Courtney & Brett :: Naperville Engagement Photography

Courtney and Brett are an awesomely fun couple. Just how awesomely fun, you ask?

They're having their wedding at a bowling alley.

Boom.

Nora 1 Year :: Chicago Children's Photography

It seemed like my summer was filled with birthdays! This was my second shoot with adorable little Nora... the first being back when she was only 4 months old. It was great to see that she still looks the exact same, and that she's still just as happy and easy-going as she was 8 months ago.

I met with Nora and her family at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. The views of the skyline are fantastic, but it was a tad bit foggy that morning. But who would notice the cityscape anyway when they have this adorable face to admire...

Nora 4 Months :: Chicago Baby Photography

Nora was surrounded by loving family when I arrived for her portrait session. Having her photo taken was a Christmas gift from her aunt, Cate. It was originally supposed to be a surprise, but it turned out to be much harder than she imaged to sneak some Sunday morning "aunt time" with little Nora without her parents becoming suspicious.

It all turned out for the best in the end, because Nora had her whole family there to bring out that gorgeous smile.

Owen 10 Months :: Chicago Baby Photography

A friend of the family had a brain aneurysm. It resulted in a lot of hospital time and tons of physical therapy to regain her basic motor functions. The therapy was really helping... until the insurance company said "no more".

So back in August, some of her friends held a benefit and silent auction to raise money for continued treatment. And that's where a woman named Cara won a 60-minute photo shoot with me.

It was a horrible circumstance that led us to meet... but the day we photographed Cara's son, Owen, was one full of smiles.

Cece and Family :: Chicago Pet Photography

Cece was only 13 weeks old when she had her first professional photo shoot.

But when you're a 3 month old miniature dachshund, it can be hard to sit still for too long. So instead of forcing her to practice her "sit" and "stay" too much... I wanted to just capture her doing what she does best... being an adorable and curious puppy.

So on a gorgeous Sunday morning in Lincoln Park, I brought my camera over for a mini-session with Cece and her parents, Chris and Rachael.