Sweet Baby Alaina :: Elgin and Crystal Lake Newborn Photographer

This precious little lady was only 13 days old when I met her. Alaina is already completely adored by her family, especially big brother, Oliver! I have a feeling this sweet baby girl is going to be one spoiled princess. :)

Alaina's mom is decorating her bedroom in purples, so we made sure to use lots of that color in her portraits. 

Oh, sweet little baby lips! She's just so squishy and sweet that I want to eat her up!!! 

To see more of Alaina's session, check out her slideshow.

One Hot Mama ll Crystal Lake and Elgin Maternity and Family Photographer

This beautiful family is growing! And one thing is for sure - this baby has so much love waiting to welcome him or her into the world. 

The Ebel family is pretty special to me. I met them back when we were both expecting our first babies (can't believe they're 4 now!!!), and it's been such a blessing to grow our families together. I can't wait to meet this newest addition!

Kristina, you are one hot mama! I know you're feeling HUGE, but you're really looking so lovely and you definitely have that mama-to-be glow.

To see more from the Ebel family's session visit their gallery here.

Or watch their slideshow here.

McHenry family and child photographer :: The Ebel Family

Oh, the weather! These November days can be so unpredictable, but we've been blessed with some GORGEOUS weather lately. I'm so thankful for that!!

I met the Ebel family at the McHenry Dam, where they love to hike with their children. It was a little on the chilly side, but Mama had stashed thermoses of hot chocolate in her bag, so the kiddos were sipping sweet warmth in between setups. I loved wiping their chocolate mustaches off over and over. :)

Can you tell how much FUN we had during this session? I sincerely hope that every family feels relaxed and enjoys the process of creating their family portraits - and I want those fun feelings to show in the images we make together.

Ebel family, you're fantastic! I'm so excited to meet your third little bundle this winter and watch your family love keep growing. 

To see more of the Ebel's, visit their gallery here, or watch their slideshow.

Elgin family photographer :: The Hartford-Hoon Family

I'm sure my opinion is biased, but I think giving a photo session as a gift is a really great idea! Deb's parents were celebrating 40 years of marriage, and I can't think of a more personal, special gift she could have given than a photograph with all three generations of family together.

This is a family that I love a lot. We go to the same church, and their youngest son is in the same preschool class as my son, Aaron. So to get the chance to create a family keepsake for them was a special treat! I often get a little nervous working for people I know well. I worry that if they don't love their images as much as I do, they might not love me. It's silly and insecure, I know. But this kind family has a way of putting people at ease, and there wasn't one moment during our time together that I felt anxious. Just one more reason to love 'em!

I got to test out my new Shutter Buddies on these boys, and the smiles that happened totally blew me away! Who knew that a silly loop of fabric on the end of my lens would be so entertaining? If you take a lot of photos of your kids, I HIGHLY recommend grabbing one!

Thanks, Hartfords and Hoons for spending the evening with me and my camera! 

To see more of their family session, pay a visit to their gallery.

Or watch their slideshow.

Do you have a special event coming up? Family portraits are a GREAT way to celebrate special birthdays, anniversarys, graduations, and more. Call me (847.697.1606) or zip me an email (sarah@imagesbysharp.com) to set up your celebration session.

From photograph to Work Of Art!

Look what the FedEx driver brought to my door yesterday....

A Gallery Wrap from the Ebel family session!!

It's always exciting to see images in print, but it's even more exciting when I get to see them transformed into a beautiful product like this. Gallery wraps are a fantastic way to turn your photograph into an original work of art. With a deep 2" edge wrap, these are ready to hang, with or without a frame. They even come complete with hanging hardware installed.

What's your favorite way to display your portraits? Do you love to group a lot of smaller prints together, or do you prefer the look of one big image that really makes a statement?

The Ebel Family : Crystal Lake Family Photography

Hello, spring! We've had a lot of wacky weather here in the Midwest, but I'm hoping we've finally turned a corner and are into warmer and dryer weather. And I can't think of anything I'd rather do in warm, dry weather than take some family portraits, especially when it's one of my favorite families to photograph. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, these faces are surely familiar to you. 

We decided to mix it up a little during this session, and headed downtown Crystal Lake for a more urban look. Look how gorgeous this family is! And can you believe how big these kiddos are getting???

But an Ebel family session just wouldn't be right without a trip to one of our favorite nearby parks. "Let's just take a walk through the park, and I'll happen to bring my camera," I joked. I really love creating images of families just being a family together, and that's exactly what we got. 

 

Watch this slideshow to see more of the Ebel family (be patient if it loads slowly), or check out their gallery here.

Do you want to take a walk in the park with me and my camera? Call me to make a play date - I'd love to capture your family doing whatever makes you unique. 

Crystal Lake family portrait :: The Ebels

October 17th must be "picture day" for this family. I realized as I was loading their images onto my hard drive that I've photographed them twice on that day, exactly two years apart. Of course, I had to go back and look at their 2008 session, and it made me smile to see how their family has grown and their lives have changed.

Here's a blast from the past:

And here are a few from this year's session:

They're so darn cute aren't they? This family is just so full of love!

Thanks, Ebels, for letting me into your lives. It's beautiful to watch your family grow.

You can watch their slideshow HERE.

Or see their previews HERE.

In their own West Dundee backyard :: The Stoll family

"This might be the last family portrait of just the four of us," this mama said as she and I talked over ideas for her family portrait. Before one of her boys moves away or adds a daughter-in-law to the family, she wanted one more remembrance of their foursome.

Thank you, Stoll family, for inviting me to preserve this very unique time in your family's life. 

To see more images from their session, click HERE to watch a slideshow.

Or go HERE to see their proof gallery.

Chicago area children's photographer :: Tommy is 1!

This session was a lot of firsts - my first session after having a baby, Tommy's first professional portraits, and all to celebrate his first birthday. Happy Birthday, little man!

Doesn't he have the most captivating eyes?

This is one of my very favorites from the session because it speaks so loudly to my mother's heart. These little hugs are just the best! Smelling the baby shampoo, the weight of that little head on your shoulder... oooh, I just love it!!



And this one, to me, is what being one is all about: exploring new ground, getting into a little trouble, and just being busy.


We had so much fun! Thanks, Laird family, for inviting me to photograph your beautiful family.

You can see more of Tommy and his parents in their slideshow.

Meet our newest associate...

Susannah Grant Sharp joined our team on November 20th! She's the reason I've been laying low for the last few weeks. Now that the holiday craziness is over, we're beginning to settle into a routine, and life feels a little more manageable. So here we come, 2010, ready for all kinds of new challenges and adventures! Of course, my camera will be at the ready to capture it all. :-)

As we start a new year, I'm thanking you all in advance for trusting me with your stories: the smile you share with your mother as she helps you into your wedding gown, the giggles and tickles you give your children as we play together in the park, or the kiss you plant on the oh-so-soft cheek of your new baby. It all deserves to be remembered, celebrated, and documented. Give me a call and tell me YOUR story!

The Ebel Family :: Chicago area family photography

We sure love this family! Even with kiddos who hadn't napped, got cold, and were generally wiggly, I still love the images we made together. Here's just one:

The Rudolph Family :: Chicago area family photographer

Meet the Rudolphs! Growing up, David lived next door to me. And Mary lived just a few more doors away, at the end of the street. I love that our friendship has continued over the years, and I REALLY loved being able to capture some beautiful images of their sweet family. It was a whirlwind weekend trip to Cincinnati, so this session almost didn't happen, but boy am I glad we squeezed it in! It was fun to run around the park chasing after these two active little people, and the crisp autumn air and amazing fall color were so invigorating.




To see more of these adorable little boys, check out their slideshow.