Tag Archives: newborn photographer in illinois

Choosing a location for Mini Sessions

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If you’ve ever wanted a peek into the brain of a photographer & wanted to know how I personally choose where I have my mini sessions at this post will have some interesting content for you 😉

So what do I look for when I’m choosing a spot for a mini session? Here’s a bullet point quick list starting with the most important requirement for me:

  • I need a spot that will have shade at the beginning part of the mini session day as I’m doing short sessions back to back & want them to look as consistent as possible. This is the struggle of having mini sessions. I’m working with about 4 hours usually with the sun being at all different points in there & I have to try my best to make the sessions look as similar as possible. SHADE is what helps me with that!
  • For two of the mini sessions I offer during the year, I need a location that will look very similar on two different days as I have a Day 1 & Day 2. (For example I have two days of fall mini sessions.)
  • I really, really prefer to choose a spot not near a playground. I know that’s kind of an odd requirement & I won’t always be able to do that but as a mom myself, if my kids see a playground as we’re headed to get our family pictures done they are going to WANT to play on that playground instead of do photos! And I don’t want my clients to have that battle at the beginning of our time together.
  • I really like to have a quiet spot to do photos. Again this won’t always be able to happen but I try really hard to make it happen. I’ve even used several friend’s backyards for sessions as I know this GUARANTEES a quiet & private place!
  • Again to help my families with younger kiddos & anyone elderly, I try to find a location that has close parking to where we will do the actual photos. Who wants to hike a mile & get all sweaty before photos? Not me!
  • Close bathrooms. And no half the time I’m not able to check this off my requirement box but every once in awhile I do!
  • Something that’s important to me for fall mini sessions is to find a spot that will help block wind. It gets SO windy in October & having some blockage really, really helps make fall mini sessions go smoother.
  • Bloomington-Normal isn’t a metropolis 😉 & I’ve had to use the same locations again & again for mini’s. But I try really hard to use a different area IF I have to use a repeat location. A compliment I was once paid & I’ve always remembered it is someone told me they hardly recognized local spots I used for sessions even though they’d lived in BloNo for years.

Well there you have it! Those are all things I think about as I location scout & think about where to meet with some amazing couples & families. Was that interesting? Did it give you a headache? Haha! Not gonna lie, I’ve gotten a headache or two worrying & looking for the right spot for many sessions! Is there a spot you think I should check out? I’d love to hear what it is!

The very, very first thing I do though for mini sessions & for other sessions is I pray. I pray & talk to the Lord about who I’m photographing, what their needs are & what I’m hoping for their session & for Him to lead me to the right spot. He always does.

BUT a location doesn’t make photos- YOU DO! And that’s what I’m most excited about is photographing YOU & your loved one/s!

Fall 2023 Mini Sessions!

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FALL 2023 FALL MINIS
Price $210 || Package Includes:
– entire family (several poses)
– individual pictures of each child (2 poses) 
– mom/dad/significant together (2-3 poses)
– each parent/guardian with all children (1 pose)
– all children together (1-2 poses)
– 20 minutes
These are great for couples, families, even maternity photos!

Click a date to choose & signup for a Fall Mini Session:
SEPTEMBER 30

OCTOBER 14

Quick Facts regarding Fall 2023 MINIS

  • Location TBA in Bloomington-Normal. (For the location, I literally drive around BloNo & watch & look for fall colors & watch for changing leaves. I often don’t pin point down my location until the week of or before. If you really, really want more of fall colorful look I’d recommend going with the October date. I can’t control the weather & the colors changing but I will be watching for the right spot for us!)
  • Each session is $210.00 (After 6 members of an immediate family, there is a $15.00 cost per additional person.)
  • You will receive a few images from your session via your email as a preview within a few days of your session.
  • The full gallery & print release will be delivered via an online gallery where you can download them & print them wherever you choose within three weeks. You can also share this gallery with friends & family to download as well at no extra charge.
  • As we get closer to the mini session date, you’ll receive an email from me with the location of our mini sessions & other details.
  • Email me at naomi@naomielizabethphotography.com with any questions you may have!

New Policies for 2022

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A recent fun time outside with my four kiddos- the reason I do what I do!

Hi friends! It’s so wild to me that in about a month (May 2022) Naomi Elizabeth Photography will be 9 years old! WOW! During those 9 years a lot has happened- for you & for me!

My family, my time & I as a person has changed in those 9 years & to accommodate those things, I’ve needed to make a few changes for NEP that I wanted to share. Even just to have it clear some of my brain space! And really I’d probably call this more of a “state of the union” post haha then a policy change post.

TEAM EFFORT Naomi Elizabeth Photography is not just me- NEP is a team of people! You may see my name a lot & see me at sessions but NEP is not a one man show! My husband Eric is a HUGE HUGE part of NEP. He takes care of so many things including the financial side of NEP. He also takes care of our kiddos a large portion of the time I’m gone at sessions or working from home on photography things. Fall is a VERY busy season not just for me as a photographer but for my husband’s job. My mother, sister & in-laws also help on a regular basis watching our kids when Eric can’t. We also have a high school girl who helps out with the kids twice a month. It’s a team effort!

JOY As we’ve grown as a family & made the choice to homeschool our children, we knew that to proceed with photography, that some other things needed to happen to help make our family life plus a small business run a bit smoother. I have a dear, dear friend, Joy Phillips, who has her own photography editing business. In short she helps photographers get their lives back! I send her galleries from my sessions & she helps narrow down the best photos & then mirrors my style & edits them like I would have. This past fall Joy was who edited my photos for me & it was SUCH a blessing that Eric & I knew to continue forward with NEP, hiring Joy fulltime was a must. So as of 2022, Joy is now a vital part of NEP & I’m so thankful for her!

PRICING Those two things I just shared to show why I’ve needed to make some necessary modifications within NEP to make NEP something I can STILL do with young children. Another thing I’ve done is I’ve updated my photography prices. I know I don’t have to even say anything about doing so. Many people are having to up their prices in things because of life but I really felt led to share the WHY of why I did it. You all are like family to me, you’ve helped me grow in so many ways & thank you for that!

I felt it was important to share all this as I don’t want to seem as someone who “does it all”. Because I DON’T! I truly don’t. I also wanted to share this as I know there are many women from all ages & backgrounds who have dreams & want to use their gifts & I feel it’s good to share that it takes work & a team but it’s worth it!

EMAIL COMMUNICATION I will say, I’m a bit slower with my email communication then I used to be. This isn’t really a policy change haha but I wanted to share this here. I will always respond when I need to it just may be a little slower then it has been in the past! Thank you for understanding that!

SCHEDULING As much as I’d love to photograph everyone who ever reaches out to me, I know with my family’s own full schedule aside from my photography schedule & your own schedule this just won’t be able to happen. SO I would highly advise that as soon as you know you’d like to do a photo session of some kind with me, please reach out to me so that we can make it happen!!!

BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY As of now, I am no longer able to offer birth photography. It was a short but sweet season for me with NEP & maybe someday I can revisit that special world again. I’ve taken it off of my services list but wanted to share that here as well.

HEADSHOTS I’ve been asked many times to do headshot sessions & it’s usually worked out to do them indoors at the place of work for the individual or outside. Recently a need of a friend came up & we used my living room to do her headshots & they turned out beautifully! I now am offering headshots on a regular basis! It was something before that I could do only if it worked out but I am confident with the options I can now offer this on a fulltime basis! So if this is a need of yours feel free to email me!

MINI SESSIONS FOR 2022 For almost all of NEP I have offered Mom & Me Mini’s. The past couple years I haven’t because of covid restrictions & my own pregnancy needs. This year I wanted to make them happen but timewise I wasn’t able to. And to be fully transparent I haven’t booked many of them when I have offered them in the past. So if you could like to see me offer them in the future, please reach out to me! As a mom myself I have realized I desire a family picture MORE then I do photos with me & my kids. It’s work to get ready for pictures am I right? 😉 & if it takes all that work I’d rather have it be with my entire family. Just a personal thought. So anyway, moving forward unless I hear different from you all, I will probably just focus on spring & summer & fall mini sessions. If you think I should change my mind let me know!

SOCIAL MEDIA If you want to stay in touch with me, the very best way is to email me or to be on my enewsletter list (you can sign up HERE!). As my own home & life has gotten fuller, social media has become just another loud voice I don’t need haha! Especially facebook. It’s just a little too loud for me there! I’ve got enough noise around here in my own home 😉 But I do love Instagram you can follow me there . I will try to do better at updating my business facebook page but I can’t make any promises! My enewsletter is going to become the best way to stay updated with me.

EDUCATING MYSELF And maybe I’m the only one who needs to see this written out but I have been taking some online courses to help better myself as a photographer. I took one this past late fall & just purchased one this week. It’s important to me that I’m continuing to become the best photographer I can be for my clients & also for my own memory keeping needs of our family. I’m excited to grow!!!

I truly love photography! I’ve gone through a soul searching journey these past two years, especially in the past 6 months wondering if the Lord wanted me to keep NEP going. He has shown me in special little ways that for now, NEP is here to stay! That’s a whole other blog post for another time BUT I am excited for what 2022 holds!!!

Fall 2018 Mini Session Favorites!

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Every year the fall season brings some of my favorite families & people in front of my camera! Fall of 2018 didn’t disappoint! I LOVE these people!!!

Fall 2019 Mini Sessions!

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It’s that time of year AGAIN! Time to plan for the fall & choose a fall mini photography session date! I am offering two different dates for my Fall Mini’s- October 19 & November 2. (If neither of these dates work for your needs, I am offering Christmas Mini Sessions & you can read all about those HERE.) And please make sure you read THIS POST for a few changes I’ve made to my mini sessions in 2019.

If you’re not quite sure if a Mini Session fits your needs, THIS POST will help you decide that!

OK! On to the juicy details!

  • Location: Same as last years! (Click HERE to view some of my favorite images from last fall!)
  • Dates are October 19 & November 2 (Grab a spot HERE!)
  • 20 minute interactive mini photo session
  • 15-20 professionally edited photos
  • Examples of photos include: several family poses, several of the children together, pictures of parents/significant others together, pictures of each parent/guardian with all children.
  • Each session is $150.00 (After 6 members of an immediate family, there is a $15.00 cost per additional person.)
  • A $25.00 deposit is required to officially secure your spot. The remainder balance of $125.00 is due at the time of your session. Your deposit can be paid online through an invoice I’ll email you. If the deposit isn’t paid within a certain time, the spot will automatically become open for another client to take it. The remainder fee has to be paid paid by the time of the mini session.
  • You will receive a few images from your session via your email as a preview. The full gallery & print release will be delivered via an online gallery where you can download them & print them wherever you choose within three weeks. You can also share this gallery with friends & family to download as well at no extra charge.
  • As we get closer to the mini session date, you’ll receive an email from me with the location of our mini sessions & other details.
  • Email me at naomi@naomielizabethphotography.com with any questions you may have!

SAVE YOUR SESSION HERE!

Sibling 2019 Mini Sessions

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“I just want a picture of all my kids smiling & looking at the camera!” says just about every momma to me 🙂 And now that I’m a mom of two, YES that can be a difficult thing to make happen! So let ME do that for you!

This year I am offering Sibling Mini Sessions!!! Here below are the details including pricing info & the link to sign up. I only have 4 spots! These are PERFECT for the family that just wants pictures of the kids this year & will be skipping family pictures & wants to get ahead of the busy fall schedule.

Friday, September 6 SAVE YOUR SPOT HERE. Rain Day if needed will be Sunday, September 8. 

If you’re not quite sure if a Mini Session fits your needs, THIS POST will help you decide that!

  • Location: TBA in Bloomington-Normal
  • 20 minute interactive mini photo session
  • 15-20 professionally edited photos
  • Examples of photos include: several poses of each child alone, several poses of all siblings together, several poses of groupings of siblings (ie sisters together, brothers together)
  • Each session is $100.00 & covers 4 total siblings. (After 4 children, there is a $15.00 cost per additional person.)
  • A $25.00 deposit is required to officially secure your spot. The remainder balance of $75.00 is due at the time of your session. Your deposit can be paid online through an invoice I’ll email you. If the deposit isn’t paid within a certain time, the spot will automatically become open for another client to take it. The remainder fee will be paid by the time of the mini session.
  • You will receive a few images from your session via your email as a preview. The full gallery & print release will be delivered via an online gallery where you can download them & print them wherever you choose within three weeks. You can also share this gallery with friends & family to download as well at no extra charge.
  • As we get closer to the Siblings Mini Sessions date, you’ll receive an email from me with the location of our mini sessions & other details. Email me at naomi@naomielizabethphotography.com with any questions you may have!
  • Only 3 spots! Save your session HERE. Once you signup, you’ll receive an email confirmation from me within 48 hours.


Summer 2019 Mini’s Recap!

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Summer Mini’s were SO fun this year! I’m a bit in love with our location & it’s the second time I’ve used it! The special couples & families I got to photograph are just favorites of mine. AND the weather had been SO crazy! We’d had SO MUCH rain the weeks leading up to the evening of the sessions & even! It literally started sprinkling rain a half hour before the first mini session & STOPPED raining like 8 minutes before the first. After that the weather was perfect & the show went on! Sometimes you never know what’s going to happen with the weather in IL!

It was very hard to choose but here are some favorites from Summer Mini’s this year! If you’re interested in getting a summer mini spot next year you’ll want to sign up to be on my enewsletter HERE so that you’re notified as soon as they open up!

5 Resources for You!

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YOU ARE NOT JUST A CLIENT! 

This morning in my head I was thinking about how to explain my heart on WHY I did what I did. And I realized the short answer is- because I care about you all. You’re not just clients to me. You’re my friends. My people. Special individuals that I get to watch as your family grows. I get to watch while you & your significant other go through new seasons & I get to celebrate with your senior as they take a new step into the world. And I get to cry & cheer as your brand new child is born into a room full of love.

I believe so much in what we get to do together- save THIS season of life, hold THESE moments in time- for the legacy that you will carry & pass on.

I “filmed” 5 Facebook Live videos that I am gifting to you to use as we draw closer to our photo session together. I called it my Christmas in July series & they’re all on my facebook HERE (or just click each topic below & you’ll go directly to each video).

Here are the 5 Topics I Hit:

How to Make Photos Happen on a Budget
Getting Your Loved One on Board for Photos
Tips for How to SCHEDULE Family & Group Family Photos
5 Tips for Saving Money when Buying Clothes for Photo Sessions
What to Wear for Photo Sessions? 5 Tips! 

I’ve had all of these topics clinking around in my brain for years now. I can only get so many words into a blog post & frankly the amount of information I shared would have been too much for a blog post. Plus it was easier to just share my heart verbally then take the time to think through the right words & write it all out!

All of these videos & the information I shared was from my heart & not from Pinterest posts somewhere. I thought through the things that have & have not worked in the last 5 years of business & am REALLY EXCITED to share these resources with you!!!

I care about you & I care about the money, the time & effort that YOU put into photo sessions. And I care about our time together & want it to be as special as possible! That’s why I took the time to film these & I’m REALLY excited about them. So please, check these out! Here’s THE LINK again so you can just click & play whatever one you’re most interested in. And feel free to just put it on & “listen” to me as you make dinner, fold laundry or whatever! And the cool thing is, you can comment on ANY of the videos at anytime ask any specific questions you may have & I’ll get notified & can answer back right there!