So here we are at the beginning of another new year, and the perfect time for an updated headshot for your work, blog,  social media, or for those single individuals out there, a dating site! Your online image is generally the first impression you make on others, whether personal or professional. What does your portrait say about you?  Are you  just another face in the crowd? Or does your portrait stop the scroll and make the viewer want to get to know you and do business with you? Are you fun and outgoing, a thoughtful introvert, a lover of books … Continue reading New Year, New Look!

One of the first questions clients ask is “Where should we have our portraits made?”        It used to be automatic to go to a studio, either a chain like Olan Mills or Sears Portrait Studio or if you wanted something more elegant or unique, an individual photographer, like Portraitions! In recent years, the trend has been outdoor portraits, which are great, unless it is too hot, too cold, windy, rainy or just too humid for our hair to behave properly!  Trees and flower are lovely, unless our hair is droopy or we are freezing or sweating. The most frustrating is … Continue reading Your Place or Mine?

A new baby is always a miracle.  Just the fact that two people can create a life is astonishing. When that new life is also your first child, well, let just say your entire world is about to be rocked.  The truly amazing part, to me, is that the feeling of pure love we have for our children never goes away.  Just ask your mother. I so enjoy creating beautiful portraits of beautiful Mothers to Be, and being part of their miracle in the making.  Can’t wait to meet their little one. Continue reading Expecting A Miracle

So there we were, in Grandma’s beautiful backyard, all laughing and dancing for the amusement of seven darling cousins… I was delighted when a favorite client called to say her entire family was gathering before her brother’s family made the move out west.  Her mom wanted a portrait of everyone together, including one of the seven grandchildren. Challenge accepted! Whenever family is all together, we naturally want an updated family portrait.  It is a treasure to have them on the wall, and see their smiling faces beaming down 0n us, especially when their home is far from ours.  (All of … Continue reading Seven Grandchildren Under Age 8…

“For five years, we meant to do portraits on the cherry blossoms. Now we are being transferred and it is put last chance!” Happily, we got that chance, and the Baker family braved some chilly weather and captured fun family portraits as the blossoms popped. As crazy as packing up the house and heading for another military posting must be, my favorite thing about the Bakers was how the entire family loved being together. Everything else fell away, while they laughed and hugged and simply celebrated taking some time to be together, and to remember their time in DC. Continue reading Cherry Blossom Portraits at Last!

What do we do when the weather doesn’t cooperate?  How about we take a snow day and have fun anyway? My clients were thoughtful enough to offer to reschedule on Presidents Day, as the snow was coming down, but being from Chicago, I just loaded up the car and headed to their home. We set up a studio in the living room, complete with lights and background, and created some wonderful images. The delightful  Megan loved snuggling with mom and dad and played ballerina on our miniature chaise, then headed outside to play in the snow! I also love capturing … Continue reading Snow Day