I’ve been waiting months to do a photo shoot with Will. When he was first born we were so strict with quarantining because of the pandemic, and he was such a hard baby that doing a newborn photo shoot quickly went to the bottom of my priority list. Every once in a while I’d get us dressed at home and do a mini home shoot because photos are so incredibly important to me. They’re memories that I always look back on when I need to smile, cry, and just remember. At 8 months, we haven’t yet gotten to do a photo shoot with Will, and with him growing so fast I knew we needed to do one soon to capture his cute babyness. And luckily this is when I met Kristel.
Kristel Keane Photography
Kristel and I first found each other via Instagram. We were both first time moms (she has a beautiful little girl), lived just a town apart, and both love to photograph the small moments of pretty in our day to day lives. Kristel is also an incredibly talented family photographer. Having a background in engagement and portrait photography since 2014, like most women Kristel was transformed by the experience of motherhood and shifted her photography focus to documenting moments between families, especially children with their mothers. Mamas have a habit of staying behind the camera, but with Kristel Keane Photography, Kristel helps change that and lets them shine with their children. Through her work, Kristel captures that timeless, beautiful bond between a mama and her baby to make sure these memories can be relived.
You’d never know it after looking at our photos, but the moments before our shoot were chaotic ones! I’m a typical pandemic mama and have hardly ever had to leave the house with Will. So I have yet to master how to be anywhere on time with Will. I ended up being an hour late because Will refused to nap, I then tried to take him for a walk which ended up in him spitting up all over his outfit, and then had to turn back home to feed him and clean up his outfit. A fellow mama, Kristel wasn’t phased at all and made Will and me feel so comfortable once we finally were able to make it! By the end we were chatting like old friends and Will was beaming.
Connect with Kristel
If you’re a local Chicago mama and interested in booking a shoot, you can connect with Kristel on her website or Instagram. Take a look at more of gorgeous photo work on her website below
The Photos
Below are some of my favorite photos from this shoot. I chose the same location as our maternity photo shoot and love the sentimentality behind it. We had a beautiful spring day, the flowers were blooming, and the sky was a perfect blue. I cherish these photos and the memories of this first year with Will. All thanks to Kristel.
