Ch-ch-ch-Changes!

Who wants to drive the truck?

Needless to say, we had some fun with these Fall Mini Sessions. The keyword for the past few weeks has been changes. The changes that come with Fall were all around us:

85° for our first weekend (Sunny and hot and dripping and crazy hot!!!!)

47° for our second weekend (Freezing and lots of hand-warmers)

65° for our final weekend (aka Bora Bora)

The main attraction, the truck, wasn’t allowed out of it’s pen if severe rain was imminent. Thank goodness the northern Illinois area hasn't been getting much rain lately! 😉

Our friend hooked us up with this 1947 Sky Blue Ford Pickup…Go ahead, soak ‘er in…Brett and his truck were the real MVPs. In turn we were very respectful, put a drop cloth down and returned his beauty in the condition it was received.

With change comes adaptation. When the truck arrived on set, we only had about an hour to design our scene and develop our lights. This hour was no time to be experimenting and planning. We needed a way to visualize how to decorate and accessorize the truck so it was completely #FallVibes worthy!

Enter: #BackYardShenanigans

This was concept development. You’ve got to start somewhere. We mapped out the area of the truck bed and outfitted the space accordingly. This visual clued us in to some of the benefits and limitations that lie ahead. It turned out to be a great preemptive posing tool as well.

Sidenote: We love to show you the photos as we snap during your session. The back of the camera doesn’t do it justice, but people enjoy seeing a taste of the great captures.

(it also makes for stellar BTS!)

We shot at Reed-Turner Woodland in Long Grove. Never discount a location because we literally set our scene in the parking lot! The woodland was amazing at accommodating a regular flow of families in and out. On cold and hot days, it was easy for folks to stay in the car until their session began.

#HeyImShootinHere

All around us were the changes that come with Fall. Try to time it and you’ll miss it; the leaves changed suddenly, irregularly and beautifully.

Nothing our "fake" leaves couldn’t handle!

We’ve got to be real with you, though. It doesn’t always work...

Whether it was throwing leaves, blocking harsh sunlight or standing as a glorified buttress, our assistant Michelle was top notch!

The entire crew was working well together and handling the curve balls these sessions dished out. It was a ballet dealing with clouds, then suddenly no clouds, gusts of wind, sweaty foreheads, frozen fingers, threat of rain, broken mums (mums are super brittle)…lots of changes.

Change, adapt and succeed. You be the judge. Check out some of our favorites:

Thank you to all the families that made it out! Stay tuned for 2019 Holiday Mini-Sessions!