When (not-so-little) A moved to the area with her beautiful mom and dad I was very honored to be their family photographer of choice for their Chicago area move. I remember I spoke with Nikki early on, before the move, and she told me how important it was to find a photographer to capture their early times in Chicagoland. I was up for the challenge! We’ve created some incredible moments to remember through the years, truly an honor to be selected as someone to create memories with.

These sessions with clients always make me feel like one of my own is graduating again. When I saw Nikki at our session she said to me: “It’s like we’re family!”

Yes it is! What an honor to be thought of in the same way as I think of my Marmalade families. Because truly: Marmalade *is* family. I’ve said it time and time again, it makes me incredibly happy to see yet one of my Marma-kids graduating to the next stage in life. Not-so-Little-anymore A is a senior and is gorgeous and sweet and amazing to photograph.

“A” wanted flowers and I sought to deliver her the most incredible aesthetic area I could. I texted her mom a photo of one of my favorite locations in all its’ incredible September glory (I am telling you, my dear readers, I wax poetic about September for many reasons…this being one!!) and “A” immediately said “YES!”. I brainstormed with my dear friend Dawn over at Stella Mae & Co. Flowers (who is such an amazing Chicago area floral artist!!) to create a beautiful crown of wildflowers for not-so-Little A to really create a beautiful high school senior session for this young lady. Dawn truly delivered for us. I chose the wildflowers but she did all the design and assembly work and frankly I didn’t even fully envision this crown and yet it is exactly what I wanted for “A”.

Without further adieu here are some incredible IC Prep High School Senior Photos of beautiful, incomparable “A” and her mom (and crown of glory by Stella Mae & Co.)!!

I cannot wax poetic about my history with photographing this beauty without showing off a couple of highlights through the years…

How fast it all goes…how important it is to cherish it all. Love this family and again, this post is a mixed bag of love, laughter, happiness and sadness rolled into one. Thank you Nikki. Thank you “A”. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek.

Posted in High School Senior, High School Senior Photo Session
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If you’re coming from the newsletter big apologies as the email should have linked to the main page for the mini event which is HERE

Mini session announcement for fall 2023 by area Chicago photographer Marmalade Photography

2023 brings back the beloved Marmalade Photography Fall Mini Session! Click the image above or HERE for details.

Over the years we have created countless memories for Suburban & Chicago families at our fun filled fun sized mini sessions.

Posted in Limited Edition Mini Sessions
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What an honor to be entrusted with photos of a growing family after having taken countless photos of them through many of the “growing up” years…

Thank you to the D Family for honoring my work and having me out for a photo session to include the two newest babes to the family. It is always a delight to work with you all, to have a few brief moments to catch up and to see how beautifully everyone is doing.

Last time I saw them they were undergoing a major life change in the growth of their family and it brings joy to my heart to see how beautifully they are growing! You can click to see the link for their previous sneak peek. Once again their lives are growing, evolving, as all our lives do. I love the fact that this family takes the time to document these in between moments that end up being so much more than just “in between”.

When we think of our childhood homes we often recall the photographs on display, the wall displays of photos, we likely take note all images of family that we may not be part of. The overarching theme here is that we remember a sense of belonging in photos of ourselves, that of which we are included in.

Decorating your family home with photographic works, of portraits of family and the children that live there contributes to an overall sense of well being, of belonging to something, of understanding that they are part of the fabric of everyone’s lives. Currently I am working on my new website (still, I mean it’s 18 years in the making!! 🙂 ) and am trying to put into words this sense of belonging and how, in my own life, not seeing myself in photos with my parents and siblings gave a sense of disconnect. Nevermind that logically I was the youngest by SEVENTEEN years…

In this sneak peek I linked to a past session with this family. During that session before we started on the business of photographing I had a very significant moment for me as the youngest pulled me aside and showed off the portrait I made of her when she was a wee one. She said “That’s me!” and was filled with so much joy at seeing herself included in the many beautiful pieces of family artwork in the home. In 18 years of photographing people and places and things this may be one of my biggest defining moments, to actually comprehend what photography means to the next generation.

Are you looking for a photographer that can create Chicago photos at home for you & your family? My name is Marianne, I’ve been photographing families & children since 2005 and I would love to help create beautiful memories to decorate your home and your lives with. 815-603-8450 is my number and I’d love to chat!

Posted in At Home Photography, Chicago Children's Photographer
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This young lady has a special place in the heart of Marmalade <3 She is family and it was a pleasure to be able to photograph her for her senior session.

When I get to photograph someone in some of my favorite spaces it brings me joy…especially when it’s been a good fat minute since I have taken camera to said space. Last time I did client sessions there I think it was still in the single digits of the century…soooo at least 13 years. The opportunity to do this session here came up and I was so excited…

…and while I don’t think the location is *everything* in a photo it certainly does matter! The colors, the light and the mood of an image are often influenced by setting. The way the light falls directionaly, the time of year the imagery is captured, the aesthetics and the environmental features of a space influence the overall images. It may even have some sort of airy spiritual meaning for me as the photographer…something FEELS right in this space, for sure.

(and that bares the question of why haven’t I been there in so long?!?! 🙂 )

ANYWAY since this is sneak peek time let’s get to the story. I was privileged enough to have photographed this former “Little” years ago for her parents wedding…well it’s the present future now and she & I took the theme “Flower Girl” literally…she’s still living that life in these images! 😀 I absolutely love that!

So without further adieu I present this Coal City High School Seniors photos sneak peek. FROM FLOWER GIRL to FLOWER GIRL (waves magic wand and makes life fast forward about 16 years)

Are you in the far southwest suburbs and in the Coal City, Diamond, Wilmington, Shorewood or Minooka area looking to create photos for your high school senior year (or family or child or baby photos?). Marmalade Photography is a professional photographer specialist in child, family photography with over 18 years of experience photographing people, places, things and events! Give us a call at 815-603-8450 to touch base and see if we are a good fit and let’s create some *magic*!

Posted in Chicago Professional Photographer and Suburban Chicago Professional Photography, High School Senior, High School Senior Photo Session
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I shared the above photo of this sweet happy baby boy on my Facebook page the other day and I am so glad that it received the love that it deserves…because…Little Roo?? While he isn’t quite a walker (yet) he moves lightning fast and that crown came down in zero seconds flat! 😀

Baby boy: how is it you’re almost ONE?! Where is time going? I swear it was just yesterday that I photographed your mom’s maternity session…and your newborn photo session! In fact this past year of getting to know you has flown by so fast, it truly highlights the go to saying of people who’ve already experienced raising a child:

“The days are long but the years go fast.”

It’s true! I see it in front of my lens all the time!! And as the photographer who is lucky enough to see this growth via my camera I assure you that before you know it you’ll be sitting in the stands at high school graduation.

UGH.

But we aren’t there yet! Thank goodness. 🙂

A big thank you M & P and the rest of your beautiful family for entrusting me with capturing these most precious of memories…when little Roo was an itty bitty. The phrase above will be uttered someday about him (and his soon to be sibling!) but not yet. We still have sneak peeks to do, first birthday celebrations and a million other happy family events to experience before that time comes.

Capture the moments, the in between. It’s worth it. I’ve never heard a family express they regretted taking too many photos, too much video…only that there isn’t ever enough.

Is it time to capture all that is right now for the future? Are you looking for a Chicago area children’s and family photographer to work with you to create soulful, beautiful images of *the* moment? My name is Marianne Drenthe and I create works of art (from their works of heart) for families in the Chicago area. Like what you see? Want to know more? Call me! 815-603-8450



Posted in Chicago Baby Photographer and Chicago Suburban Newborn Photography
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