Family Photographer in Lakeview

Lakeview families tend to be walkers. The harbour, the lakefront path, the Southport Corridor and a dozen small parks are all within fifteen minutes of each other, which means we can build a session that moves without anybody getting back in the car.

It is also a neighbourhood full of greystones, three-flats and courtyard buildings — some of the nicest interior light in Chicago, and the reason a lot of my in-home sessions happen here between November and March.

Favourite Lakeview locations

• • Belmont Harbor. Masts, water, open sky and a path wide enough for a stroller. Superb in the last hour of daylight, and forgiving of wind.
• • Diversey Harbor and the lagoon. Quieter than Belmont, with soft reflections and a short walk from the park at Diversey.
• • Southport Corridor. Brick, awnings and neighbourhood texture — good for a more urban, less "park" look. Shops and cafés make it easy with small children.
• • Gill Park and Wrightwood Park. Small, green and immediately familiar to your children, which is worth more than any view.
• • Toward Roscoe Village. Wider streets, front gardens and a calmer pace — a good option when a toddler needs to run.

Morning or evening?

Lakeview faces east, so the lake is a light source in the morning and a backdrop at sunset. Morning sessions around 7–8 AM in summer are genuinely lovely here: soft light off the water, empty paths, and children at their best. Evening sessions give you the skyline silhouette that most families picture when they imagine a Chicago session.

With a baby under six months, choose the morning. With a four-year-old and a dog, choose the evening and bring snacks.

What to expect from a Lakeview session

We meet at an agreed spot, spend the first five minutes letting children settle, then move through a loose loop of locations. Expect walking — ten to fifteen minutes total — and expect the best photographs to come from the moments in between: a child on shoulders, the stop to look at a boat, the wind taking a hat.

Mini session: 30 minutes, $175, 15 images. Full session: 60 minutes, $325, 35 images. Galleries within 7 business days, $100 retainer to book, travel inside Chicago included.