Whew. It’s been a week!! I think Mercury is in retrograde already, my phone has been acting wonky. My computer keeps giving me errors. My web server isn’t forwarding me emails like it should and always has…definitely a problem above my pay grade…LOL My youngest had her very last homecoming dance this past Saturday and it was more insane than usual (I’m not sure why senior year does this to us mamas and the seniors!), the light was off, in this photographer’s opinion, and it was way windy. Thank goodness the weather settled by the time I had a mini session that evening but honestly everything seems to be off just ever so slightly for the past week. Not so much that I feel like things are spinning out of control but more like I can’t hit pause long enough to actually accomplish any one task.
Ahhh the life of a mom with teens and tweens. We all think it’s going to be hunky dory and then one little mishap turns into fifteen. 😀
However I had THE most amazing session with some repeat clients about a week ago. I think this session had all the stars align for the weather, the lighting and of course the scene. We mixed in a beautiful family that I know and love and the rest is pure magic.
On Location Photography in Chicago
I traveled to the far North side near the Loyola campus for this session, I was so excited to see this family as it has been a few years since I last caught up with them. I say this time & time & time again, I know y’all are sick of hearing me say this, but honestly after my session with my families/kids is done it’s like time for that family has frozen. So when I am confronted with almost men and young ladies after last seeing school aged faces it is a little startling. But then I quickly remind myself that yes, time passes. All too quickly actually. And I remind myself that my sole purpose as a photographer, my personal credo, is to stop time, capture personalities and relationships and do so in as artful of a way as I can. So I re-centered myself and got to it.
Look at these flashbacks for just a moment though…and I want to briefly discuss the value and importance of prints as I do this because I could NOT find the following image until I went in my “media” files on this blog and dug this fun image up. It is TRULY one of my favorite baby images of all time. ALL TIME folks. ALL TIME. E and Lisa came out to the studio for one of my Mother’s Day Minis back in 2009 and we captured this and a bunch of other truly captivating images but this stands out as one of my faves of forever. AND I COULDN’T FIND IT on any of my drives or discs (back when I used to burn discs). It was gone like it never existed……EXCEPT it does exist in the real world as a beautiful black and white print in this families’ home. THANK GOODNESS.
And of course this low resolution web version that is constantly backed up on my blog. But this, my friends, is why I love prints. THIS IMAGE RIGHT HERE is why they are so priceless and valuable. Because this serious face full of seriousness dressed in a beautiful fuzzy pink sweater is just full of sweetness and smiles now. Gosh I love this girl:
Now look back at “The Dictator” photo from 2009 and look at this nex timage just a few months later. Oh my gosh, my HEART! This baby growing up right before my lens:
Family image from 2009 ^^
And now we move a few years later to 2012. Lisa with the boys:
There’s our cutie E with her handsome dad and brothers and beautiful mom. Almost as serious as before except…
Not so much really!
When I say I love photographing personalities I really mean it!!
So a few more sneak peek images because I know that Lisa and Jeff would really love to see what we created a week ago…beautiful images of this slice of their current life:
Truly a beautiful night out on the water…
And beautiful light in the home…
…and under the street lights
Ahhhhh…what an extraordinary night. What an extraordinary session with equally extraordinary folks. Much love!
Listen, I am no stranger to the passage of time. In the fourteen years I have been photographing families I have watched babies grow up, school aged kids graduate high school and go on to accomplish BIG things and have watched families grow. I love what I do, I believe that your family should be captured artfully and with a specific vision. I believe no two families are alike and even more so I believe in the unique qualities of every person I photograph. If you too believe in those things and if you’re looking for a professional photographer with experience, with vision and the portfolio to match to create some on location photography in Chicago … or the ‘burbs … or for travel even beyond Illinois (I do that and love traveling to my clients!) give me a call. I am your girl (er…woman).
My name? Marianne. My game? Professional photographer for beautiful kids and families in Chicago and beyond. My phone number? 815-603-8450
Thank you for taking a look at some of my on location photography in Chicago. 🙂
