Chicago Family and Child Photographer

Chicago and Suburban Children’s Photographer : Gosh, it’s been awhile….

Well well well, I’m about a week behind in posting news and updates. Welcome to the busy season! 🙂

Before we get going, I’m totally into The Feeling. Sewn.

First of all, yes, there are still several slots available for September 30th and my Limited Edition Sessions at the studio. Please click to see details HERE .

Secondly…I just returned (late late last night) from several days with some photography friends at one of my favorite vacation destinations. The Seaside/Watercolor area near Destin is just so amazing. As a family we’ve vacationed in the area several times and to go by myself (and an almost dozen of my friends), during a tourist lull was just fantastic (September is still gorgeous in terms of weather but slow season due to summer’s end). The only thing I would’ve changed is to be able to hang out on the beach a bit more…

beach grass

sea gull

conch shells

maybe have shopped a bit more…

maybe hung out a bit more and checked out the scenery…

However I loved every minute of getting to just BE and not worry about the HUGE LONG TO DO LIST that sits atop my desk. Welcome back to reality. 🙂

On that note, tomorrow I’ll be sharing some sneak peeks and Baby Loves Disco highlights from the weekend of the 14th. Thanks for stopping in…

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Jen - September 22, 2008 - 8:08 pm

Aaahh, how lucky you (and your friends) are! Beautiful photos Mare.
PamN - September 23, 2008 - 6:17 am

Wish I could’ve gone…maybe next time. Love your photos, so colorful and just evoke the whole beach feeling!
diana simpson - September 23, 2008 - 11:25 am

great trip
Anna-Karin - September 24, 2008 - 10:12 am

Oh I so wish I could have gone. Looks like you had a great time and I will plan better in order to attend next year instead.
Love your detailed shots!

The Flowers Have Officially Arrived : Wilmette Child Photographer

First the soundtrack: Pumpkin Soup. Seems fitting as a title for an early autumn session. Ok, officially NOT quite autumn but we’re getting there. For what it’s worth, I have a bit of a girl crush on Kate Nash. She’s so freaking adorable! Plus you all are fully aware of my current Brit Music Obsession (yes, it deserves capitalization!)

I had the great pleasure of photographing the most adorable kids this evening. And to boot…the white flowers have arrived.

The white flowers in question are mythical to me. There’s something about September sessions that have me positively giddy. It’s the light (it has this subtle change that is yummy) and it’s the flowers that spring up everywhere in the forest and in the fields out in many of my Marmalade Locations. It’s also something about the greater use of layers and textures in clothes, jeans and sweaters but still warm enough to bring along some summer clothes for sessions just in case it stays warm.

A big thank you to Carrie for driving out from Wilmette for a Marmalade Location session this evening, braving that traffic for me…seriously I am humbled that people love my locations and appreciate my work to travel to me. Carrie, I loved meeting you and your gorgeous kids! I am certain your images will have you smiling and happy. Also thanks to Becca 🙂 .

And now the sneak peeks:

Thanks for stopping in and checking out what’s happening here at Marmaland. Keep in mind that we are still booking for our 2008 Holiday Ltd Edition Sessions!

xoxo, Mare

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Sylvia - September 11, 2008 - 11:14 pm

Stunning. Beautiful color, location, and children.
PamN - September 12, 2008 - 6:16 am

Those children just shine in that setting!
chantelle bliss - September 13, 2008 - 4:23 am

these are so beautiful, i just adore the second one 🙂
Jennifer - September 13, 2008 - 8:53 am

these are all so beautiful great work as always!
Carrie - September 14, 2008 - 9:24 am

I love the pictures, they are perfect!
You exceeded all expectations!
Jana kunz - September 15, 2008 - 10:04 pm

These are so beautiful! I love your rich colors.
Melissa M. - September 16, 2008 - 1:57 pm

Beautiful, Mare!! I love the sibling shot in the flowers…yummy. I don’t know
how you do it. I wish I could bottle your processing. Love it.

~M
Stefanie W. - September 16, 2008 - 8:47 pm

your color is oh so beautiful, mare! your images have a magical feel to them **swoon**
Jen - September 16, 2008 - 11:21 pm

ADORABLE! Those kids are just so darling. Love the second, what a sweet moment. I know what you mean about the yumminess of fall, so fabulous. And as always, fun soundtrack!
diana - September 16, 2008 - 11:52 pm

love the colors and shots!
elizabeth - September 22, 2008 - 11:46 am

these are gorgeous Mare.
TaraMc - September 30, 2008 - 6:31 pm

Wow! The image of mom and daughter is absolutely stunning! Beautiful session. Love those white flowers, beautiful sibling shot.

Never Let You Go : Naperville Wedding Photographs

Soundtrack: Flashback to 2000. This song is a favorite of mine. I remember when my M was just a little baby and this video was playing on MTV (you know, back when MTV still played videos). We danced around the living room, her still small enough to be cuddled and me, a brand new mom enjoying baby hood to its’ fullest. Yesterday we bought that little baby her very own school desk for her room. She looked so grown up behind the desk in her rolling chair and said to me: "Mommy, I’m just like you! I have my own office." Ah, seriously, TIME, time it passes all too fast.

Overall the sentiment of the song is perfect for today’s entry, the sound quality stinks but finding the official video for this one was difficult:

Sneak Peeks…from a wedding I had done this past weekend. A huge congratulations to the beautiful bride, Michelle and her fetching groom Chris. The wedding was fabulous and everything went without a hitch (I swear no pun intended…but did you notice that when people say no pun intended they invariably have a pretty bad pun going on there?).

The day couldn’t have been more perfect.

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Rachelle - September 8, 2008 - 6:32 am

Beautiful images. Congrats to the lovely couple! I bet they’ll love this wedding album as much as they loved the day 🙂
Heather Cheatham - September 8, 2008 - 8:48 am

They are so beautiful, classy, and elegant. Great job capturing all the moments and details!
diana - September 8, 2008 - 9:54 am

beautiful wedding!
Pammy - September 8, 2008 - 11:57 am

Amazing details. Wonderful moments you captured! These look fantastic! Although this is just a sneak peak, I can visualize their story so well. Well done.
Terrilyn - September 8, 2008 - 8:32 pm

Oh my WORD Mare!! Can you believe I’m sitting here planning how I can talk hubby into renewing our vows just so I can have you photograph the event? Seriously – WOW! The details, the moments. I’m not kidding, I want to fly you to Florida so I can have memories like this decorating my walls. What a treasure!
Jana kunz - September 8, 2008 - 10:13 pm

These are stunning! You did an amazing job.
Connie - September 9, 2008 - 8:07 am

Beautiful- each and every image. It looks like a perfect day, captured forever.
Heather - September 9, 2008 - 11:13 am

Oh!! It’s always such a treat visiting your blog…these are of course nothing short of amazing and I’m totally jealous..I wish my wedding pictures where half as gorgeous!! Hmmm…maybe we need to renew some vows..haha
corey civetta - September 9, 2008 - 2:46 pm

These are absolutely GORGEOUS! You totally ROCKED this wedding!! Stunning work!
PamN - September 9, 2008 - 4:33 pm

The KISS!!! OMG!
Holli - September 10, 2008 - 1:26 am

These are STUNNING! I love the one w/ the little girl looking at the cake.
Laura S - September 11, 2008 - 10:20 pm

Wow! #5 just mesmerizes me. These have so much depth to them (both artistically and emotionally). Beautiful work.
Jen - September 16, 2008 - 11:23 pm

GORGEOUS Mare!
Love the way you do weddings! And great job with those little details that they won’t want to forget. Fabulous.
Shannon - September 21, 2008 - 9:04 am

We were there and thought it was beautiful, but you captured moments that were perfect!!! Great job…
Tara - September 22, 2008 - 10:39 am

Your pictures make me want to get married all over again! Truly stunning!

Marmalade Location – The Field : Chicago North Side Family Photographer

Newfound love…Winterkids. The lead is adorable, isn’t he? In that 80’s Britt revival sort of way. Good looks aside, I love their music, most definitely!

Skinny jeans. LOL. I never thoughts, not in a million years, these would be back with a vengeance. For guys no less!

• • • • •

Ahhhh, memory lane. It is a beautiful thing isn’t it? I walked down it at my session yesterday with the ever lovely J and her bro M and their parents Craig & Becca. I met Becca a few years ago when I did a session at her home on the Northside of Chicago, I think J was just about 18 months or so (and M was a soon to be realized dream). Last year little M came into the scene and J’s life has never been the same I suspect. Little brothers have a way of doing that!

I might mention that when client call to book they often mention specifically the images in my portfolio of J and M. The rocking chair is a perennial fave shot when a potential client speaks of my portfolio as it the HAT picture (scroll down after the sneak peeks to see)…

It’s a greatl thing to follow these beautiful kids grow up year to year. Anyway, enough blabber, woman! Get to the sneak peeks!

and at this age you take the love when you can get it (and get the camera up to your face in time to snap that moment that is all too fleeting…)

…here’s the blasts from the past. 🙂

circa 2006; she was already playing school there, eh?

2007.

Thanks to Becca & Craig for making the trip out to see me yesterday. The images look fabulous, you will love them. Much love to J & M who never fail to make me smile and giggle when they’re around.

Namaste.

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Jana kunz - September 6, 2008 - 9:39 am

These are wonderful!!! 🙂
diana - September 6, 2008 - 1:36 pm

great job! looks like a fun session
Sylvia - September 6, 2008 - 10:02 pm

what beautiful sneak peeks. the two of them holding hands in the grassy field is perfect!
PamN - September 8, 2008 - 5:10 am

The image in the field is breath-taking!

Limited Edition Sessions : In Time for Holiday Cards and Gift Giving

Hello friends!

Due to overwhelming requests (and wow, I had no idea that you all were looking forward to these!) I am now opening up for a single limited edition session held at the studio on Tuesday September 30, 2008 from 9:00 until 2:30 p.m. Only a limited number of spots available.

Holiday Card information can be found here.

Once again my plea goes out to everyone who is reading this (especially those in Illinois)…

I implore you to give the following peeps a call to show your support of the anti-state park closings:

Illinois Dept of Natural Resources, Chris McCleod 217-558-1540

Illinois Governor’s Office of Citizen Action 217-782-0244

Governor Rod Blagojevich (no prank phone calls please) 217-782-0244

You can also email from the Illinois State Governor’s site at http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfmI have faith in the grass roots movement!! WE CAN CHANGE THE COURSE OF ACTION, for not only Channahon State Park but all the other State Parks and Historic Sites. Remember this sad moment in time… LINCOLN’S CABIN is one of the site’s on the line! What sort of legacy are we leaving for our children and our children’s children if we allow this small part of budget cutting to affect our history and our recreation? If Illinois found the money in the early 1930’s to open the first state park in Channahon then by all means we can find a way to keep it and the rest of these sites open!

Lastly thank you for all your kind words regarding the special stop motion video I made the other day of my beautiful girls (in the post right below). I really am glad it’s not just me & my mommy goggles that sees the fun & beauty in it. Much love my friends!