With the Holidays soon to be in full swing, this is the perfect time of year to book your children for portrait sessions here at Audrey kelleR phoTography! I recently did a photo shoot of three beautiful young siblings: Ryli, Jude, and Skye (3 months, 7 years, and 10 years old). Photographing young children is such a joy because of what those photos provide their loved ones; A glimpse into not only who they are, but the men and women they will become. A particular favorite moment of mine is a sleeping baby, and I was glad to capture little Ryli napping during the shoot. Jude and Skye were great models too, and they had such a great time in front of the camera. Having your child's portrait professionally taken serves so much more than just a yearly card for the holidays, it's a great way for parents to really hold on to those moments in time when their children are so young. It allows for a precious keep-sake that both parents and their children will hold on to for years to come. (And remember, it may seem like it's months away, but the Holi-daze come fast, so be sure to call the studio and book your child's session before the season begins!)

Natasha and Kyle's Engagement Portrait Session

Engagement Portrait Sessions are a great way for a couple to get comfortable in front of the camera before their wedding. It's also good for them to understand how I work and what to expect from me on their big day. A beautiful young couple, Natasha and Kyle, are getting married in late November, and we took some incredible photos of the happy couple on Northerly Island (which is a 91-acre peninsula near Soldier Field that juts into Lake Michigan). The soon-to-be bride and groom were so great to work with. In the photo above, Kyle jumped up to grab a tree branch and shook it in order to shake off it's flowers. It made for a unique shot, as it looks like it's raining flower pedals. Natasha and Kyle love the beach, so I wanted to show them being with each other at a place they both enjoy. As cold as Lake Michigan was that day, they were still willing to run through the water on the shore-line for some great shots! Northerly Island allowed for unique pictures using the Chicago skyline as their background. It's always good to get some urban shots with the couple because it portrays a sense that through all the people in the world, these two found each other. I'm really looking forward to working with Natasha and Kyle on their wedding day. Enjoy.

Alison and Samit's Wedding

I am really excited to share some photos from Alison and Samit's amazing wedding. What a beautiful two-day event that was both a traditional Hindu ceremony (on Friday) and a Catholic ceremony (on Saturday). It was incredible to participate in such an elaborate and detailed weekend. The Hindu ceremony was held at the European Crystal Banquet Hall http://www.europeancrystalbanquets.com in Arlington Heights. What a gorgeous banquet hall! On Saturday, the Catholic ceremony was held at St. Nicholas Church http://www.nickchurch.org in Evanston. For the bridal walk, we took photos throughout the Northwestern University campus. The bride and groom had met while attending college there, so it was really fun for them to walk around the campus taking their wedding photos. The reception was held at the Women's Club of Evanston http://www.wcofe.org I had such a great time not only with Alison and Samit, but with their wedding party. A big thanks to Alison and Samit, and their families; What a beautiful weekend. There are a lot of photos in this blog, so have a look and enjoy!

This past Saturday, I shot a wedding for a beautiful couple, Clare and Tom. The day started out at Sonia Roselli Esthetique, (http://www.soniaroselliweddings.com) an amazing Parisian-style salon here in Chicago, that has been featured in Allure Magazine, Brides Chicago and Time Out Chicago, to name a few. After leaving Sonia Roselli's, we were off to take photos of the bridal party in Millennium Park. This was a very cool wedding party, as each brides maid wore a different black dress of their choice. Also, they each carried a different bouquet containing one flower from the brides bouquet, which gave the entire party an old-Hollywood feel. Clare chose a birdcage wedding veil, in place of a more traditional style veil, which looked so beautiful, and was so much fun to photograph! Is was very hot and sunny on Saturday making it difficult to find good lighting; It is always best to have a little cloud coverage to soften the sun light. Luckily, I was able to find a few shady areas to take the portraits. The bridal party really appreciated this as well since standing in the sun was brutal, and after having makeup done at Sonia Roselli, we didn't want sweat!

What a gorgeous ceremony Clare and Tom had at The Chicago Temple, 1st United Methodist Church (http://www.chicagotemple.org). It was beautiful. After the service, we quickly stopped at the Chicago River for a few more photos, then off to the cocktail hour and reception party! The reception was held at a great location, the Townhouse Restaurant (http://www.redstartavern.net/restaurant/?restID=7) on South Wacker Drive. The Townhouse is only open during the week, and it has never hosted a wedding reception before, making this a truly unique experience. It was an honor to photograph Clare and Tom's Wedding! Enjoy the photos, I sure do!!