Talia and Tamar. T ‘n T. TNT. Dynamite. That’s how my brain works sometimes.
Two gorgeous gals — and good friends — from the Class of 2013 at Highland Park High School.

If you are a fun, outgoing girl who likes to be photographed and is in the Class of 2013 in a North Shore Chicago high school, you may be interested in joining our Model Rep program. Details are at the top of the page under “Class of 2013″ on the pink banner, and applications are due by April 30!

I had been thinking about teenagers… About how, when my life revolved completely around babies and toddlers and young elementary aged kids, they seemed to inhabit an entirely different world, a place that I hadn’t seen myself for a long long time. Other than the kindly babysitters that occasionally took a fancy to my own gaggle of girls, it felt like I had barely even set eyes on one of these mysterious creatures in years. But the years rolled by (as they have the tendency to do), my children grew, as did the children of my early clients. And I found that not only did I enjoy being around older children and teenagers, I REALLY enjoyed photographing them. Shocker!!

The evolution of this “lightbulb” moment was the decision to start working with high school junior and senior girls in a new and different way: to create fresh, fun and relaxed portraiture that celebrates this special time in their lives. To help get this new business segment underway, I had the honor of working with a few interesting, intelligent, accomplished — and yes, beautiful — high school juniors from Highland Park High School. The first is Maya. In my eagerness to get underway, I subjected Maya to some unseasonal, unpleasant weather conditions and she nevertheless shined. I’m looking forward to finishing our session soon but in the mean time, I’d like to present a few photos of the lovely girl who forevermore (at least in my own mind) will be known as My First Senior.

Another Simplicity Session to show off, with a beautiful baby girl that was simply Happy.

A Simplicity Session is a short and sweet 30 minute photo shoot, and a great way to get a few updated images of your child at a great location for a great price. Most Simplicity Sessions take place outdoors, but the indoor studio-style sessions are a perfect way to capture your baby’s first year in the comfort of almost-home.

One of these lovely eight graders is my oldest daughter (guess who!) and the others are her dear, dear friends.
I have known a few of these girls since kindergarten and others have come into our lives more recently. I’m not exaggerating in the least when I say that each and every one of these young ladies is beautiful inside and out. As a group they are  hard-working, motivated, and talented in numerous ways. Most importantly, though (at least to Mom me) they are kind, compassionate and endlessly supportive. Yes, the middle school years can be awkward and even brutally painful at times but by the end of it….wow.

Ugh, I have been SUCH a bad blogger lately But I am so excited about a new type of session that I am now offering that it has spurred me into action. If you have been a client of mine for a while, you are no doubt familiar with the mini sessions I offer each summer and fall. They’re short, they’re sweet, they’re at my favorite outdoor locations, and they’re super-popular. I have recently renamed them Simplicity Sessions, because that’s really what it’s all about…. So, what’s the problem? They are not suitable for babies who are not yet sitting, they are not always the most comfortable for older babies, and they can’t be done in bad weather. So at long last, I’m incredibly pleased that I’ve got a Simplicity Session offering that’s perfect for babies from about three months old until they start crawling away. They are done in a natural light studio setting in Highland Park and — like my other Simplicity Session offerings — they are short, sweet, and easy on both mother and child. They are perfect for marking the many milestones that fill the first year (first tooth! sitting! discovering feet!) and capturing a few precious shots of parent and child together at each of these stages. Information on all our Simplicity Sessions can be found in the Information section of my website (link above).

My favorite images of newborn babies are ones where you can see the love, pride and happiness all reflected back in the face of a new mom or dad.

An unblogged session from this past fall: this beautiful mother is small in stature but huge in heart, positively overflowing with love and gratitude for her two lovely daughters.

And the love these two special children have for each other is nothing short of epic.

A few shots of a darling baby boy, just six months old, and his delightful, easy-going and very loving parents. Look who fell asleep while we were still “working!”

This post is a mish-mash of beautiful photo walls that I have not yet shared. Food for thought for the new year!

My client’s kitchen wall, featuring three 16×20 prints (one for each wonderful kiddie!) in extra-large square mats:

Another client’s gallery wall in her upstairs hallway:

A trio of dirty feet, on canvas, in the powder room:

And a couple of updated samples in my own home office. A 30×30 print, matted and framed:

And a 30×40 storyboard collage, on canvas:

I came for this…

But on this beautiful winter afternoon, I also found daddies and daughters…

husbands and wives….

brothers and sisters…

and proof positive that grown-ups can have at least as much fun as kids…