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When you work with kDarling Photography, you are not just a number —you become my extended family. I’ll be cheering with you when your baby graduates from kindergarten, and I’ll be teary when you move away to new adventures. I’ve had the privilege of staying in touch with many of the families that I first started photographing way back in 2012, and it has been a joy and a privilege to watch their children grow and change.
Before the session, I send out a questionnaire that helps me learn more about your hopes and dreams for your images. I’ll ask you about any concerns you have, special requests, what your kids are like and what they enjoy, what you do as a family, and what your personal style is like. All of these answers help ensure that we reach the goals you have in mind for your session.
If you don’t have the perfect Pinterest-styled outfits already, it’s TOTALLY OK! You’re more than welcome to show up wearing your version of everyday comfortable, and I’ll make you look beautiful no matter what you’re wearing. BUT, if you’re like me and you love to plan, I’m ready and happy to help! I work closely with my clients to choose outfits that you look great and feel great in. Most of the time we can find inspiration hiding in your very own closet – if not, I have several dresses for women and young girls/babies available for you to borrow. If you get stuck, feel free to email or text me photos of different possibilities and I’ll be happy to help!
With over 1,000 sessions under my belt, I’m great at knowing which problems to anticipate and how to solve them. Here are a few examples:
Kids will be usually be their most cooperative and smiley at the beginning of the shoot, so I always check off our “frame-worthy” family photo first thing!
Sessions go most smoothly if I win the trust of your kids first, so I get down on their level and play with them when I arrive.
Cake smashes are best left to the end of a first birthday session because blue icing takes awhile to clean up.
Wind can be your friend – but too much wind is, well, too much! I have numerous locations throughout the area that work wonderfully in all types of weather, I’ll make sure we select the best location for the weather in central IL the day of your session.
I keep all of these little tips in my back pocket to make your experience as seamless as possible.
Kids love to do things on their own terms. As a child photographer, I expect this to happen! I want your children to feel free to be themselves so that we document their personality at this stage in life. If that means that your toddler runs away from mom & dad, I’ll still take the photo and it will be great in a different way. I’m not upset when your three-year-old has a meltdown (and usually we turn it around quickly, anyway!) I’m not mad when your son asks to take a picture with my camera. The bottom line is that I love kids no matter what.
There’s not a single professional model featured in my portfolio. All of the images you see are of REAL people. Almost all of them told me beforehand that they weren’t photogenic, and I think you’ll agree that they were wrong! Nobody comes into a session knowing what to do in front of the camera, so it’s my job to teach you! I’ll help you set up each pose and give you little tips to make you look your best. For instance, did you know if you bring your chin forward and down, it will get rid of your double chin, accentuate your jawline, and make your eyes look bigger?
I don’t require you to come in to a sales appointment and pressure you into buying things you don’t want or need. Instead, we can go through your images and select your wall art from you gallery all while sitting on your couch in yoga pants – isn’t technology the best?! With custom photography, you can take back your to-do list and *maybe* even have time to catch the latest episode of that show you’ve been binge-watching on Netflix.
Each session includes a printed item – why? Because your beautiful images do not deserve to spend all eternity trapped online or in a flash drive shoved in a drawer! I’m proud to offer image products that are unrivaled in quality! For instance, the albums that I offer are heirloom quality, made by a company that works exclusively with professional photographers. Rather than wrestle with the pharmacy’s print kiosk (and end up with low quality prints), let someone else do the work and create something that you’ll be proud to pass down as a family heirloom. When you invest in custom photography, you deserve custom printed artwork!
My goal is to respond to every single email in my inbox within 48 hours at the latest. I also invite clients to send me text messages if that’s easier for you. I don’t want you to be frustrated waiting for a reply to an important question. I will always answer as soon as I can during business hours. If I don’t respond immediately – don’t worry – I will get back with you as soon as possible!
My turnaround time from the session to the final delivery of digital images is ALWAYS four weeks or less. That’s just how I roll!
I’m always trying to push my personal artistic boundaries to create pieces of art that will wow my clients. First and foremost, I want to create images that are exactly what have been asked for. But in the moments in between those shots, I’m capturing moments that you might not know you wanted, but will still be cherished.
I do! With the exception of posed and propped newborn sessions. I travel for lifestyle sessions, and that includes newborns. The reason I chose to stop traveling for posed newborn sessions has several answers, but can be narrowed down to two. 1. I have an amazing studio! 2. It’s a personal decision, stemming from my choice to spend more time at home with my children. Traveling to the studio to collect props, then onto a client’s home to set up, shoot, tear down, head back to the studio and then home takes me anywhere from 6-7 hours. Traveling to the studio from my home, doing the shoot, cleaning up and heading home from there takes me much much less time.
102 E. Front St. Suite A, Fisher, IL
Fisher is just a short ride of approximately 20 – 30 minutes from most Champaign/Urbana locations. Rt. 136 runs right through town, and is just 9 miles west of the I-57 exit at Rantoul, and 11 miles from the I-74 exit in Mahomet. I can also always be reached by phone at 217.778.1325, if you need help finding me!