Christmas, Hanukkah, or just want a nice studio family picture? After a three year break I am so excited to be hosting Holiday Mini Sessions again! I will have four different setups in my North Center studio (conveniently located two blocks from the Irving Park Brown Line Stop). My Holiday Mini sessions will be 10-15 minutes long and you may pick 1-2 setups (you will receive a questionnaire beforehand). 3 pictures are included in the price with the option to buy more pictures later. The price is $250. I have 3 weekdays available – November 14th, 15th and 21st (a CPS day off school!) as well as Saturday, November 19th. Now, even for Mini Sessions I limit my spots because it is extremely important for me to provide individualized service to each of my client families. I want to know your names and what makes your kids laugh, so make sure to book your spot fast! BOOK HERE Here are the setups: Fancy Green Christmas This setup is best for just kids 2. Scandinavian Christmas Since I am from Europe, I’ve always wanted to do a simple, scandi-Christmas setup. This is best for kids by themselves or families with babies […]

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 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.                                  

  September and October have been crazy busy! I got to photograph so many families! I originally planned to play November by ear but the trees changed colors so late this year and now it’s warmed up a bit, so I decided to make it official and post all my family session dates for the rest of the year! This includes mini-sessions and full sessions! I am going to take December off to spend with my family (except newborns – newborns are ALWAY welcome in my studio :)) so snag your holiday spots now!   Outdoor Mini-Sessions $200 Mini-sessions include 15-20 minutes of shooting and 10 digital files with print rights. You pick your 10 favorites from the session and you will receive hand edited pictures in both color and black and white. I only do mini-sessions in Winnemac Park or close by Winnemac Park (I will do Giddings Plaza once they put up the lights!). I shoot minis only on weekdays. If you want a mini booked on a weekday morning between 9.30am-1.30pm, please send me an email at alinesternphoto@gmail.com. If you want to snag up one of my Monday spots (I shoot every Monday in November at 3pm […]

  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 …