, I'll be delivering about 8 family sessions plus a wedding. To say that will feel kind of amazing, is an understatement.

Until then, here's a sneak peek at 2 recent sunset sessions that I am in love with...enjoy!

fun family session {oak park, il}

I photograph a lot of kids in the 10 & under crowd. I enjoy it immensely, but I also love it when I get the opportunity to work with an older crowd. I like to switch gears as often as possible to keep my creativity on point (do the kids still use that phrase? or, should it be "on fleek"?).

When photographing young children, there is occasionally some level of anxiety that parents bring to the session. It's not unusual at all. I get anxiety just taking my 2 boys to the grocery store...it's completely reasonable that I might stress a bit if I'm putting them in a situation that isn't totally comfortable & normal for them.

Last week, I had the opportunity to work with a lovely family of four. The session felt so laid back & easy going (to me, at least) and the family seemed to have fun together. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect that families with teenagers are always going to be easy going & laid back...I was a teenage girl once. Let's just say, I might not have been so cooperative & lovely. 

At any rate, it was a great session and thoroughly enjoyable! I hope that the family feels the same and enjoys this little sneak peek of images from the day...

in search of fall...mini photo sessions {oak park & riverside, il}

We're 17 days into October and the high is supposed to be 80 today. Where is fall? I'm not one to complain about mild weather and I'm definitely not ready for winter, but I am having a heck of a time finding those lovely, warm fall colors. 

Fall colors notwithstanding, I'm having a lovely time meeting with new clients and reuniting with return clients.

Fall is still the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion...I'll keep searching for the elusive colors. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek from a few recent sessions...

a few sneak peeks: fall mini photo sessions

In the midst of wedding edits, I'm also working on all the editing that comes with fall photo sessions...Here's a quick look from this past weekend.

Happy Fall, y'all!

like a kid in a candy store

Today, I received a package full of beautiful things. I love getting packages in the mail...in particular, I love when prints are delivered. From almost every session that I photograph, I order prints of my favorite images. These prints are not to sell, they are for me. Maybe it sounds weird, but stick with me.

I have always considered myself a fine art photographer. I love film & beautiful prints, the bigger the better. When I was in college, I rarely made prints smaller than 11x14, but typically I printed 16x20. (That is probably why I was so broke...50 sheets of 16x20 paper wasn't cheap & I went through many boxes!)

I love to fill my home with art. Photographs, paintings, ceramics...any & all art. I frame my kids artwork and display painted rocks or found objects through my home. Art makes everything better!

I am asked by clients (and friends), on occasion, why photo prints don't look as good as digital files? There is more than one answer to this question, but one reason could be the print lab you are using. I have tested many labs, professional & consumer, and the results were extremely varied. There are some great labs out there and there are also some real stinkers.

When someone hires a professional photographer, the expectation is that they will receive professional images. This goes beyond what is captured in camera during a session and the fine tuning that happens in post production. When you receive your high resolution, digital files, that shouldn't be the end of the story. You've gone this far to create beautiful images...keep going.

The amount of time, effort (and money!) that a client & photographer spend preparing for a session, the session itself and post processing of images to create beautiful pieces of art should not be wasted by turning over the files to a lab that is not dedicated to producing the highest quality product possible. 

So, you're probably thinking this is all a ploy to sell you prints? Well...yes & no. Would I love for you to purchase prints from me? Of course! After all, I am a business.

I've tested many images & my equipment is calibrated to achieve quality results specifically with the lab I use. What does that even mean? It means that after I've spent hours editing & processing photos, what I see on my screen is what you will see when you receive your print.

If you decide that you aren't ready to purchase prints or would like to purchase elsewhere, I'm happy to recommend labs that do a good job. They may not be the exact quality, but they come pretty close. 

At the very least, please, please, please have prints made. Large prints for your wall, small prints for counter & desk top, books for the coffee table...just don't leave them in a file on your computer. 

Make your home beautiful...fill it with objects, painted rocks, and yes...photographs. 

recent client prints to fill my walls...(and one personal image){sizes pictured: 12x18 and 8x12)

fall photo minis are in full swing...

September started out with a bang...back to school time for the boys & weekends full of wonderful clients for me. It's been a whirlwind and that's just how I like it.

After a few family sessions and a wedding shoot, we took last weekend off! Me, Jeff, the boys, and Stella spent the weekend in Michigan. With 30 sessions on the books for October (and more in the queue), I felt the need to take a few days to rejuvenate. Fall is the most wonderful time of the year & I want to be ready for it!

But first...here are a few snippets from the past couple of weeks. See you back here in October!

engaged...

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” 
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

I'm super happy to share some photos from a recent engagement session. These sweet friends are perfection and I'm honored that I was asked to document this time in their lives. 

three day weekend

I hope that everyone is surviving back to school and maybe even had a relaxing, long weekend?

The first week of school was a little hectic, but we are finding our stride. It seems that Jeff & I are busier than ever, in regards to workload. Luckily, since I work for myself, I can say "Self...put your work aside for a few hours. Tend to all the things that are necessary to keep functioning (food, clothes, love *in no particular order/equally necessary*)...work will be waiting for you.

I had 4 sessions this week and 2 parties over the weekend. As you might imagine, my house is gross but my heart (and belly) are full. As it should be.

Here's hoping that everyone is getting back in the groove of schedules, bedtimes, and the looming end of summer...ignore those dust bunnies and get outside while it's 90 degrees this week! If you can find a swimming pool that's still open, even better! 

But first, enjoy these sneak peeks from the past week! 

a rainy, extended family portrait session

On Monday, I had a sunset session scheduled. 

On Monday, it rained all day.

{sad face}

I was convinced that there was going to be a break in the weather for our session, but that didn't really happen. Luckily, the family didn't mind a little drizzle & mist...they were such good sports! Besides the few photos that involved umbrellas, you can't really tell that we were getting pretty damp during our hour long session. Whatever it takes, right? 

Here's a little sneak peek of this gorgeous family...enjoy!