Lifestyle Newborn Photo Session with Mr. J in the Loop [Chicago]

Coming back at you with Mr. J’s in-home newborn session this time! I love love love seeing just how much a newborn baby changes between their Fresh 48 session and in-home session. Mr. J was here for two days when we did his Fresh 48 session at Prentice Women’s Hospital and was about a month new when I went to their home in the Loop. I also photographed Mom’s maternity session so I’ve really gotten to know this beautiful family and adore them so much! If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a sucker for animals but especially animals and babies together. These humans are also wild about animals, which is why I think I love them so much! They currently have a dog and a cat but have fostered many others before as well. This session was one of the few where it was a challenge to get everyone together but we still managed to get the animals in some photos. Franklin, big dog brother is realllllly old and wanted his space while Leon the cat, who is normally more like a dog according to his parents, was rather aloof this day! Some of my favorite moments, though, were when they were sneaking in the photos trying to get glimpses of their new baby human brother. Both were always close by, watching to make sure I was good for their little human brother. Introducing Mr. J and his big fur brothers!

Sunny the Dog Becomes the Best Big Sister! [Roscoe Village Newborn Photo Session]

To say I adore this family would be the biggest understatement! I met Sunny and her mom & dad at the Horner Park Farmer’s Market last spring and we got to talking after our dog’s met. My dog Emmie doesn’t love ALL dogs, but she liked Sunny and it made me quite happy! (It’s so hard to meet people as an adult and I’m so thankful for Emmie, who is often the ice-breaker!) These two are the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve met in a long time. I didn’t get their info at the farmer’s market, but I had Sunny’s name and found her on Instagram later that weekend. No shame here, I tracked her down! When Emmie DOES make friends, we need to keep them close by ;) Thus began our IG friendship! Later that summer, Ali announced Sunny was going to be a big sister & I’d been dying to photograph this gorgeous patch of wild Asters around this time. So, I asked them to model for me for a quick little sunset session, and we got the most amazing sunset. I was honored when they asked me to photograph them at home for baby girl’s newborn photos. I had the best time documenting this adorable little family of four and love watching Sunny shine in her new role. I only wish I could’ve stayed all day with them. Welcome, sweet baby girl. You’ve got the best mom, dad and fur-sister in your corner!

Mr. Oliver's Lifestyle Newborn Session at Home [Lakeview - Chicago, IL]

Repeat clients and families are so much fun for so many reasons. I get to watch your family grow, of course, and already know your kiddos so it makes it a little easier when photographing them. I got to meet Mr. Oliver and see his two big sisters and how much they’ve grown since I last saw them. I photographed his mom’s maternity session when she was pregnant with his older sister who was born in the height of the 2020 pandemic. While we had planned to do newborn photos for her, the world intervened. Miss A was two months old when we did her “newborn” photos but she ended up sleeping like a newborn at the last half of her session. Little brother was the same, even though he was about two weeks new here. He didn’t want to miss anything his big sisters were up to and was so alert, taking in his new world. I LOVE when newborns have their eyes open during their sessions. I feel like I can get a glimpse of who they are. Obviously there’s way less posing involved when they’re this alert, but it’s a trade-off! Oliver eventually did fall asleep for a few minutes at the end of his session so we got the best of both worlds in terms of the newborn photo world. Check out this cutie pie from one of my favorite families in Chicago!