Life Updates and a Logan Square Newborn in Chicago with Big Fur Sister

Hello, it’s been a while! My busy season is slowly winding down, and it’s been the busiest of my career. Normally my fall rush ends at the beginning of November, but this year I’ll been going right up until a few days before Christmas. Great, and also exhausting amongst the holiday chaos! I am beyond grateful for all of the work and support this year.

And… I decided to foster a dog at the end of October, thinking I’d have a relatively chill November ;) Then an influx of work came in while having the world’s most anxious pooch in terms of separation anxiety and the past 6 weeks have been, let’s just say, a wild ride. At least it’s been a distraction from the constant “breaking news” and the dread from knowing I’m losing my health insurance in a few weeks. Hooray.

Now, onto the sunshine in my world- If you can’t tell from my portfolio, I LOVE a newborn session with a big fur sibling! People always ask me which sessions are my favorite to photograph and I jokingly say that’s like asking someone to pick their favorite child! I primarily photograph newborns and dogs separately but when they join together in a session it’s always my favorite. It’s another reason why I love in-home newborn sessions, so that all members of your family can be there; especially the ones with four legs! There are a lot of cute things in this world, but it’s hard to top anything more adorable than a pup sniffing their newborn brother or sister’s toes.

Some dogs are super protective of their new little brother or sister and never leave their side. Some sniff like crazy and some are aloof. Some can’t handle the crying! Some pout because they’re not the baby anymore. I try to remind them that in several months from those first few days, they’ll have a built-in best friend/food-dispenser sitting in a high chair and it’ll all be worth it! It’s so fun to see each dog react to their new little family member and I’m so lucky that I get to document these moments.

Big Fur sister sniffs her newborn baby brother’s toes during their lifestyle newborn session in Logan Square, Chicago with newborn photographer Courtney Laper

Mom and dad sit on the couch holding their newborn, looking at him lovingly, at their newborn photo session with Chicago newborn photographer Courtney Laper

newborn baby toes next to dad’s hands during a chicago newborn photo session with newborn photographer Courtney Laper

Dogs and Newborns and Love and Hope

Life is a lot lately. Almost 9 months of this dismal year that is 2025 and it’s felt like a thousand awful years. My mental health, like so many of yours, is not well. In order to stay in the game, in the fight, I have to not read the constant “breaking news” emails that are flooding my inbox all day every day. I can’t look at Instagram anymore. I’m exhausted. I hate it here and I’m feeling hopeless, which is what they want.

PS. The only hell/war-zone-ness about Chicago is ICE terrorizing innocent people and peaceful protestors. If you believe what they’re saying about our democratic cities, come visit and see yourself. I’ve never been more proud to be a Chicagoan.

In order to keep going, I have to try to find even the smallest moments of joy in this saturated darkness. My photography and dogs are what I’m gravitating to. I get to photograph moments of joy, love, hope and sometimes sorrow in end-of-life pet sessions. The highs and the lows of this life. It’s made my heart full, even more compassionate and most importantly a way to give back & to see the good that’s still in this world in spite of the hate thrown at us every day.

Here’s a little love, joy and hope to help brighten your day. Mr. O became a big fur brother and is slightly in love with his little sister. I adore this family so so much.

Keep going,

Courtney

Including Big Brother or Big Sister in Newborn Photos

Bringing a newborn home is daunting. Bringing a newborn home with a toddler - phew, buckle up! It’s a HUGE adjustment for everyone, but big siblings go from being the star of the show to having to share the spotlight in an instant. There can be big feelings and big meltdowns when life becomes all about the new baby; it can be tough for them. When people show up asking first to see the baby, and only focus on the baby, it makes them feel even more left out. (It’s kind of like that with moms also… Don’t get me started on the lack of support for moms, though.) I go into newborn sessions with older siblings SO excited for them. I go out of my way to talk to them first, get down on their level, play with them, etc. Then I ask them to show me their baby sister or brother. I show them images we’re making and ask for their help with holding feet/hands, making silly faces to get mom or dad to smile, wrapping the baby, etc. They want to feel like they’re part of the process, and this usually gets more participation. A win for all of us! I also can’t forget my silly noises, which works for getting genuine laughs & smiles from parents too as well as some head tilts from fur siblings. Animal noises of all kinds work and raspberries or toots, especially with little boys, are my go-to’s! Playing games with the noises also usually results in some cute moments - asking them what sound does a dog make, but making a “mooooo” noise before they respond, and asking if that was right, is always a hit!

Photographing kids requires a lot of patience and can definitely be challenging. But I get to act like a kid with them, be silly and just have fun. I often wish that my job was 100% photographing and 0% business because these moments make my “job” feel more like fun than work.

This session was so fun and I made a new friend! Big brother was such a joy to photograph and we became best buds. HIs mom still texts me that he asks about me and that makes me incredibly happy!