I have had the pleasure of photographing this family many, many times. We met at preschool when I was taking Fine Art School Photos and Tatum was just a wee thing. She captured my heart then, and every time she is in front of my camera, she is a joy to photograph. Tatum has always had amazing glasses. I think the first time I met her, she had these awesome blue glasses that happened to match her blue dress. She’s since had many different pairs, each one perfectly suited for her. Tatum calls me Miss Kellie and though I never use the word “cheese” and try to tell the parents of my families to not coach the kids to say cheese, kids still do, and she is one of them. However, a second after she says it, she goes back to being herself, and she will gaze into my lens with bare curiosity. She’s become a muse of sorts for me, because I love the innocence and pureness she exudes. Her little sister is quite the opposite. This happened to be a session to commemorate Kensie’s 2nd birthday. It seems like just yesterday that I was taking maternity photos and her newborn photos! Kensie is always on the go, and she had me running back and forth across the Bell Harbor Conference Center overpass and all around the waterfront near the Great Wheel. I was working hard to get candid shots of her. It’s not unusual for me to “chase” kids around just following their lead, and some of my favorite photos are the result of me running around after kids.

Misty and Justin are also fun to photograph. They have learned to “ignore me” and just play with the girls (as opposed to just looking at the camera). They’re so used to me, Justin was even watching a Cubs game on his phone at one of our sessions when he wasn’t in front of the camera. Since it was a playoff or World Series game, we ended up incorporating that into the session, with both of them checking the score on his phone. This particular session we were up against a few factors, super bright sun, Justin feeling under-the-weather, and an unpredictable 2 year old in a busy place. After playing a bit at the Bell Harbor Conference center steps and exploring that area, we stopped at Starbucks for a little refueling, and then took a few final shots at the waterfront near the aquarium and Great Wheel. I think the session felt a little crazy to Misty since she was managing the girls a bit more than normal since Justin didn’t feel great, but we still ended up with awesome shots.

I am so thankful when my families come back for more photos. I love building relationships and becoming friends with them, and watching their little ones grow before my eyes!