Portrait Sessions during Covid-19 and social distancing

Last week I found out that starting May 1st photographers in Chicago are allowed to take pictures again. At least for May there are some rules we have to follow:

• No multi-household photoshoots (no extended family sessions)
• Keep 6ft distance at all times
• Photographer has to wear a mask
• All photoshoots have to be done outside
• No physical contact (so no physical exchange of money – it will have to all be done online and I will not be using props that you or your kids would touch)

I have added a rule to this for myself: in May and June I will only take on two clients a week and never on the same day. This is for your and my safety but also because it looks like I will keep homeschooling my own children for the foreseeable future and I don’t want the quality of my work to suffer. That also means I am booking up fast!

Another big change for May and June: I will LOWER my prices. I know most of us are suffering financially right now so I want to make photography more accessible but I am also still figuring out how this all will work, with me not being able to be close to my clients. I will go back to my pricing from two years ago which means:

$300 for full sessions

$200 for mini sessions

$150 for porch minis

Since I can’t do regular newborn sessions right now, I will do them (and price them) as regular full family sessions and mini sessions.

I will only do mini sessions and porch sessions on the Northside of Chicago though.

Locations: You may want to consider your backyard if that is at all possible. Most parks and nature preserves are not allowing photography right now. Hopefully that will change in June. Urban and downtown shoots are also a great choice right now! I have a few coming up and I am very excited.

So while this is definitely not the photography Spring and Summer I imagined, we will get through this. Please be patient with me since I am figuring all of this out just like the rest of us but my goal is to provide you with the same quality of work you are used to from me and to make you feel normal and comfortable … at least for a little bit.