Pandemic Baby - AND Be Sure to Vote!

I was supposed to photograph this sweet girl's newborn photos in April. Then covid tore the world apart. We took some of her mom’s maternity photos the Friday before Chicago shut down in March. She was the oldest "newborn" I've ever photographed at two months, but she slept like a one-week old for the last half of her session.

Earlier this year, for over two months, I couldn’t photograph anyone. And it was heart-wrenching. Knowing new mamas weren’t getting those snuggly photos of those first few days or weeks with their littles made me so sad.

I’ll admit I was a bit nervous going into this session because two month old babies can be very unpredictable! I typically photograph babies between one week and a month new. The older they get, the less predictable they are in terms of sleepiness. Not that a baby needs to be asleep to get great photos, but it does make it a bit less challenging when they’re sleepy :) I mean, often times when a two month old is awake it’s because they’re h-u-n-g-r-y! Having said that, I do LOVE when a newborn opens their eyes during our sessions - I feel like I get a glimpse into who they are as a tiny little human! So with little Miss A’s session, I got the best of both worlds! Awake AND smiley and then some sleepy snuggly photos too. This was a nice “welcome back” session after a dark March/April/May.

PSA: Please go vote if you haven’t already! Our democracy, and the future of little girls like Miss A, is depending on all of us. Figure out your voting plan and do your civic duty. I did mail-in voting here in Chicago and dropped off my ballot last week. I received my confirmation of receipt the next day. Easy and safe, which is what we need in this pandemic. I obviously won’t tell you who to vote for, but for full transparency I voted Biden/Harris. I believe we need real leadership with compassionate people. And I believe America, but especially women, Black people, LGBTQ people, immigrants and the Earth all deserve better. I’m voting for basic human rights.

Sunny Day Heading Your Way - Chicago Lifestyle Pet Photo Session

Meet Sunny! She won the pet contest I held back in August and we did her mini photo session recently in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Her and her dog-mom met me at Frasca, a restaurant with a cute patio & a sangria stand, which was a beautiful backdrop for their session. I love love love twinkle lights in photos, especially in the fall golden hour! I had so much fun exploring my neighboring neighborhood with Sunny & checking out alllll of the painted mural walls, the L stop and of course the sangria stand. Sunny is only 6 months new, but she was surprisingly easy to photograph! Most pups that age don’t like to sit still for a photo, let alone pose like Miss Sunny! All of the patrons at Frasca, and the fellow dogs walking by, loved her too. It was so great to meet you, sweet Sunny. You’re bringing a lot of sunshine to people in this often-dark year :)

My Number One Tip For Getting Your Child To Smile in a Photo! Hint: It’s not cheese!

Tips for photographing your child

Parents are always telling me that their child either won’t smile for a photo or will make the forced “cheese” smile and it drives them crazy. I hear you! Children have been trained to do that in photos, even when having their photo taken by a professional. I’m here to tell you that the “cheese” just looks forced. Because it is actually forced! Put yourself in their shoes… do you smile when someone tells you to smile?!

If you’ve ever had a session with me, you know that I get silly with kids! I do whatever it takes to get those real smiles. Do this at home too! You know your child better than anyone and know what will make them laugh. Laughing photos are way more genuine than the cheese! My mom used to make us say “Fuzzy Pickles” when we were young because it was silly. Actually, she still does :P I recommend changing it up every so often though. The shock value will eventually wear off!

Number One Tip:

Play with them and get silllllly! Threaten to tickle them. Actually tickle them. Make it a game. If all else fails, make silly animal noises and ask them to repeat. My go-to is the pig who teases and says it’s going to tickle them!

Kids are so used to having phones and cameras in their faces all of the time and when you ask them to smile, or ask them for the cheese, it becomes more of a chore the older they get. And when they start to form their own opinions, watch out! You have to make it fun!

Have multiple littles?! Luck ;) Getting more than one child to look at the camera AND a real smile is tough! Up your improv game!

Tell Jokes or Ask Silly Questions!

Engage their curiosity, then be ready to snap away.

Take Photos of Them Doing What They Do Best

Do they love to dance? Play with trains? Swing on the swings at the park?

Capturing them in the moment, having fun, will give you natural smiles, laughs and playfulness because they’re already doing something they love to do! And with you there to cheer them on, it’s sure to make a great photo for you without the tears flowing.

Get Down To Their Eye-Level

Makes for a much more interesting photo and is better for connecting with them.

Infants can be a bit easier to get to smile because they haven’t received a diploma in the cheese yet and they’re genuinely curious about everything! Get down to their level, capture them crawling and exploring. The hardest part with these kiddos is that you’re engaged with their attention and then a big phone/camera comes up and can ruin the engagement.

Still No Smile? Grab It Anyway!

I LOVE non-smiley photos too! Not every moment in life is all-smiles. Show real-life, even if you have to put aside your original vision for that photo.