Bringing home a baby during a global pandemic is no joke! I'm thankful that I got to safely spend time with Baby Lucy and her sweet family. As a Naperville newborn photographer I talk to SO many families while they're prepping for their in-home lifestyle newborn sessions that are worried that they don't have "Pinterest-worthy/Pottery Barn style home".

All too often as a creative, I find myself getting stuck in a rut of focusing so much on running a business that I lose sight of the side of photography that brought me to learn the ins and outs of my camera in the first place. Trying new things, getting creative and pushing yourself just for the fun of it is so important. SO... with a gorgeous snow fall landing on a weekend and a fresh start into 2021, I figured- why not?

Needless to say, 2020 has been a year for the history books! So many people in all stages of life have mourned the loss of the events and gatherings they had been looking forward to & planning for this year and next. At the beginning of 2020, I had the honor of photographing a small wedding for worship leader of a local Aurora church and his (now) wife. This all took place in early March before the stay at home orders were put in place; knowing that the cancellation of their late spring plans was eminent.

So the question still stands, why are professional photographers so "expensive"... ?

I could start listing out all the things: equipment, studio rent, software, taxes, insurance, editing time, customer service, permit fees... Oh wait. I just did 😊- But really, a professional photographer is more than just clicking a button and should be more than just dollar signs in your eyes when you hear the term. A seasoned professional will always continue learning and growing to hone their craft and to create relationships. The proof is in the pudding from 2014 to now (2020).

As a Naperville headshot photographer, my favorite part of helping my clients update their personal branding is bringing to life a vision and vibe for their headshot or personal branding session! Lindsay Chan Photography works primarily with business professionals, small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Naperville and surrounding Chicagoland suburbs.

Honestly, I can see the appeal that some families may have for these photo sessions. I love that some photographers are giving back to their community and taking donations and I love that others are getting creative in ways to make ends meet while we can't work the way we typically would. With that being said, here are my 5 reasons why front porch photo sessions need to wait:

This event has by far become one of the highlights of my year and favorite evenings to volunteer with! There is nothing like partnering up with hundreds of other local business owners, and members of this faith community to serve and love our honored guests and their families!

To say my time with these two lovebirds was adventurous is an understatement! I don't know if it was the number of times that we rescheduled our session together waiting for the "perfect snow" or the tromping through the forest preserve with umbrellas to save Brittany's hair... uhh I mean my gear. Maybe it was even the buckets of snow we threw on the trees because things started melting too quickly! Either way, we had a blast together.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours this holiday season! Reflecting back on a fun and exciting Christmas season with the first full year (and first holiday season) in my Naperville photography studio- I'm so thankful to be blessed with so many sweet and adorable client families and the BEST real bearded Santa in all of Chicagoland (arguably the "REAL" Santa Claus)!

Where do I even begin with this wonderful family? If you've "been around here" for a while- you may already know that growing with families is one of my single greatest joys with my work! I first met Joey's mom and dad when big sister was only a few months old. Fast forward through a family session, a milestone session (with fun pregnancy announcement), and a maternity session- here we are at sweet Joey's in-home lifestyle newborn session.

Congratulations to the NEW Mr. & Mrs. Keclik! What a joy to spend time with these two alongside their friends and family at their Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding this fall. The cheesy expression that "rain on your wedding day is good luck" must be true because this day was truly a spectacular celebration of love and two amazing families coming together!

Today is the last day of September, and the last day of Pediatric/Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I'm honored to be able to volunteer with numerous organizations that help families in need! Check out more info below on some of the amazing families and their stories that I've been blessed to get to know along their journey!

A "rainbow baby" is a baby born after miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. The term is supposed to signify the hopeful, beautiful period of time celebrating a healthy baby after surviving the "storm" brought by the previous loss.

Sarah truly embodies joy in the way she parents and loves her girls and in the way she cares for Rob even in the midst of her own treatment.

It may still be freezing cold in the Chicago Suburbs (thank you Polar Vortex 2019)- our trees are literally encased in ice this week... but thinking about this past weekend's A Night to Shine event with the Tim Tebow Foundation is warming my heart! What an honor to spend my evening volunteering at this remarkable event!

Maybe the good stuff isn’t ahead of or behind us. Maybe it’s somewhere in between. Maybe what we call “mundane”, what feels boring and ordinatry, is really how we spend our lives. And we have an opportunity to make of it what we will - to resent its lack of adventure or rejoice in the beauty.

This past fall some photographer friends of mine in the Chicagoland area started spreading plans for #thebeautifulsoulmovement across national and local networking groups online. Jessica Weinstock Photography shared a gorgeous black and white image with a caption for her vision for gifting free portrait sessions to families to help start a movement of "showing the beauty of a child’s soul no matter what their circumstances are."