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?

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!

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.