Everything you need to know including booking links A lot has happened in the past few months. On Jan 1st I opened my own studio in North Center. I added Branding Photography to my repertoire and have really been enjoying working with different brands and influencers. But I still love photographing kids, family and couples and sometimes your pets – so here is my Spring and Summer schedule. A few things you should know before I post the pricing and booking links: I changed my sign up system, I hope in the long run it’s going to be easier to use for both me and you guys but I am still ironing out some stuff, so if you have ANY trouble booking, please just send me an email to alinesternphoto@gmail.com. How it works: You click on either “Silver Session” or “Gold Session” and my scheduler will pop up. You select a date (my Spring and Summer calendar goes from April 18th-July 31st – my late summer/Fall calendar will be live in early June), it will prompt you to enter your name and email address. I will send an email with my contract and invoice. Once you sign the contract and […]

It’s been a busy year and I am starting to wind down for the season. I have just a handful of opportunities left for family photo sessions. I have decided to not host studio minis this year (again, unfortunately), so this is it for 2021! Holiday Park Minis on Nov 14th $250 10 minute sessions in Winnemac Park. 3 pictures included in the session. When booking please let me know if you want some Christmas-y props or focus on more natural shots. The weather forecast says it will be a chilly day, so dress appropriately and if you have a tiny baby, maybe consider a different kind of session since babies do NOT like being cold and it is almost impossible for me to get them to smile when it’s under 45 degrees. Nov 14th Holiday Park Mini Porch Minis $250 10 minute session, 3 pictures included I will offer these on regular weekdays from 9.30am-3pm and on the last two Sundays in November – Chicago North Side only! When booking please give me two options for preferred time and date. I will have a few Christmas props in the car if you want to make your porch more festive! […]

Everything you need to know plus booking links It’s that time of the year again! We are getting ready for Fall photoshoots – the best time to do pictures in Chicago! First of all I’d like to talk about Covid. I am fully vaccinated. I arrive to every shoot with a mask. If you are vaccinated as well and you’d like me to take off the mask so you can understand me better I feel comfortable to do that with outdoor shoots, though I will still keep some distance to the kids. I am also totally fine with keeping the mask on so if you don’t specifically ask me to take it off, I will just keep it on. I am still going to be very flexible with rescheduling if you or any family member feels sick at all. I just ask that you give me as much notice as possible so I’m not already on the way to our shoot. Now – October is always my most busy month. There are several reasons why October is so popular – it’s cooler and less humid, sunset is earlier and sunrise is later so we catch that amazing golden light without […]

Mini Sessions and Full Sessions I am writing this today, on the first day of Spring. It’s been quite a year, my friends. Somehow we made it work. But I am looking towards a better future. I just got my first Covid vaccine yesterday and will be fully vaccinated by the end of April. The sun is shining, it’s warm. I hope you are doing well! Even though I will be fully vaccinated – I am still going to be wearing a mask to your session (double mask or KN95 for indoor shoots), I will avoid touching you. If you want me to bring props like blankets or a box for littles to sit on please let me know! I totally understand that not everybody will be comfortable with using my props quite yet. My studio will remain closed until Fall which is really a bummer but I have big plans for the Christmas shoots this year and will have an indoor space again for those (Covid numbers and Governor permitting) so stay tuned! For now I am still doing indoor lifestyle newborns and family session in your home if that’s something you are interested in. Please send me a […]

As of today (January 30th) my studio is still closed and I am not sure when I can safely re-open but my guess is not before summer. This time of year is always slow for me but this year, due to not being able to utilize my studio, it is extra slow. So to entice you, my dear client, to give this weather a chance and maybe get some pictures with stunning winter sunsets and sparkling snow or even some Spring blooms, I am updating my prices from now until the end of April. The Winter Special Outdoor winter minis or porch sessions $200 If you’ve booked a regular mini session with me you know we can get quite a bit done. They always end up being longer than I planned, almost like a full session but done faster. Not this session – this is a 10-15 minute session and it includes 5 pictures. I am keeping these short because while it may be pretty out – it is still winter in Chicago and it’s cold! But if you want a pretty family picture in the snow plus a couple of close ups of your kids or yourself, this is […]

First off – due to Covid – both the regulations and to keep my clients and my own family save from Coronavirus, I have decided to only do outdoor sessions for holiday photos this year. I have two options: Porch Sessions and Festive Holiday Minis. Porch Sessions 10-15 minutes, 5 pictures included $200 These kind of sessions have become very popular during the early stages of the pandemic. I didn’t do them back then because we were still under a stay-at-home order and at that point we didn’t know how easily the virus was transmitted. We now know outdoor with proper distance is unlikely to lead to infection which is why I decided to make this an option for holiday minis. How does this look like? I will come to your home (outside only) and we will take pictures on your front porch or if you don’t have a porch – on the sidewalk by your house. This is a good choice for people with small kids (under 4) that may not tolerate being out in the cold and feel more comfortable in a trusted environment. You could decorate your front porch whichever way you like and you could even […]

It’s the middle of summer and a lot of people are starting to think about their Fall pictures – so like every year I am putting all my booking information and links in this blog post. But first we need to talk about the obvious – the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging across our country and none of us know how the next few months will look like. Here is what I will do to ensure your and my safety and conform to state set regulations: I wear a mask to every photoshoot. I do this to protect you and your kids. I also try to stay 6ft away at all times. Unfortunately I also can’t bring my own props for safety reason right now but you are welcome to bring your own. I am drastically reducing the number of sessions I offer this Fall. This should give us some leeway should we have to reschedule due to sickness. Which leads me to the next point: if you or anybody in your surroundings – or myself or anybody in my surrounding – feels sick or is sick or is running a fever, we will postpone. Safety first. Photographers received permission […]

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 […]

Hi there! Chances are you are stuck at home right now. If you are reading this blog you are probably at home with your kids and maybe your partner or your pets. You may want to use this time to get better at a skill or maybe you just want to document what is going on right now. Either way, in this blog post I have some advice on how to take great pictures of your family – not on vacation or in the studio but in your home or while you are out on your walks and hikes. Now first off – I am at home and homeschooling my own two kids so trust me, I don’t have time for elaborate photoshoots right now. This is not my goal for this blog post. This post is about how to capture your everyday life. The pictures are supposed to be natural and really capture your kids’ spirit (this is my goal for my family photo shoots too). You don’t need props or fancy equipment. I used three different kinds of cameras for this blog post: my professional cameras (Canon 5d Mk III and 5d Mk IV), my mirrorless “vacation” camera […]

It’s that time of the year again! Fall booking is open! In this post you will find all of the info and booking links for my Full family sessions and Mini family sessions since these two are my most popular options. I offer a lot of different packages but if you’re interested in other sessions, for example senior, newborn, or “Day of Lifestyle” sessions or studio, please contact me directly at info@alinesternphotography.com. I don’t want to overwhelm you! Please be aware that my package prices changed in 2019 – make sure you check out my new pricing before booking! Before you decide on when to book – every month has it’s advantages. August and September have warm weather and beautiful flowers but may not be great if you’re afraid of sweat or if your hair gets frizzy in humid weather. Mid to late October usually has the best Fall foliage but it also rains more, so if you’re looking for a golden sunset you may want to book in September instead. November has gorgeous colors – a mix of Fall colors with beautiful long wild grass and usually empty parks for photos – but it can be cold (make sure to […]