Chicago Smash Cake Session - One Year Old Lumberjack!

The pandemic isn’t stopping Mr. Jack from turning one and he is here for his smash cake! I had so much fun with Jack while he smashed, played with, and gobbled his cake. We took a few photos of just him in his little lumberjack shirt before he switched to the lumberjack diaper cover overalls & bowtie. Have you seen anything cuter?!? He took this cake-eating business extremely serious, using all appendages to grab cake when his hands were already full and putting his face right in his cake!

And can we talk about that cake! SO beautiful. It’s from Toni’s Patisserie in Hinsdale and it was so pretty. It looked just like a birch tree for this perfect little lumberjack and the way he devoured it, I’d say it tasted amazing as well! The very last photo here shows him trying to share with me - I politely declined, obviously! But he sure is sweet!

Pro tip: Chocolate Cake Is Great For Smash Cakes!

Chocolate cake, or darker cakes or even dark frosting, tend to show up well in photos if you’re really looking for that “messy” smash cake look.

I photographed Jack’s Fresh 48 session last year and he was not happy I was there! His in-home newborn photos were a breeze and I’ve photographed him & his sister a few times this year for their family’s milestones. This smash cake birthday session was full of smiles and curiosity! I so enjoy this guy, and his whole family and am so so grateful.

Rounding Out 2020 With a Lifestyle Newborn Session {Roscoe Village - Chicago, IL}

Ending 2020 on a High With A Sweet Newborn & Family!

If you had told me back in March that I would have the busiest and best year of my career, I would’ve nervously laughed or even cried hysterically. Seriously. Like so many of you, I was terrified in the beginning of the year, when Chicago shut down and my work was labeled non-essential. For two months I couldn’t work at all and since I specialize in newborns, I really couldn’t photograph because it’s hard to photograph newborns outdoors. Especially in the cold. Events that I photographed regularly were canceled. It was looking bleak. But in the newness of summer, things started to slowly reopen and I was able to photograph again. The inquiries came in quickly and my fall season was insane, in a good way! With the majority of people not going places, it opened up schedules and people prioritizing moments together and getting them documented.

I’ll leave you with the final newborn of 2020 for CMP and let me tell you, it’s full of so much cute. A sweet December babe, snuggly parents and an adorable mini golden doodle big brother! You wouldn’t even guess that Mr. L was having a fussy day when I was with him!

Tears of joy and gratefulness are filling my eyes as we round out 2020, a year full of pain and sorrow. While I know that a New Year doesn't wave a wand and magically make everything better, I am hopeful that we'll emerge stronger from this year full of lessons, loss and heartache. Whatever you're going through, I am thinking of you and hoping you and your family are safe and well.

Thank you for being here with me, contributing to my best year yet, and trusting me to document your most treasured moments. Thank you for allowing me in your inbox. Thank you for the social media love, and any other support - I feel it all. I hope your New Year is filled with health, love, laughter and memories.

xoxo,
Courtney

PS. If you're into Schitt's Creek, their 2020 recap pretty much sums up how I feel and most importantly makes me laugh. Check it out here.

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Newborn Babies

There's a Reason Babies are So Cute…

I’ll preface this blog post by stating that I am not a mom so I have no first-hand experience with motherhood, just auntie-hood. But most of my friends and family are moms and I know how hard it can be. I’ve seen it first-hand watching my sisters become moms. And I’ve photographed a lot of babies at this stage. The newborn stage is especially tough on moms! The lack of sleep, the navigating of finding out who this little person is and what they need. It’s all a process. But I’m convinced that’s why babies are so cute! I mean, those every-two-hour-feedings in the middle of the night… you gotta have a cute baby to look at at 3 in the morning or one might go mad from never sleeping. I am certain I would! But then again, I need a looooot of sleep!

I always try to photograph mom & dad/family first at newborn sessions so that mom and dad can relax after while I photograph baby. I tell them they’re welcome to take a nap, or just rest in a comfy chair for a bit while I take their baby’s photos. I do this for two reasons. 1. I genuinely want them to rest while they can and 2. if baby can smell mom nearby, this might make it a bit more difficult for photos as they may want to eat & eat & eat! If this isn’t baby number one, then they usually end up chasing their other babies around ;)

Mr. J’s mom ended up having an emergency C-section so her recovery was much more difficult than anticipated. But you’d never know it in their adorable family photos. I have so much respect and awe for moms of all kinds. And while Mr. J was just under two weeks new for his debut photos, he wanted to be sure he didn’t miss a thing in his new world! No sleeping for this guy! Not until the last 15 minutes of his session. But he wasn’t fussy, either. Just alert, making sure he didn’t miss anything. I loved that so much, and I loved spending time with this tiny little human. So I can only imagine how his mama feels at those 2am feedings. I think we’re all going to be great friends!

Congrats, W family! I adore you all ❤️

Baby Close-Up Details - A Must!