Wendy Benner Photography

This fall I had the pleasure of meeting up with Heather, Jonathan, and Rilla in their home for a family photo session. Rilla was about two and a half months old at the time of the photo shoot.

On her changing table, getting ready for a bath.

Bath time in the kitchen sink.

Fresh and clean!

And then it was time to get all dressed and buttoned up.

I think it would be cool someday to display this photo side-by-side with a photo of Rilla having her wedding gown buttoned by her mom someday. I know… that’s a long way off… but they say that childhood is “over before you know it.” Which is partly why I love capturing bits and pieces of it with my camera.

Next, Rilla enjoyed some playtime in her crib. She LOVES her musical mobile. The daughter of two musicians!

Her other favorite play-spot is in her Play Gym with all the dangly toys.

Tender mother-daughter time.

I loved this “rainbow blanket,” handmade by Heather!

Rilla loves it too.

Next, we headed to the lakefront for a few outdoor photos.

I love the tender interaction of parents with their young baby.

LOVE.

Of course we had to grab a “mural shot” too.

Being the center of attention for that long is exhausting!

Thanks, Heather, Jonathan, and Rilla for welcoming me into your home and your neighborhood. It was a joy to spend some time with you and capture some memories together.

Meet James, Allison, and Jesse, who recently moved to Chicago from Arkansas.

I met up with them at their home for a few indoor pictures.

Jesse sometimes plays in his crib. Of course, there’s no game more fun than Peekaboo!

Beautiful mother-son bonding.

I sat next to Jesse for the short drive to the outdoor location. He spent most of the car ride just chillin’ out…

But he’s also very social.

Next, we checked out one of my favorite murals and found a detail perfect for a family photo:

And then we headed toward the lake.

Jesse was fascinated by the leaves.

Of course, to a baby, there’s no way to fully explore a new object without chewing on it.

We paused for a family photo.

Of course, we couldn’t pass up a quick visit to the playground nearby.

Jesse loves crawling.

It’s even more fun to crawl on the playground equipment!

Right across the street is a beautiful little nature preserve.

I snapped a few photos of Allison and James just before sunset.

Meanwhile, Jesse entertained himself with more leaves.

I’ll conclude with my favorite pair of photos of Jesse from this session. These photos were taken consecutively, about a second apart. This boy has so much personality!

Allison, James, & Jesse, thanks for exploring the neighborhood with me! I’m so glad you moved to Chicago!

October has been a busy month for family and headshot photo sessions, so I hope you’ll check back for several blog posts coming soon. For today, here is just a sneak peek at precious little “Baby S.” at 15 days old.