Get a Baby to Smile in Pandemic Photos While Wearing a Mask?! {Logan Square/Avondale Chicago Family Photo Session}

My usual tricks don’t work in a pandemic for getting littles to smile or laugh! I rely so much on facial expressions, games and tickling while photographing kids but that doesn’t work when my face is covered and I can’t get close enough to play. It’s been a challenging year in every aspect for all of us, so this seems trivial in the grand scheme of things. And I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I do still appreciate a child’s natural expression over a forced smile anyway.

Miss O was not impressed with any of my antics! Peek-a-boo and her favorite songs weren’t working. Then again, she wasn’t falling for any of it from her parents or grandma either! I got lucky for a few photos with their help but most of the time, she really showed her disdain for having to perform in front of a camera! And we all laughed a lot! Her dad said he was so proud of her for not giving in ;P We think she may have started teething that day and just wasn’t feeling the smiles. Of course, Murphy’s Law. And it’s 2020. What can go wrong, will go wrong. Still, a lot of the mean-mugs and so-over-it photos were priceless gems for her family and they really make me smile!

We took some photos on their porch and then took a stroll through their neighborhood during the peak fall colors on a gorgeous afternoon here in Chicago. I had so much fun trying to get this girl to giggle, even though I worked up a sweat like it was a hot summer day!

Much love, friends!

Baby girl sits on mom’s lap in between her parents on their front porch in Chicago, IL.
Smiling baby girl sits between her parents feet on their front porch in Chicago, IL.
A family walks among the fall leaves in their Chicago neighborhood.
Mom and dad play a game with their baby girl while she’s on dad’s shoulders.
Mom and dad hug while dad holds & kisses baby girl on the forehead while on a walk in their Chicago neighborhood.
Smiling family photo in Logan Square among fall flowers and foliage.
Mom and dad hug and laugh together during their fall family photo session in Logan Square, Chicago.

2018 - Year in Review - Portraits

Yesterday you saw the best of the couples, today you’ll see the portraits. The pups, the babes and I even threw a few of me in at the end to show I practice what I preach about getting in photos! (Thanks to my friend Bridget for the fall photo and Angelic Angles for the blue dress photo!) Drumroll for some of my favorite moments from 2018 portraits.

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2018 - Year in Review - Couples - Chicago Engagements, Proposals & Weddings

I can’t believe 2018 is almost gone - I feel like it just started and I was looking forward to all all of these beautiful engagement sessions and weddings. Now I’m planning for 2019, and packing for my first wedding of the year in the Caribbean & can’t wait to see what this new year brings. One of my favorite end-of-year things to do is this blog post because I get to go through all of my favorite sessions from the year and reflect on all of the love. I get a bit emotional looking through all of the images and seeing how many people trust me to document their biggest moments and let me bring their vision to life. Thanks to all of my 2018 couples for letting me get “just one more” photo “over there in that light” and to letting me push my creative muscles. I adore you all!

Much love, Courtney

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