boho princess {5th birthday session, chicago family photographer, lombard, il}

As a photographer and a mom it can be hard for my own kids to get their pictures taken. Does that sound familiar? We have had our fair share of family photo sessions where one child just refuses to look at the camera, or is screaming the whole time, or falls and gets dirty right before we start taking pictures, or just flat out refuses to participate - at all. I get it, family pictures can be a challenge.

When my children have a birthday, I like many other parents out there, want to capture the milestone. My eldest turned five this year and for me, this was a huge milestone birthday and I wanted to make sure I remember these days when I'm old and gray. I decided from the start that I was going to consult with my 'client' for our pictures and we can plan them out together. She selected her outfit and helped me with some creative direction. The results - amazing! I couldn't be more pleased to have these images to place in frames around our house and in our hearts forever.

What I learned from this session was a great lesson - engage with the little ones before the session and the results are great representations of their personalities at this moment in time. I will try it out with my 3 year old in September and see if we get the same results...

Location: Lilacia Park, Lombard, IL

Dress and headband: Little Trendsetters