Without a doubt, Renee is one of my best friends so whenever I get to photograph her family, it feels like so much more. She is truly my soul sister and I’m so thankful that we bonded over art all those years ago, but more importantly, reconnected again almost 10 years ago.
I love the way they used this session time, also. A lot of people change outfits for their engagement shoots or for headshots, but not many families even think to have multiple outfits for their kids. And they were able to take their fall photo session and stretch it into an all-season look that they used for their holiday cards as well. Can we also just pause for a minute and appreciate how absolutely stunning their two daughters are? It has been an honor getting to see these two as they grow up. And grow up they are! Elanore just turned 8 yesterday! So much love to the Robbins!
I have adored photographing this family for many years. I have known Jenn for many more and am so thankful for our friendship. Being around the Dematteis family is a natural high. Often times I’ll laugh until I cry. On this day, they showed me this little trail that’s in their neighborhood. It was so perfect for photos! As a photographer herself, I’m a little jealous Jenn has basically an outdoor studio off her house! At this shoot, it would have been funny to have a camera on me as well. At one point, I was holding their puppers and taking photos. I think their doggy had the upper hand for a few awkward minutes lol. I may have accidentally let her run free. Needless to say, she had a blast being photographed and I love it when people bring their fur babies to shoots. We ended the session with a family photo outside their home. Later this month I get to meet up with these guys for a session and I can’t wait. Love to you all!
This session was over a year ago, but I just love it. A lot of times I’m asked what my newborn photos look like. I think this shoot is a great example. It’s a lot less posed than some of the more traditional newborn shoots. Plus, mom and dad are fully included in the photos as well. I just love capturing the sweet interaction between mom, dad, and baby. I also adore how small and fragile these little balls of love are when they’re so new to the world. The hand-to-baby ratio size never gets old to me. It’s because I’m photographing such a blip of an instant. In another couple of days, Leo was no doubt so much bigger already than in these photos. Now that he’s a full-blown toddler, this makes this shoot even more fun to revisit!
Welcome to day 3 of Familypalooza on the blog!! Today we have the cutest little session with the Olson family. Their daughter is a rolly polly little angel on earth. I just adore this age. The kiddos can’t really talk back, they have very little control over their bodies, and they’re pure emotion for better or worse. And wow! By the end of this session, I was so in love with her little blue ocean eyes and those wild runaway curls. It was obvious she is living her very best life, and her parents are along for the ride. We had an overcast downtown day, which made for these really cool and soft pastel colors. The vibrancy of these images came from their daughter’s adorable emotions that I happily captured with every click of the camera. With the city of Columbus as our backdrop, these family photos are a little out of the box. Most people opt for a park, but I just loved the lines of the railroad tracks and the city behind us.
Check back every day this month. We’re just getting started on the incredible family moments I’ve been able to be a part of! XO Jess
This session is throwing it back to 2018, but I just love it so much it needs its moment in the sun. I have known Betsy since I was 6 years old. There are very few people I’ve known that long! I have had the honor of shooting her sister’s wedding a couple of years back and then this session with her and her daughter. One thing I remember from when we were little is how striking Betsy’s eyes are. She just glows radiance and has an infectious excitement in her voice when she talks. She’s always been like that. Her beautiful daughter has been blessed with those same eyes and beauty. And both of them are so natural in front of a camera. I don’t think they model on the weekends, but they really could.
Just look at that late summer light we had at Schiller Park! Every photographer’s dream! And now that it’s late summer, be sure to book your session with me for this year! Spots are filling up quickly. I’m offering an anytime mini session that’s 1/2 hr for $250 and a full hour for $500. Both session blocks include all digital images. XO Jess
Welcome to Familypalooza! I’ve done this blog series under the name Babypalooza the last couple of years and it’s only been a week-long blog event. This year, Familypalooza is ALL MONTH! One blog a day for 30 days. I hope I can do it! That’s so much blogging.
For day one, I am so excited to share a session I did last year with the Byrne family! They wanted to get a photoshoot with their beloved dog Rory who sadly passed soon after we took these photos. Since then, they have welcomed a new baby boy into their family and I had the honor of photographing him last month. His close-ups will also be a part of this month’s family celebration. Check back in late September to see some of the photos of this precious babe and his excited older sister on the blog.
Last year, we did this front porch session before the front porch sessions were even a thing! I love that they chose to do their photos at their home. For my family, we love having our family photos taken at our home, too. No park or cool city backdrop will ever match the sentimentality of your home! But honestly, not many people have such an awesome front porch as the Byrnes do. I would spend most of my days on it if I lived there. I have been so thankful to have this family in my life. Our daughters are pretty close in age so it’s also been fun watching them grow up (so quickly). So much love to you guys!
I am so excited to be carving out the whole month of September to highlight some of my favorite family sessions from the past couple of years. I consider my company to specialize in weddings, but I adore photographing families. It is such a nice practice to come together and just BE with each other. Having a photographer there to capture it all is the icing on top. I will be attempting one blog a day for every day of September. I don’t know if I can do it (that’s a LOT of blogging), but I’m going to try my darndest. I can’t wait for you to see this body of my work that has been hidden for too long! And not that this is strategically planned or anything, but I do have some fall openings still (wink, wink)! Contact me today to reserve your spot!
Happy Snow day everyone! I have a new-found appreciation for the snowiest of days since my son is absolutely crazy about them! He literally started speaking in tongues this morning when he looked outside and saw the fluffy white stuff covering our entire backyard. It reminded of me of some of my other snow-loving clients who had their snowy portraits taken with me earlier this year. So many snowy snuggles and huge bursts of laughter. There were even some puppy kisses too!! I hope all of you are able to get outside today and build a snowman like we did. Or, just enjoy these winter nuzzles from the warmth of your home. XO Jess
It’s been a month since my daughter Finney turned one. I’ve often thought about how I could write a blog post about it and what I wanted to say. Tonight I asked myself, how do you measure a year? I giggled a little and immediately started singing the RENT song “seasons of love”. That song has always been able to make my lower lip quiver, but my subconscious answered my question for me with song lyrics. You measure a year in love.
I wasn’t allowed to hold Caddie right after he was born. For his safety, he was taken straight to the NICU and I didn’t get to see him until maybe 10 hours later. Finney, on the other hand, was put in my arms. What a gift! I stared at her, and she was warm and small. Her skin was new and soft…i studied every inch. I felt like the only thing I could say was “she’s so beautiful.”
When we took her home and slept with her in our room for the first time, we were thrown because she grunted like an old man the entire night. At first, I was concerned that she wasn’t alright. But she was. And that was just who she was. While she doesn’t grunt in her sleep anymore, she does make so many different noises at us. She loves to growl. And she’s smart. One of the first things she ever said was “thank you”. She can also say “good girl”. In fact, she says more two-word combinations than she says any individual words. She has a fierce and loud little temper if she doesn’t get what she wants. Mostly, however, she spends her days greeting people with a smile and a cuddle. She hasn’t learned the difference between kissing and biting and has drawn blood on all three of our faces.
She is loved. Caddie adores her and helps her when she needs it. He gives her hugs daily and tells her how much he loves her. We all do. Her cheeks are very full and just beg to be kissed. Scott and I feel so blessed that Caddie and Finney are ours. We have never felt so much love in one place.
As a photographer, I, of course, felt obligated to do a professional mini-shoot with her each month. Some months this was more challenging to schedule in than others. Somehow they all just flew. Overall, there’s no rhyme or reason to them… just cute outfits I had in her closet.
For her first birthday, we had a small family party with a “watercolor” theme. I can’t take credit for any of the ideas as I Pinterested them all. I was, however super excited with the way it all turned out. She has made our life so colorful and bright so I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate her.
My baby is already gone and in her place is a smiley little toddling angel. I can’t wait to see who she becomes and I am cherishing every step along the way.
Ah, my cup runneth over in day 5, the last day of Babypalooza!! Today I feature the love of my life who turns seven months old today! Finney Roux, you are loved beyond words. You are so sweet, laid back and always flashing smiles to everyone in the room. You love to talk and say “da-da”. You always seem to be moving and will be crawling any day now.
You have been through a lot with us this year and have handled every hurdle without any kind of reaction whatsoever. From coming out purple and needing immediate c-pap, to moving into the hospital for over a week while your brave brother faced open heart surgery, to your countless ear appointments and tests, you have handled each thing we throw at you with total indifference and happiness! You are a true force to be reckoned with, my dear. Even though you are laid back and happy, you can still voice your opinion with a vengeance. You already have an amazing ability to hold a grudge that you inherited from your mama. You are always looking around and have a fear of missing out when mom and dad try to go on date night. You laugh gutturally like a little old man. You have precious almond-shaped blue eyes and only your mama knows the intricate patterns that can be seen within them. I stare at them as I nurse you and think about all the things I hope your little eyes will see someday. You are 7 months old but currently starting to fit into 12-month-old clothing. All of your teeth seem to be growing in at the exact same time so the next few weeks should be interesting. Time is already moving so quickly but I’m so blessed to be able to see you most of every day and watch as you figure out this big crazy world we live in. Thank you for being my beautiful daughter. You are my everything! My little slice of heaven.
