TO THE BLOG

Hello friends! Welcome back to the blog. Today’s story is all about Antonia Mia! She is going to be ONE year old this month! Time flies! Her mom reached out to me for an in-home family session. Antonia Mia was going to be celebrating her half birthday at the time!! 🎉

Antonia is their first born, so you know all those milestones are just so exciting. First Christmas, first smile, first laugh, first steps. You really gotta soak it all in! A photo session is a great way to capture those memories.

Look at that adorable face! She was so precious, the apple of both of her parents’ eye!

I enjoyed meeting Dave, Maria and Antonia so much! I just captured some shots as they played and sang to Antonia. She was enjoying her family time as well.

Then my tiny client got tired and drifted off to sleep. Her tiny fingers curled up, and for a moment, the whole world felt softer. It was the sweetest thing—pure, unfiltered trust and calm. Moments like these make my work even more special.

Calm and still. Quiet and peaceful. Antonia’s parents watched her with a tenderness that filled the room, their eyes soft with love. It was a magical moment.

Dave & Maria, thank you for inviting me into your home to capture your beautiful family! I know you will be feeling so many emotions as your baby turns from days, months to a year old. I hope these images bring you back to these special moments. The laughter will get a little louder, and little steps will replace crawling. The memories will get grander and each year simply passes quicker than you can ever imagine.

Until next time.

Renée

Hello, welcome back to the blog! Winter is slowing dragging itself, per usual. When it feels like the cold months will never end, it is nice to look back at some sessions from warmer seasons! The Pasia family reached out to me for a photo session. Jennifer has twins, she learned about my business from another twin mom. There is an awesome twin mom connection. I should know, I am one too! My oldest daughter had the spotlight for almost three years before her twin brothers entered the world. Now she just demands it! LOL!

Being a twin mom is such a wonderful experience. When you see other twins out in the wild, it is just neat to acknowledge it, you know what those other parents are experiencing or experienced. So the Pasia family had come to me just as their fraternal twins turned two. I always loved that age, it seems sweet and special. For me, it’s three that really shows its true colors.

We met at a gorgeous park and garden in Chicago. When kiddos are this age, you let them explore and capture the moments along the session.

I could tell, Jennifer was worried about the results, she was hoping for some great shots, but us mostly following the twins around the park didn’t exactly feel like we were getting anything.

I hope when they look at these images, they have fond memories of how special this time was in their lives. Jennifer reached out again for fall photos, that was a great feeling! This time we meet in Riverside, the colors were vibrant and the season was glowing with goodness.

The twins were definitely more used to me this time, following them along with my camera in hand, saying silly things for a smile! Just look at those cuties! It was an honor to capture their family photos and create lasting memories for all to cherish!

When clients call for another session, it means so much! Building these relationships along the way, even better! Thanks for following along! Until next time.

Fondly,
Renée

Hello, happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2025! 🥂

My next blog will feature my cousin’s wedding back in October of 2024. I was lucky enough to book two fabulous weddings last October, they were both amazing. Very grateful for both opportunities indeed!

I love history, so here is a little history about my cousin Vinny, LOL! I had to throw that one in there. Ok, Vince Bukowski. Our mothers are sisters and for most of my young life we would see each other at the holidays and family get togethers. Vince is older so he was off on adventures before I even entered junior high school.

One of my first major memories of Vince was his big return to American soil once the Gulf War ended. All of our family joined together at the airport to give him a huge WELCOME HOME! And thank him for his service. I remember the hot summer day in 1991, we were all so proud and feeling lucky he made it back. We made signs and cheered as he walked into the airport! I was just 9 years old, and by then he had done so much in life.

Another fun memory was when Vince and his young family had come back home for Christmas. He shared this amazing video of his job at the time. As Vince describes it, he “flew military helicopters that prevented migrants from entering the US and flew armed counter narcotics that severely affected the maritime delivery chain of transporting illegal drugs distributed by the cartels from eventually making their way onto US cities. ” The video he showed us was like an action movie, but it was real and this was our cousin! I was proud of him! I also always enjoyed listening to his stories. Vince currently transports critical patients to hospitals via helicopter. He has had some very impactful careers post the military.

Flash forward to 2024, I get a message from Vince asking me to give him a call. Ok, we had not talked in long time, but I am always happy to connect. Vince met a really nice woman named Kimberly by this time. His young kids were now grown and he was starting a new chapter in his life. Vince and Kimberly were going to get married….wow!! In Chicago!! Awesome!! They asked me to be their wedding photographer! I was soooo excited to be considered. AND their wedding venue would be at the Beaknik on the River!! This venue is an epic Chicago location, that alone was an amazing opportunity. I said YES immediately ! Here are some highlights from their big day.

I had not met Kimberly in person until August of 2024 at my sister’s wedding. I spoke with her over the summer a couple of times to discuss photo details. The first time I ever spoke to Kimberly, I KNEW, she was the woman Vince needed in his life. She softens his edges and sweetens his ‘tude. He is her knight in shining armor and they were lucky to find each other! October 19,2024 was a perfect fall day in Chicago-even more perfect that you can imagine! An amazing day to celebrate this beautiful couple and unite two families!

Kimberly is just stunning, her wedding dress actually got lost in transit and she bought a new gown just before the wedding day! She rocked it, with jaw dropping pink Jimmy Choos. Kimberly is a gem, she is a nurse practitioner with a heart of gold filled with Southern hospitality. My cousin, he is a lucky guy.

Kimberly is also blessed to have a special group of gals in her life, called the Giggle Girls! They were so cute and such a great group of ladies to have by your side on one of your biggest days!

Thank you Kimberly and Vince for asking me to capture your special day! I wish you nothing but happiness as you both enter this next chapter of your lives. Cheers!

xoxo
Renée