Hunter | Baby (1st Birthday) Session

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Hunter's perfect "cap" to his Year in the Life collection - from newborn to six month and now his first birthday session! What a gorgeous smile, looking dapper on the lakefront! Moving out to the west coast, Hunter and Mom and Dad wanted a session to capture the essence of Chicago. Lake Michigan and our fantastic skyline view from Olive Park provided the perfect backdrop.

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I had to bring the family to Molly's Cupcakes to finish the session. Cozy and fun location, plus the cupcakes are always delicious! 

Hunter | Baby (6 month) Session

Hunter at his 6 month baby session. What a gorgeous smile and obviously he was much more active than his newborn session! Completely at ease, especially with some of his closest and favorite "friends" in the session with him. We're rapidly approaching his first birthday this summer and I can't wait to capture those memories for Hunter and his family!

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Technical details. Again I shot this session pretty wide open keeping it around f/1.4 to 2.8. I prefer creamy bokeh for most of my images. Of course if there is a background element that is integral to the story I'm telling for a particular image then I'll stop down for the sharp depth of field.

This home has massive windows and those created fantastic catchlights. A catchlight is a light source that causes a highlight in a subject's eye in an image. This adds some "life" to the eyes by giving a sense of depth and dimension. Position the subject so that they are either directly looking at the window or the window is letting in light to one side of the face. 

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Courtney + Shaun | Maternity

What a fun time had during this in-home maternity session! Wonderfully large windows that let in a lot of natural light, plus fantastic decorating scheme, contemplated the neutral color palette Courtney and Shaun selected.

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Technical - In-home sessions, when the outdoors is not cooperating - and on this particular day, it was chilly and windy, not a good combination for an expectant mother - are my preference over in-studio sessions. The home provides a level of comfort and familiarity for the family, so that when we start the session the family can be in a relaxed state. I always recommend that clients stay with neutral solid colors - patterns tend to distract from the focus of the image - the family. Another thing I look for in my sessions are items around the home that highlight the home setting, whether a book or a comfortable pillow. 

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Astronaut or Virtuoso or Writer? | Newborn Session (Preview)

Adorable baby boy - 14 days old and quite the set of lungs! Although you wouldn't be able to tell from these sneak peek images! I can't wait to share more images, which will tell the story behind the title. Such a fun and easy-going family. The parents chose my Year in the Life collection so I'll be seeing this little guy for a few more sessions over the next year. More adventures to come!