I just love this in-home session. We literally just played with baby Carson and photographed his amazing reactions! It’s a testament to the fact that a family session can be anywhere and anything you want. One of my favorite photos from this shoot is the photo of Carson sitting in his little rocking chair. Someday, he will tower over that chair. I am so thankful I was able to give them a photo of the day he fit just perfectly on it. My other favorites from the shoot are the floor-perspective ones of him trying to crawl. Nothing describes the age better than to get on that level with him. A huge thank you to the Beckman family for giving me the honor of being able to do a couple of shoots with this little angel over the last couple of years.
The only thing that might be better than seeing my wedding couples get married, is getting to see them again after their wedding! And if I’m really lucky, there will be a baby, too! To believe that I used to be completely indifferent to kids until I had my own. Now that I know our family is complete, I just want to scoop up all the babies. And in COVID times, that’s not even possible. I haven’t had a baby snuggle fix since last year! And that is when this session is from. Baby Charley joined Libby and Phillip and unlocked their new parent status. Look how little and new he was. I just love the way his little hands look in their bigger hands. The sweet way he’d open his mouth to yawn or try to say something, and then just get tired and pass out. Those first few weeks can be hard. And then out of nowhere, you have a toddler. Thank goodness for the photos you can look back on.
How beautiful is this family? For this early summer shoot, we headed to the Whetstone Park of Roses in Clintonville as the roses were just starting to emerge. Baby Jack couldn’t quite walk yet but he was all smiles the whole time. He just loved being in his parents’ arms, playing, and getting snuggles. One of my favorite photos from this shoot is the photo you can see his new bottom teeth peeking through! Isn’t his laugh just infectious? I always find that so fascinating about photography. Even though it’s not video, you can still almost hear that giggle. You can still almost see him stumble and be caught by his parents. And you can definitely feel the love from his parents.
UGH!!! SO much cuteness on the blog tonight. I shot Emmy and Ro’s wedding a few years back, so I was over-the-moon when they contacted me for newborn photos.
Meet Quentin! These photos were taken last year, so he’s now a busy toddler. Wow, how quickly it goes. When I met him, he was just the smallest bundle of sweet, sweet, love. I think one of my favorite things about this shoot was that their dog kept following the baby and never left him out of his care. It reminded me of Nana, the nurse dog in Peter Pan.
I also loved that they did the shoot in their nursery. It just describes so much about his life that he’ll love looking back on when he’s older. I am so loving all the family photos on the blog this month. I think it’s just what my soul needed. When we’re all asked to stay so far apart, it’s nice to know that we can always curl up close to the ones we love the most.
I love watching this family grow and am so blessed to have had the pleasure to do another session with them last year! Since our last shoot, they added a beautiful little girl to their family. A blond and brunette. Who could ask for anything more? We went to Jeffrey Mansion on a beautifully sunny day. Their youngest was so much fun to watch. She walked with a purpose and I think she probably ruled the roost at home. I just loved the outfits they wore for their session. It made every photo POP with life. Thank you so much for having me, Kali!
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!
Cue the airhorn sound effect! This is my last summer wedding from last year I haven’t blogged about yet. I’m getting ready to switch gears here on the blog for the entire month of September. When weddings are back on the blog in October, you’ll get to see all of the autumnal goodness from last year as well as some more intimate weddings I’ve done this year!
Jackie and Terry had a beach themed wedding last summer at the Cheers and Lakeside Chalet. This was such a cool venue that I had never shot at before. The way the ceremony location is decorated definitely lends itself to feeling like you’re underwater. All the little beach themed details were so much fun, too. My favorite was this incredible handmade starfish headpiece that adorned Jackie’s up-do. I also loved how the cake had brown sugar sand with their initials spelled out. And Jackie’s engagement ring even had a little shell open shells on it.
What I remember most from this wedding is how emotional it was and how absolutely head-over-heels crazy in love these two are. Both of them cried to each other while reading their vows. It created such beautiful electricity in the air. Like everything in the world was paused just for them at that moment.
Their portrait session was so much fun. Even though it was raining, we were able to get some gorgeous photos right in their reception space. And most importantly, they were all having so much fun. I could tell that this was going to be one hell of a reception, and I was right! There was so much laughter, good food, and heartfelt speeches.
Jackie and Terry had told me there was going to be Karaoke at their wedding, but as a bystander, you never know if that’s going to be a good or a bad idea lol. OMG, they were incredible! How did I get through their entire engagement shoot without learning about their secret super singing powers? It was such a treat to be in a room with so much talent.
Since their wedding, Jackie and Terry have welcomed a little baby into their world, which almost makes this day even more fun to look back on. Thank you Jackie and Terry for letting me be there for your perfect day! XO J
Jane and Chirs were married in early August last year at Saint Andrew Catholic Church and had their reception at the Jessing Center at the Josephinum. I had never met them before their wedding, but instantly, they felt like old friends. They both have a calming and genuine presence. We met up for their first look in a park down the block from the church. It was a sunny day and a slight breeze was in the air. Jane’s David’s Bridal dress was so beautiful and she paired it with a simple strand of pearls. The back of the dress was a masterpiece! Lace and button details created a heart shape. Chris was dressed in a grey 3-piece suit from the Men’s Warehouse. As we shot, they just talked, held each other, and giggled. They are truly so sweet together. We decided to do some more photos at St. Andrew’s and I’m so glad we did. The interiors of this church are magnificent. They are just perfect for an epic silhouette!
The entire bridal party met up outside for some more relaxed and fun photos before the ceremony started. Right after the ceremony, we took some photos with Mary, their adorable infant daughter. I just kept thinking about how sweet of an experience it must be to hold your own child on your wedding day. I wasn’t even postpartum, but it gave me all the feels from behind the camera.
From the church, we went over to the Jessing Center at the Josephinum. I had never had the privilege of shooting on their grounds before, but this place is just magical. The campus buildings made for a backdrop reminiscent of European cathedrals. Inside, the ballroom was large but it retained a feeling of intimacy. Bloomtastic florals that accented the room and an enchanting cake by Jennifer Hemphill were standout details. This group did not disappoint on the dancefloor and everything about the entire day was so authentic and joyous. Thank you so much, Jane and Chris. I hope you love these photos as much as I did taking them! XO Jess
