We’re absolutely thrilled to feature Emma Malloy’s Chicago mini session on the blog today! We’ll let Emma tell you more about their session – scroll down to read a little interview with her!
Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband, Andy, and I met 14 years ago at a bluegrass concert in Evanston, IL where my dad puts on shows at the American Legion Post for touring bands. Andy plays banjo in Big Sadie and Bubbly Creek Bluegrass Band both of which can be seen around town. We’ve continued to move north, always along the brown line, and we’ve made our final stop in Bowmanville. We love raising our boys (ages 5 & almost 2) in the city where there is always something to do and exposing them to diversity. Living next to a large body of water to us is equally important and we spend a lot of time at the beach together as a family.
How did you decide that this was the right time to hire a professional photographer? Were you marking a special occasion?
The boys are at such sweet ages and really wanted to capture their funny little personalities . Our first born also started Kindergarten this fall so we felt that it was a good time to capture some photos of the family.
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before hiring a photographer? How did you feel afterwards?
I’ve seen family photos where they are too staged and had super funky editing. I was nervous about hiring a photographer that would not be able to capture us in our natural state. Heather made us feel super comfortable and told us just to be ourselves. I loved the way the pictures turned out!
Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?
Andy was able to get both boys to sit sweetly on his lap and smile and as soon it was my turn, the littlest one didn’t want to have anything to do with me. He probably sensed my anxiousness to get a good photo! Heather just told me to let them walk next to me and those turned out to be some of my favorite photos. Candid and sweet!
Of all the photos we took, which is your #1 favorite and why?
This is SUCH a hard question. I love, love, love the ones of the boys and the one where Henrik has his arm around Axel. Just precious.
How did you plan your family’s clothing?
I started with what I was going to wear and then coordinated the colors around that. I’m not into matching all that much. Andy has better sense of style than I do, so I didn’t need to worry about him. I love that he wore his grandpa’s turquoise ring.
Why did you choose Bubble+Spark Photography?
I had seen photos they had taken and loved the style of them. They were also recommended by many moms in the neighborhood. They were really easy to work with and I loved that they had mini sessions available at Winnemac park, our favorite park.
What was your favorite part of the session?
I loved that it was casual, not stressful and we got to be ourselves. It also helped that it was a mini session as I knew my 2 year old would not have the patience for anything longer.
Do you have any outfit advice or planning advice to other families before their photo session?
Plan your clothes ahead so you’re not stressed the day of trying to find that wrinkled shirt. Wear something that’s comfortable and that’s “you”.
How have you used the images from your session or what are you planning to do with them? How have your family and friends reacted to your family photos?
We’ve already made a few prints and will them hang up in our home. We’ll also use one for our Christmas card photo. Our parents both want pictures so will be great to gives as gifts. They LOVED them!
The review Emma Malloy left for Bubble+Spark Photography:
We highly recommend Heather! We booked a mini session with her at Winnemac Park to get some updated family photos and she was so easy to work with. She was quick to respond, answer any questions and booking the session was a seamless process. Her photography skills are amazing. The photos turned out beautiful and it was hard to pick from all the photos. Can’t wait to take more photos with her in the future!
