When I first looked at Dannie's website my initial reaction was - "damn, does this girl do everything??" She wears quite a few hats as you'll see below and during our coffee date/photography interview at Asado coffee in the West Loop I couldn't help but be impressed with all that Dannie's done for such a young person. Not only does she run her own marketing business that helps entrepreneurs, she's also an integral part of the marketing efforts at...wait for it...Google...
Read MoreI met the amazing Jas and Megan from Chestnut Tower Apartments over the summer when I did their team headshots on the roof of the apartment building that they manage. These two ferocious ladies are so kind and inspiring to me - so when they asked if I wanted to photograph the adorable holiday party they were hosting for their residents at Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery in the north loop, I was like, uh, yeah?!
Read MoreI met Amanda when we were table neighbors at a panel we were speaking together on at YOUmedia a few weeks ago and I'm happy to say we became fast friends. Amanda is such an inspiration to me - not only is she one of the kindest women, she's also super funny, easy to talk to and genuinely cares about the growth of the artists and small business owners around her. We met at her adorable apartment on the north side where I got to see her gorgeous styling skills put to work, meet her adorable puppy Phife (I'm in love) and photograph/interview Amanda about her prop styling business...
Read MoreOn one of the few snowy days we've had so far this year, I spent the afternoon at KNOED in Ravenswood on the north side of Chicago - sitting down with coffee in Kim and Kyle's adorable studio, getting to know the story of how this couple started KNOED, and see the amazing behind the scenes action of what goes into creating a brand - yeah, this interview was inspirational...
Read MoreWhen Kierra and her mom first reached out to me for her senior portraits, I almost couldn't hide my excitement - Keirra's family is one of the kindest I've been lucky enough to meet, she was so easy going and trusting when it came to her session, and her amazing senior style is seriously what photographers dream of...
Read MoreWe sat and talked for hours in Summer House Santa Monica, eating delicious guacamole and chips, drinking local pink tea that matched Stacy's cardigan, and spilling the beans on what it's like to be a career changer. Stacy has accomplished a whole lot in her life, from being an attorney, owning a storefront in New Jersey, until finally ending up in Chicago and opening up Grace + Hudson...
Read MoreI've been loving meeting so many amazing entrepreneurial women over this past year, interviewing them, and telling their stories. It shouldn't be so surprising to me the vast amount of incredibly talented, driven, and caring women that Chicago has - but it still does! This woman is no different; from graduating college during the recession and jumping headfirst into the corporate world, only to be laid off many years down the road with a small dream as a back up plan...
Read MoreWhat could possibly be better for a rainy Sunday afternoon than sweatpants and movies with your boyfriend? Hot apple cider, warm conversation, and photographing the amazingly talented Cory, owner of Four Hats Press! I found Cory through our local Rising Tide Society group's page and couldn't believe I hadn't met her yet - her custom calligraphy and letterpress prints are totally gorgeous and without a doubt my style...
Read MoreThroughout my teenage years I went to YOUmedia weekly - finding mentorship, friendship, and resources readily available to help me grow my passion for photography into a full fledged career path. My mentor Brother Mike was the reason that I decided to pursue my dream of fine art portraiture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was the one who got me my first feature at The Huffington Post at 16 years old...
Read MoreThis year is coming to a close and the senior picture season for 2018 grads is almost over! Autumn and summer senior portrait sessions have come and gone and now it's time to look for inspiration for winter and spring shoots. Here are some of my favorite year-round props to bring to your senior portrait session, and some winter specific ones for those of you who are adventurous in the Chicago snow...
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