Bear on Oak Street Beach [Chicago Pet Photo Session at Oak Street Beach]

Have you ever seen a Bear on the beach in Chicago?! If you were at Oak Street Beach recently, you may have witnessed a spotting! This sweet pup Bear LOVES the water so of course we had to take his photos at the beach to show his love for Chicago and Lake Michigan. He ran on the beach with his mom and dad, chased the ball endlessly and loved on his parents. I was so impressed with his ability to find his ball in the crashing waves and his proud face every time he brought it back made my heart burst. I so enjoyed documenting this adorable family’s love for one another, and their love for Chicago.

Pet sessions are curated with your pet, and your family, in mind. We do what they/you all love doing at a spot they love. Sometimes it’s to celebrate a birthday, to announce a new family member or to document the city they love before they move. Or just because you love them so dang much your heart explodes every time you come home and you want to document that love. Every pet session is unique, just like your pet!

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!

Fresh 48 Photo Session {Prentice Women's Hospital Chicago}

I love Fresh 48 photo sessions, especially when I also photograph your little one at home a short while later. It’s SO fascinating to see how much they change in such a short amount of time. Fresh 48 sessions are typically done at the hospital, (but can also be done at home too) and this one was at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago. The views at Prentice are unbeatable as far as hospitals go so they make for some beautiful photos! This sweet little guy was born in the middle of winter so the twinkling holiday lights & decorations were still out. It was a cloudy day so the lights were popping. I photograph details like these because these little things are telling the story of your big moments, and are often the things that are most forgotten in the chaos of those first few days with your newborn. If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a details girl! Check out those little baby piggy toes below. And if you’re a Badger girl like me, just look past the Ohio State swaddle blanket ;) Stay tuned to see Mr. J at home for his lifestyle newborn session and see just how much he changed in a matter of weeks!