“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
― Albert Camus
This is the time of year when my blog posts sort of disappear for a while…I try my best, I really do but…it is what it is, right?
Let’s be honest, I’m not the most prolific blogger but I do like to post some photos.
And with that…I’ll leave you with some fall photos.
Until next time…enjoy!
“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).
“What it boils down to is simple: If we want to drive progress in the world, we need to put girls in the driver’s seat.” – Kathy Calvin, CEO and President, UN Foundation
I want to share the tiniest teaser from an event that I got to be involved with yesterday.
I was inspired and humbled to be in a room with so many young women who are changing the narrative of what it means to be female. The room was full of smart, funny, and focused young girls and women and I got to be a fly on the wall and document the day.
I urge you to read more about this amazing organization: Girl Up.
In the meantime, enjoy a few images from the day…
#thefutureisfemale
“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
― Humbert Wolfe
Did you book a fall photo session?
Yes? Then it looks like you're all set! You can sit back and worry about other things...
Did fall sneak up on you without giving you a chance to secure a date for your family photos? No need to worry about it...you have options!
Check out some of the sessions that are open for October-December!
Let me know if you have any questions...I hope to see you soon!
Happy Fall!
Joey
(I have a few outdoor sessions remaining so if you have your heart set on outdoors, you might jump on that soon...there aren't many to choose from...)
“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.”
― Gabriel Garcia Marquez
August is typically my month off work. It’s why you don’t see very many posts from me.
I know…taking a month sounds like a really amazing vacation, but let me be clear: it’s not really vacation time. When you own and run a business, there really aren’t many “off” days. I only occasionally hire assistants, so the majority of the time I am my only employee & I think clearing my calendar or 1 month is a good way to “reset” myself. With fall shooting just around the corner, I need a little time to relax & catch my breath.
I usually spend at least a couple of weeks visiting family in Texas followed by a week or 2 of getting ready for back to school. I have plenty to do…so no worries that I’m living my best life while kicking back & resting (I do a little of that also…and I don’t feel bad about it!).
BUT…
There are exceptions to my rule…in the past, I’ve been contacted by clients who were planning to have extended family in town and on this rare occasion, they wanted family photos. If I am able to make that happen (like, I’m in town) then I’m happy to do it!
Today was another exception and I’m so happy that I was in town and able to take the job.
I had the honor of photographing a special event for my dear friend, Nallely. Today was her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration and I loved being able to be part of this special day.
What a fun day, full of all the people who love her and came to celebrate her!
Here’s a little snippet of today’s event…enjoy! I’ll be back in full swing by September!
“If I had a photograph of you
It's something to remind me
I wouldn't spend my life just wishing” - A Flock of Seagulls
Well…September is just around the corner and as promised, I’m ready to get this party started!
These sessions will be quick and casual and will capture your kids as they are: silly or serious (and everything in between).
To book a time, there will be a $100 session fee. This fee is non-refundable and books and holds your session time.
No digital files, prints, or print products are included in the session fee. Your edited images will be delivered via online gallery and you will be able to purchase the images you love a la carte or as a collection.
Print pricing starts at $25.
Find and book your session: Studio Sessions
Need more info? Send me an email!
Sessions will be held at my Oak Park studio, located at 38 Lake Street.
“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is thereby a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.”
― Ansel Adams
As most of you have figured out by now, I’ve recently moved into a shared studio space. With this new dedicated space, new opportunities present themselves and I’m excited to share a little of what I’m up to.
It has never been my desire to spend my days in a traditional studio, churning out posed family photos. I’m happy to do them but I will always be better at allowing moments to unfold while I document and catch the candid moments.
These are the moments that bring me joy. They are the images that my clients love.
Beginning in September, I’ll be offering in-studio portrait sessions. Not headshots (though, I continue to shoot tons of headshots in studio and on location), but simple and beautiful portraits.
These portraits sessions will vary from single sittings to families and will still feel very much like the images that my clients expect from me: fun and modern.
So, without much chit-chat and blathering on from me, I’ll share a few images from recent studio sessions…
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
― Albert Camus
Fall booking is underway!
If you haven’t already booked your session, now is the time…Many of the weekend options have been booked but a few have been added.
As usual, mini sessions are limited and there are only 3 fall days with mini sessions remaining.
Find your session here (hover and click on the session you’d like more info about)…
If you’re interested in booking other types of sessions and don’t see a link for booking here, send me an email and let’s chat! joey@littlebittyproductions.com
“How often have the greatest thoughts and ideas come to light during conversations with the family over the evening dinner?”
― E.A. Bucchianeri
I can never say no to an invitation to family dinner night.
I’m not even talking about my family…I’ll bring my camera and be a fly on the wall at YOUR family dinner. I love to witness the rituals, hear stories, and just be there to document the moment.
Tonight I got to spend time with my friend (and client) and her family during their Sunday family dinner. I loved hearing her grandparents stories and being able to let the kids be silly for the camera…there’s a level of comfort for clients’ that comes with being in a space that’s familiar to them. Everyone can relax a little and just let things unfold.
How about you? What does your family session look like to you? Let’s chat & make it happen…
It’s almost time…
Shooting and editing a wedding is a labor of love. So much time is spent planning followed by time spent at the actual wedding and, finally, weeks spent going over all the images to cull and edit down to only the best images from the day.
In a lot of ways, it is a huge relief to complete and deliver the images. I know that family & friends are anxious to see images, so it feels good to know that they can now share the story of their day.
In other ways, it’s a little like saying goodbye to a friend. I’ve spent so much time with these people, it’s a little sad to move on.
But…it’s almost that time…time to deliver and say goodbye to these faces that I’ve been looking at daily, for almost 6 weeks.
I also want to share a funny story from the wedding (with permission from MIB!): Take a peek at the first image of the bride and groom with the cake. Do you see the looks on their faces? That’s not their cake!
You read that correctly…THAT.IS.THE.WRONG.CAKE.
I found out about the cake after the wedding and then I caught this while I was editing because in the moment, they rolled with the punches. And, in case anybody is wondering…the venue made up for the mistake. All good…
I’m planning to finish up this week, but in the meantime, here’s the last peek from the Holzer-Hall celebration!
Shout out to Tina Harle, my right hand gal and second shooter.
“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.”
― Pablo Neruda
It’s been 3 weeks since I had the pleasure of photographing Anna & Matt’s beautiful wedding! Three weeks! It doesn’t seem possible…but here we are.
I’m about halfway through my editing and wanted to share a few more images from their day…I hope to roll out 1 more sneak peek before I deliver their images.
Enjoy a few portraits that we were able to sneak in between the drizzle and downpour!
“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”
― Charles Dickens
Today I met with new clients who drove a little over a 1000 miles to have their sweet 11 month old baptized. The ceremony was intimate and sweet, followed by a fun dinner at a German beer hall…
Are all baptisms this fun? If so, sign me up…
“There are invisible lines
connecting everything together,
and I am particularly fond of
the one that connects me to you.” -Brian Andreas
I realize that it’s June 3 and May is behind us…
Speaking of being behind, I dropped the ball in keeping up with my “month of mamas”, which is not surprising as I’ve been killing it over here, doing all the momming! LOL, as they say…
So, today I will talk about something that I don’t enjoy talking about: myself.
I’m a woman. I’m a photographer. I’m a creative. I’m a mom. I’m a daughter. I’m a wife. I’m a friend.
I try to do all these things and I don’t always do them well. Every day, my goal is to do better than the day before.
I have good days and great days and bad days and sad days.
My motivation to create is sometimes off the charts. Some days though, it is barely noticable.
The struggle is real…every day and in every way. But I wouldn’t change a thing…
Today, I celebrate the fact that I made it through the weekend on barely any sleep, shot a 10 hour wedding on Saturday, spent all day Sunday (11am-7pm) watching my boys play their sports ball of choice: T-ball & Baseball, respectively.
I celebrate the fact that, after that weekend, my entire family woke up at 7:45am (in a full blown panic) but I still made breakfasts (to go), lunches, and managed to send them out the door fully clothed and ready to kick ass (not literally, I hope).
After the morning chaos, I met with 1 of my partners at our new space and went over floor plans and general business stuff and I had tacos for lunch. #winning
How about you? Are you celebrating yourself today?
"Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight” -Frank Sinatra
Yesterday, I spent the day documenting the wedding of Anna & Matt. These 2 could not have been sweeter or more gracious from the beginning of our talks of working together until we said our goodbyes last night. What an honor to witness such a lovely day!
I have a lot of photos to pore over, so I will share a little at a time…relax & enjoy the slow roll out of their day.
Huge thanks go out to:
Tina Harle Photography, who second shot for me and captured the groom & groomsmen while I was with the bridal party!
Hair and makeup by the fantabulous Sara Jean Stevens!
“You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
What mood is that?
Last-minute panic.”
― Bill Watterson
So. My goal of posting a month of mamas has gone pretty smoothly. There have been a couple of late entries & some combining of days, but all in all…I’m feeling pretty good about mostly keeping up with it.
This year has been my busiest and for that, I thank you kindly! Blogging has never been something that I have consistently kept up with because I am a photographer first and all of the other stuff gets done when I am able to manage it.
In a perfect world, I am able to do all the things: shoot an amazing session, edit the session in record time, post a blog that is engaging and witty and maybe brings a tear to one’s eye…lather, rinse, repeat. All while being the best mom, wife, and friend that I hope to be.
In the world I currently inhabit, aka “the real world”, I work full time running my business and have 2 young boys, a husband, and a dog who all need my attention. At this very moment, my 6 year old is telling me about his Beyblades (is that how you spell it?) and I’ve had to stop typing multiple times and re-read the same sentence at least 20 times.
Since the end of April/beginning of May, we’ve also added T-ball/baseball to our rotation. This consists of 2 kids in 2 different locations (sometimes on the same day) for 2-5 days a week.
Let us not forget the end of school chaos. It feels like a years worth of activities and celebrations are stuffed into the month of May. I know that this must be a survival tactic for teachers, but it is A LOT for parents, working or otherwise.
This is my life. Sometimes stuff falls through the cracks. I would probably call myself an “okay-ish” mom, wife, and friend…but I try. I really do.
All of this to say…I’m “cheating” a little but I want to continue my month of celebrating mamas!
So, here’s to the mamas who are doing their best everyday! I salute you! I am you! We are the same!
“They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday. ”
― Brian Andreas
Today, I had the honor of photographing a lovely, intimate wedding at The Plant, which is located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The space is housed in a former meatpacking plant & full of natural light…a dream for any photographer.
Enjoy this quick look at a few of the images…
Congrats to Jamie & Alex!
“You don't have favourites among your children, but you do have allies. ”
― Zadie Smith
To the mamas who love without condition, even on the days when it’s really hard (and we all have those days, right?)…
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
― Marcel Proust
Wishing this beautiful mama a happy birthday!
“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.”
― Dorothy Parker
To the mamas who know the days are long but the years are short…
