Chicago children's photographer for every milestone worth remembering
Capturing the spirit of childhood.
Studio and outdoor children's portraits in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood
Capturing the spirit of childhood.
Studio and outdoor family portraits in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
Every Phase Is Your Favorite Phase. Until the Next One Arrives.
The chunky baby who could not roll over is now crawling at full speed toward everything she should not touch. The wobbly sitter who toppled over every thirty seconds is suddenly standing, then walking, then running away from you at the park.
It happens so fast it is almost cruel.
And somewhere between the sleep deprivation and the teething and the sheer physical exhaustion of keeping a small human alive, the months blur together. You look up one day and realize the baby you brought home is already a toddler with opinions and a favorite cup and a laugh that stops your heart.
These are the years worth documenting. Every single stage of them.
A Chicago Children's Photographer Who Speaks Fluent Toddler
Getting great photos of babies and toddlers is its own art form, and honestly one of my favorite things. You cannot pose a nine-month-old the way you pose an adult. You cannot ask a two-year-old to look at the camera and expect that to go anywhere useful.
What you can do is get on their level, move fast, follow their lead, and be ready when the magic happens. That is exactly how I work.
I have spent 16 years learning how to read babies and toddlers, what makes them light up, what makes them shut down, and where the best expressions are hiding. Spoiler: they are almost always hiding in the moments between the poses.
My studio is warm, stocked with outfits and props in every size, and designed to feel like a fun adventure rather than a formal photo shoot. Most kids leave not wanting to go home.
Chicago children's Sessions: Every Chapter Has a Portrait
Sitter sessions around 6-8 months
This is one of my absolute favorite sessions to photograph. Once your baby can sit up unassisted, a whole new world of personality opens up. They are expressive, curious, interactive, and still deliciously squishy. Sitter sessions capture that magical in-between stage when your baby is not quite mobile enough to escape but expressive enough to completely steal the show.
First birthday sessions
Turning one is a big deal and deserves its own celebration. We document the milestone with beautiful portraits, then we bring out the cake and let the chaos begin. Cake smash sessions are messy, hilarious, and produce some of the most joyful images I have ever created. Fair warning: the photos from the cake portion are almost always everyone's favorites. And we can finish it off with a 'splash' - a fun tub session that is usually the favorite part for your little one!
Toddler sessions 1-3 years
Toddlers have entered the chat and they have thoughts. Strong ones. Toddler sessions are a moving target in the best possible way: unpredictable, full of personality, and endlessly entertaining. I work fast, stay flexible, and follow wherever they lead. The results are always worth it.
Childhood sessions aGES 3-10
This is the age where their whole personality is on full display and it is absolutely worth documenting. They have opinions about everything, a sense of humor that genuinely surprises you, their own unique style and a way of looking at the world that is completely and uniquely their own. And yet somehow this stage flies by just as fast as all the others.
Childhood sessions are perfect for capturing who your child actually is right now, not just what they look like. The gap-toothed grin. The dramatic expression. The laugh that takes over their whole face. Studio sessions work beautifully for this age because we can focus entirely on them without outdoor distractions competing for their attention. Most kids in this range arrive a little shy and leave having the time of their life. It happens every single time.
How It Works
1
Reach out
Getting to know each other is a huge part of what makes a great session. It puts everyone at ease and sets us up for success! We will go over your goals for the session for where your baby is right now. I send a prep guide before every session so you know exactly what to expect and what to bring.
2
Session
Sessions take place at my Lakeview studio, warm, fully stocked, and designed for babies and toddlers. I work at your child's pace entirely. We take breaks when we need them, use every trick in the book to get those expressions, and follow their lead from start to finish.
3
Reveal+Order
This is the best part! 1-2 weeks after your photo session, you’ll come back to the studio to see your edited images. During this appointment we will work together to design something beautiful for your home. From large gallery walls or an album, to simple displays, we will create the perfect artwork for your family. Your complete order will be placed at this meeting, so we highly encourage you to have all decision-makers present.
4
Delivery
In 3-4 weeks your artwork will be ready. We are happy to arrange shipping or delivery and installation for you. Once your portraits are hanging on your wall you can enjoy them for years to come! And that's not all - many of our families visit us year after year to update their gallery walls or album collection with their changing family. We love seeing you each year and watching your family grow.
Chicago Children's Photography: Real Milestones, Real Personalities
What Chicago Moms Are Saying
What to Expect Investment-Wise
Here is how it works. A $900 booking fee reserves your session date and gets everything started. That booking fee includes your $250 session fee plus a $650 product credit that goes directly toward your wall art, album, or image box order at your appointment.
Most families invest between $1,500+ once they fall in love with their images at the ordering appointment. Which, in 16 years, has been every single family.
Artwork that
grows
with your family
Your family belongs on your walls, in albums, in something real and tangible you can hold. We create heirloom-quality wall art, custom albums, and image boxes designed to live in your home and tell this story for decades. Because your phone camera roll is not a plan.
Chicago children's Photography: Your Questions Answered
What age do you photograph for children's sessions?
Children's milestone sessions are designed for babies and children from around six months up to ten years old. The sweet spots are the sitter stage at six to eight months, the one year cake smash, and toddler sessions up to age three. For newborns under six months, visit the newborn photography page. For older children, we capture their unique personality and style!
What is a sitter session?
A sitter session is a milestone portrait session designed for babies around six to eight months old, once they can sit up unassisted. This stage is incredibly special because babies are expressive, interactive, and full of personality, but not yet mobile enough to disappear across the studio. It is one of the most popular and most rewarding sessions I offer.
What is a cake smash session?
A cake smash session celebrates your baby's first birthday with a portrait session followed by, you guessed it, a cake. We start with beautiful milestone portraits, then bring out a custom smash cake and let your baby do whatever they want with it. The results are messy, hilarious, and some of the most joyful images I create all year. Cleanup is part of the experience too. I clean it up, you get to go home and relax!
Do I need to bring outfits for my baby's session?
Nope. The studio client closet is fully stocked with baby outfits in every size, headbands, wraps, and props for every milestone session. You are welcome to bring something special if you have a specific vision, but you do not need to purchase anything. Just bring your baby and I'll handle the rest.
My toddler never sits still. Will this even work?
Every time. I have never met a toddler I could not photograph, though a few have given me a serious workout. I work fast, stay flexible, and follow their lead completely. Some of the most incredible toddler portraits I have ever taken came from sessions that looked like total chaos from the outside. Trust the process.
Do you offer outdoor children's sessions?
Primarily I work in the studio for milestone and one year sessions. The studio gives me full control over lighting and environment, which is especially important for unpredictable little ones. Once they are a bit older, outdoor sessions are available on a case-by-case basis, weather permitting and depending on your child's schedule, since the best outdoor lighting often conflicts with nap and bedtime schedules. We can talk through what makes the most sense for your family.
Can parents be in the photos?
Absolutely and I love when they are. Parent and child images from the milestone stages are some of the most treasured portraits families order. Just let me know when you inquire and we will make sure to include some beautiful parent/child shots in your session.
This phase is going fast. Let's Capture it!
Whether it is one milestone session or the whole first year, your baby deserves portraits as incredible as they are. And once they start walking it's game on!
Chicago children's photographer serving Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods including Lakeview, Northcenter, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Roscoe Village, Andersonville, Edgewater, Ukrainian Village, West Town, West Loop and beyond.
