Life Moves quickly and it’s easy to miss the little moments. I can help you hold onto the memories through creative Portraiture.
From elevated maternity photos to artful family, baby, or senior portraits, let’s make time to document the people and life stages that you love.
No matter the kind of shoot, My portraits are customized to your preferences and personality. whether you come prepared with lots of ideas or need a little guidance, I’ll provide location and wardrobe recommendations based on what feels authentic to you.
My process begins with a short phone call to hear more about the type of photos you’re wanting and to create a loose game plan for the timing, location, and aesthetic of the shoot. these initial steps keeps your Preferences at the center and include suggestions for how to make the shoot a success.
My guidance during the photo shoot will make the experience easy and enjoyable even if it’s your first time being professionally photographed. The preparation in our planning call will allow us to capture the shots you need without losing space to create the unexpected photos you’ll LOVE.
Step 1: Scheduling Your Portrait Session
In order to reserve a shoot date, the first step is to sign a photography contract and pay a session fee of $275. The session fee includes up to 90 minutes of photography and covers the planning consultation, location scouting, coordinating any studio spaces, camera and lighting equipment, photography, post production, and editing. The session fee does not include digital files. To offer maximum customization according to your needs and priorities, digital photos are offered for an additional price after the shoot so that you can view all the images and then choose the number you want to invest in.
Next, we’ll find an available date that makes sure you receive your images in time for any important events you might need the photos by. If we haven’t already, the easiest way to compare calendars is for you to email or call me with a few dates that work for you. I always try to be as flexible as possible, and once we find a date, booking is 100% online and takes just a few minutes.
As you pull out your calendar, here are a few things to consider:
Given the beautiful colors and temperate weather, spring and fall are the busiest times of year for outdoor photos in Chicago. If you’d like a session during one of those times (ESPECIALLY if you want a weekend slot), please get in touch as soon as possible!
If you have a particular date you’re hoping to meet, be sure to book a shoot at least 4-7 weeks in advance of that date to ensure sufficient shoot prep and editing time.
Shooting outside offers gorgeous city views and lots of variety. The best times of day for beautiful light are early in the morning and late afternoon/early evening (usually 1.5 hours before sunset).
If you’d prefer to shoot in a studio or your home, I bring a complete set of professional lighting equipment to ensure the photos are bright, inviting, and true to your brand. Shooting indoors also gives us more flexibility with what time we shoot and the ability to style the space a bit, if necessary.
Chicago has sporadic weather at times, so if there’s an unexpected drop in temperature or it’s supposed to rain on our shoot date, I can reschedule for another day as long as it’s within the same month as the original date. If it’s winter or early spring before the flowers are blooming, I’ve learned from experience that shooting indoors is the way to go.
Step 2: Planning the details
Once we’ve officially put your photo session on the calendar, I’ll schedule a planning consultation call and send you a prep guide to help get us ready for the shoot. The planning consultation call is where I take your ideas or specific goals and turn them into a shoot game plan. We’ll talk about how you’d like to use the photos, wardrobe and location ideas, and how to prep for the shoot. This is also where I’ll discuss booking a studio space if that’s necessary for the photos. A few days before our session, I’ll reach out to confirm our time and location. At this point, if the forecast is questionable or someone seems to be coming down with covid, we can talk about our rescheduling options.
Step 3: photo Shoot day!
The day of the session, please block off 2 hours for the shoot (that includes photography gear set up, wardrobe changes, or moving locations) and plan for 60-90 minutes of that time for photography. If we’re shooting in a busy location in the city, block off additional buffer time for parking.
Maternity:
Not only do maternity photos portray the beautiful physical changes you’re experiencing, but also the love and emotions that accompany the final weeks of your pregnancy. Plan to schedule your shoot between 28-32 weeks, when your belly is round, but you're still comfortable to pose. If you're expecting twins, consider scheduling a few weeks earlier. And if you're looking for comfort and convenience, consider having your shoot at home. There’s something really intimate about that! If space or weather is an issue, renting a studio is a great option. However, if you're in search of a stunning backdrop, there's nothing quite like the natural beauty of outdoor locations during sunset or sunrise.
Family & Baby:
Once we decide on the location(s) of our photos, I like to find an easy and fun activity for families to do together to make space for lots of natural interactions between everyone. Many times, the best photos happen in between the posed shots. For baby photos, we’ll plan for a time of day that spans the end of a nap, waking up and feeding, and maximizing baby’s happiest awake hours. Also, I’m flexible with adding buffer time for potential wardrobe malfunctions or any child meltdowns. We typically stay within the 60-90 minute range, I’m happy to make room for the unpredictable.
Senior photos:
To fully embrace this special time in a senior’s life, I recommend brainstorming a location and “vibe” of the shoot that matches the interests and personality of the person being photographed. We’ll use our consultation call to map this out, but during the shoot, expect to bring a change of clothes and most likely shoot at two locations. If you want to start out with casual clothes and end in something more formal, many people find this structure really fun. If there is a certain activity, hobby, or musical instrument that you want featured, please let me know during our consultation so we can work that into the shoot!
Step 4: Receiving your photos
Within 2-4 weeks of your session, you’ll receive an email from me letting you know that your photos are ready to be viewed. Since your first time viewing the photos is one of the most exciting parts of the whole photo shoot process, I like to make it a fun event by sending you a custom slideshow to view! My hope is that you’ll gather around the biggest screen you have so that you can see all your photos for the first time together, and really relive that experiece. You’ll have access to the slideshow for 24 hours, similar to a movie rental, so you can watch it as many times as you’d like. Then, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about which of the three collections you’d like to purchase.
Collections
After 15 years working with clients of all types, I’ve learned that it’s helpful to offer 3 collections AFTER the shoot so you can customize the number of photos that you want to purchase. That way, instead of feeling limited by the package you chose before the shoot, collections are a separate purchase from the one-time session fee that you already paid. That way, you’ll be able to view all your images before choosing the amount of digital files you’d like. Once you’ve chosen a collection and paid, the gallery will be opened up to allow you to download and share your new photos!
$475
Your choice of 15 high resolution digital files
$100 print credit good towards anything in the gallery store: prints, frames, albums, digital files, and more.
$875
A complete set of of high resolution digital files
$600 print credit good towards anything in the gallery store: prints, frames, albums, digital files, and more.
$675
Your choice of 25 high resolution digital files
$300 print credit good towards anything in the gallery store: prints, frames, albums, digital files, and more.
What is Print Credit?
To make the most of the time and resources you’ve invested in the shoot and ensure your photos aren’t forgotten on a hard drive, I’ve included a substantial print credit with every portrait photography collection. Think of it just like a gift card to the print store that’s attached to your photo gallery. After you’ve made your selections and I’ve completed my 2 rounds of edits, you’ll have a full month to enjoy your finished photos, download your digital images, and select the print items you want from the store. Even if you’re not artistically inclined, the gallery has built in software to help you design print goods like holiday cards or albums. You can also pick from a variety of pre-designed options if that’s more your style. You’ll be amazed by how different it feels looking at your photos on a computer compared to seeing them on your wall or flipping through the pages of a gorgeous album. I can’t wait for you to see your photos off the screen and displayed in your home. Below is a sample of some of the products in the print store:
Deckled Edge Fine Art Print
These prints are individually handled with a passionate eye for quality and detail. They feature hand torn deckled edges and a lightly defined felt structure with brilliant colors and striking contrasts. Your images will print with vibrancy and pictorial depth that will last for generations.
5x7 / $30
8x10 / $68
Framed print
These beautiful hardwood frames will protect your prints from damage and help them look their very best in a spot for everyone to enjoy. Frames come in your choice of white, black, dark wood, light wood, or graphite, and arrive ready to hang out of the box.
8x10 / $199
11x14 / $250
Professional Lab Print
Printed on fine art cotton paper with a smooth surface and museum grade quality that is durable and long lasting. Choose to display them in a decorative box, metal stand, or matted frame. There are endless possibilities for creativity.
4x6 / $22.50
8x10 / $30.50
Lay Flat Album with Linen Cover
These premium albums are printed on high-end matte photo paper with thick, lay flat pages Layout and design options are limited only by your imagination, and can be further customized with your choice of linen covers and custom foiled letters. 10 spreads (20 pages) are included in the price below. Additional spreads (1 spread = 2 pages) can be added. Prices for additional spreads start at $22.50 each.
8x8 / $450
10x10 / $575
my clients walk away from the photo shoot experience relieved by how easy the process was, thrilled with the images, and filled with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and power of professional imagery.
“The images Chloe took of our family were just what we had in mind, and they captured each individual's natural expression and smile. As a bonus, she was a pleasure to work with - easygoing, relaxed and very patient with our children. Her work was outstanding and we look forward to cherishing the family photos she created for us for years to come.”
-Amy, Family Portraits
My husband and I have used Chloe for our engagement shoot and now our maternity pictures! She is so friendly and easy to work with. After getting our vision of the type of pictures we were going for, she found the perfect location for the photoshoot. She did a great job guiding us with poses and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. The photoshoot went so smoothly and the pictures turned out great! I was thankful she told me exactly how to hold my arms and she would fix any stray hairs or help me refresh my smile through the shoot. We are thrilled with the overall experience and would highly recommend Chloe as your go-to photographer!”
- Noelle, Maternity Portraits
“Chloe is a natural. She’s able to capture both candid and posed shots with ease. Her professionalism and kindness are present through the entire process from the first time communicating to final handoff of pictures. Chloe has photographed my two little ones for each of their first birthdays. She listened to our wants and came prepared with some great ideas herself. She included the entire family in the photo shoot as well. I highly recommend using Chloe for any children and/or family shoots. You will be thrilled with the end result.”
Rachel, Baby Portraits
