Everything you need to know plus prices and booking links! How is it time for my Fall schedule again? This year has just flown by! If you’ve been wanting to find out more about booking your Fall Family Session or Portrait Session with Aline Stern Photography – I’ve got all the info you need right here! I offer three kind of session – Gold, Silver and Extended Family. I am explaining in detail what the difference is below. If you ever want to book a true, quick and easy mini session, I only offer these in the studio and only for special occasions. But I will have some coming up in November so if all you want is a 10 minutes “update the family photo” session or something to put on your holiday card, stay tuned! Gold Session $550 on weekdays$650 on weekends In the Gold sessions we take our time and try to capture moments and emotion. We spend 40 to 60 minutes together. We start out with the sort of pictures we’d do during a Silver session – smile in the camera, the perfect family portrait. After we get those shots, we play, we laugh, we run around. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

  As I am writing this post it is 14 degrees with a -2 degree wind chill and outdoor sessions seem far far away. BUT! Spring will be here before we know it. And I’ve had people inquire about my Spring and Summer calendar since September of last year, so here we are! 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, please contact me directly at info@alinesternphotography.com. I don’t want to overwhelm you! First of all – if you’re worried about the weather let me tell you – every month is different and has different things to offer. April has Spring flowers popping up. There are no bugs and we still get the clear and clean winter light. It’s also empty in all the outdoor spots which is a bliss! We often get the prettiest flowering trees in April and early May. I know some spots that have really stunning Spring foliage! May is beautiful […]

Guys, I am so behind on blogging. I’ve been shooting non stop for months but there are a few sessions I’d like to show you, even if the landscape looks very different now. I’ve known this family since their oldest was less than a year old. They are just such wonderful children and such a joy to photograph. I love how big brother is so protective and such a gentleman. Middle brother is such a ham and so sweet. And the youngest one is most definitely the boss.                                  

  As it’s getting colder every day, the leaves are changing, it’s time to think about holiday pictures! I host mini-sessions every year for two days in November. I will have two set-ups – one very neutral for those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas or who just prefer a simpler style one and one more Christmas-y one with props and a holiday backdrop. Where? At my studio in Lincoln Square/West Andersonville, close to Winnemac Park – easy street parking! What do I get? A 20 minute session and 10 edited pictures that you get to pic from a proof gallery – the pictures will come in both color and black and white, so really, you are receiving 20 pictures total! How much? $200 I require a $50 non-refundable deposit (if you don’t show up to your session, there will be no rescheduling! If you let me know you can’t make it, we will find a different date that works for you!) and $150 are due on the day of the session – I accept QuickPay/Zelle, cash or check. Here are the booking links: Saturday, November 3rd Saturday, November 10th Saturday, November 17th What else you need to know: -Please […]

My favorite thing about living in Chicago is Lake Michigan. I love that we have beaches right at our doorstep. Still, I had never done a professional shoot at the beach. That was until this family suggested it. I am so glad they did! We went to Montrose Beach. We started out at the Bird Sanctuary for some nature shots and then moved on to the beach. We found a patch of beach that we had all to ourselves. It was a hot and muggy day but by the water it was just perfect. The hour went by so fast as the girls were looking for seashells and jumping in puddles. I loved, loved, loved taking these photos. More beach shoots please! Well, maybe once Spring comes around …  

We originally planned to do this maternity session outside under some flowering trees but the Chicago Spring was wet and cold and we had to postpone and then the trees were no longer blooming. After that we decided we would do a sunset beach maternity session. The day of our session arrived and it rained and rained and it was dark and overcast so we decided to do the session at my client’s beautiful home and I couldn’t be happier about our decision. Mom wanted the focus to be on her sweet two-year old and her together. I love how tender and sensual these pictures came out. Those last moments before little brother arrives are so precious and special. I can’t wait to photograph Layla holding her little brother!