We are currently looking for people to host portrait parties.

Portrait parties are a unique opportunity for you to have a professional photographer come to your home or favorite location and create images of your children, family, friends and even pets! You and each guest family will receive a 20 minute photography session. In that time period we will capture as many creative images as possible. It is our goal for you and your guests to be comfortable, have fun and end up with great photos from a very memorable experience. And best of all, there is no sitting fee for any of the sessions.

More details are below; you can call us anytime to discuss this further. If you or someone you know are interested, please contact us for availability.

How do Portrait Parties work?

The host will provide a suitable space for creating professional photos. We will set up our lights and backdrop, and create an on location portrait studio in the comfort of your home. Each guest and their families will all have a 20 minute photo session that can include multiple combinations from each family.

What happens next or How to order prints?

Images will be available for viewing on-line within 7 days of the party. An email will be sent to all guests with an access link and password to their portraits. It is up to each Guest to make all orders and payments to the photographer. Guests can order via the online gallery. Portraits must be ordered and paid in full to the photographer within 14 days from the date the portraits are posted on line. Orders generally take 3-4 weeks to be completed.

Finally-What’s in it for the host of the party?

* Be treated to a 30 minute personal pre-party portrait session
* When at least 6 sessions are scheduled and held you will receive a hostess package consisting of 1-8×10, 2-5×7’s & 8-wallets.
* You will also receive 25% commission on the total sales from your party to be used toward portraits taken the day of the portrait party.
* In addition, for every party that is booked and held from yours, you will receive an additional $25 in Hostess Credit.

Portrait Party theme suggestions:

Children. Play groups. Family. Pets. Birthday. Tea Party. Teens. Seniors. Holiday. Sports. Cheerleading. Dance. Valentines. Christmas.

Last week we were in the Janie & Jack kids clothing store in The Bolingbrook Promenade.

For those not in the area-Bolingbrook is a suburb of Chicago. And if you haven’t visited a Janie & Jack store before, you must check them out. The clothes are gorgeous and very well made.

This was an in store promotion and we had 3 full days of photographing many, many kids from newborns to 6 years old.

As always, the 12-24 month olds are the most active, independant ones. We never really know if they will stand still or cooperate until they step onto the backdrop. I have a very fast trigger finger and can usually get some fabulous shots before they run off.

My heart always goes out to the parents as they always get much more stressed and tired than I do. LOL

Here are some of the images from the sessions.

Enjoy!

If you check the March 25th blog post you will see her mom’s (Amy) pregnancy photos.
It was AMAZING to meet Nora for the first time.

She is one beautiful child!

We are pleased to present…Finn.

Congratulations to Matt, Kyla and big brother Vaughn!

Finn looks so much like Vaughn when he was a newborn-check out the blog archive (August 2006) for his newborn photos.

I really love the family photo on the bed and Vaughn is reaching up and touching Finn’s head…how sweet is that moment!

  

  

  

Cecelia just turned one and we did a photo shoot of the whole family for them. Brian & Eric go back many, many years. Brian was a groomsman in our wedding and Eric stood up in his wedding to Carrie a couple of years ago.

We shot this at their place in Chicago and had a lot fun getting together with them.

  

  

  

                                      

From the moment I walked in the door of her home Francesca was showing me her goodies & gifts she had received over the holidays. She warmed up to me right away and melted my heart.

Even during the outside photos she picked up many, many leaves and brought them over to me. How sweet!

She also took direction from me amazingly well for a child her age.

Her mom Toni is an weddings & event coordinator in the Chicago area: Events By Toni Francesca looks just her her mom except for the red hair-mom is a blonde.

  

                                      

                                      

  

The first time I met this family was when Maddie was about 3-4 weeks old. She was a preemie and so very, very tiny. I was almost afraid to hold her-she looked so fragile. She has grown into the beautiful girl you see here with her family.

Andrew was the next baby and he was so cute with such big eyes. To see him as a big boy carefully holding his baby sister was so sweet and hard to believe that he was once just as tiny. He is now a whirlwind of energy!

Claire is the newest member of the family and I was thrilled to continue the newborn photo session tradition.

The foot photo was quite a feat to photograph. Imagine having an active 4 year old boy, his 6 year old sister who was getting jostled by her active 4 year old brother hold still while their mom held the baby on their legs and dad is helping hold down the sheet over the kids. We laughed alot during that shot! I LOVE how it turned out.

  

                                      

  

  

  

These photos were for Maya’s 1st birthday. What a cutie-love her eyes!

We photographed Laura & Erin’s wedding a few years back and was thrilled to finally meet Miss Maya. They live in Wyoming and drove down for a few days. These were taken at Washington Park in Denver.

They shared the big news that they are expecting twins in about 4-5 months. We are thrilled for them!!

Congratulations Laura & Erin : )

On a side note-Erin also grew up in Illinois-we even lived in the town while in high school. We didn’t know each other because I was at OLCHS and he was at Brother Rice. Small world.

Go Cubbies : )

 

 

 

  

Little Hadrian just turned one today! His birth story is in the blog from last June-he was in quite the hurry to be born.

His parents just barely made it to the hospital in time. I was going to photograph the birth, but Hadrian had different plans that night.

Oliver, Eric & my visiting parents came along for the shoot at Washington Park in Denver. We have known the family for many years and Oliver & Goran are best buds.

Check them out playing in the grass. It was a beautiful summer day-perfect for photographing the boys!

Happy birthday Hadrian!!

                                      

                                      

 

We photographed their wedding 5 years ago. WOW-seems just like they just got married.

We ran into each other at the health club a few months ago and it was a blast catching up with them and getting to meet their beautiful little girl.

Last weekend we headed out to Washington Park in the morning and got some really wonderful images. Well-it’s not that hard when your photographing such a gorgeous family!