Suburban and Chicago Child Photographer Marmalade Photography
Hi I’m Mare!! I am a Suburban and Chicago child photographer. I’ve been photographing kids of all ages since day 1. That’s over 20 years photographing Littles, Not-So-Littles, and Bigs! It’s been a huge honor to create captures of childhood for so many Chicago area families…there is nothing more magical than exploring the world and the relationships that support that exploration.
For me? Children are the most remarkable subjects to photograph – they are spontaneous, fun and energetic! The vibes during a photo session with the Littles is infectious and it’s one of my favorite things about being a family photographer in the Chicago area.
I love the relatively unplanned nature of photo sessions with kids (of all ages but especially the youngest amongst us). My favorite thing about photographing kids is the capture of those incredible in-between-moments.
I like to call these “threshold moments” – these threshold moments happen to be my most favorite moments of all. They are unposed pauses in between action. They are the “in between” states that so many parents know so very well.
So let’s further define “threshold moments”…
The Impermanence of Moments – aka “Time is a thief!”
It’s easy to believe that you will remember your child’s smile and the way they move…in fact this is why those things are often intentionally photographed and videoed, right? But those “threshold moments”? Those moments where you can literally feel a pause, a moment of breath being held, a shift in energetic attention? Those are rarely captured well.
Full disclosure: I really do love the photography of happy smiles and fun giggles and I equally like the pouty and moody sad expressions that are so freely expressed during sessions with small ones. I have plenty of examples of those moments!
But even moreso: I believe it is super special the way your son reaches for his little sister’s hand to help guide her to their next spot for exploration…I think it’s magical the way your toddler looks down contemplating their next move…I believe the way your pre-schooler looks at you for confirmation is something absolutely worth remembering…these are those little moments that most people don’t notice as special (in the moment) or don’t think to focus on.
But to me? They’re everything. They speak the language of relationships. Of exploration. Of the soul behind the personality.
Some day those microcosmic moments disappear, mostly. As a long-time Suburban and Chicago child photographer I assure you a lot of these expressions are gone before you know it, before you can catch your breath from the sheer busy-ness of being a mom (or dad)! I can’t tell you the number of times I see a child in their 8th grade year and in what feels like a blink of an eye we’re getting together to photograph them for their (?!) senior photography session and they are like whole different people.
The Marmalade Approach to Capturing Childhood
My approach to children’s photography is based on knowledge of the developmental phases of childhood (I’ve even taught a webinar on the topic in addition to part of my coursework when I ran mentorship and workshops!). I think it’s vital that photographers that work with children are aware of the different stages of childhood and put it into practice regularly. I believe that knowledge of how children interact with the people and their environment at various ages is key to getting really good photographs of any age group!
You may ask: “How does she know this? Isn’t she just a suburban and Chicago child photographer?” Beyond my years of experience working as a suburban and Chicago child photographer and my 26+ years of being a mom I took various psychology coursework during college (nursing school) including various child psychology classes. When I created my business photographing kids I leaned heavily into reminding myself what Developmental Psychology coursework gave me the foundation for. The years working with children have just solidified my knowledge further. Also being a mom really helped!
You may ask: “What does this knowledge, background and over 20 years of experience photographing children and families as a Suburban and Chicago child photographer bring you?” I think the proof is in so many images on this website where genuine emotion across the spectrum are captured via my camera lens!
The Developmental Approach Towards Photographing Your Child
I taught this approach for a reason – in my workshops and for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) from my years of experience as a suburban and Chicago child photographer- because I believe this is fundamental knowledge in photographing children. And the fact is: I have never seen anyone else present or lead forward with this info, which from my perspective is fundamental to understanding how children interact, play, and socialize.
In a few words: I use my ability to read the room, the art of anticipation and a sense of developing trust with my subjects to create your photographs.
You may like this article: How Photography Fosters a Sense of Belonging for Children
The Ability to “Read the Room”
Anticipation and Trust rule this world……
A toddler and a school-aged child may be siblings, growing up in the same home with the same set of parents – but they are not just two different human beings. Age-wise and the way they view the world? They are operating in completely different developmental world.
What works with a toddler (who is exploring independently, fostering their autonomy now that they can walk and have discovered the word “no”) will not work at all with the school-aged child (who is learning day after day how to refine their skills of collaboration with peers and adults).
With younger children, 1:1 attention that still fosters independence creates the trust that unlocks those threshold moments. So when I say “chasing after toddlers” – I’m not lying. Literally my thought process is: “I will be chasing after this two year old today.”
With older kids, collaboration and a sense of ownership over the session works far better than direction. Asking them what we should do next, asking them to pick a spot for their special time in front of the camera – this is what works. Having the knowledge of when to shift gears and letting moments unfold naturally – without the child or you as the parent even noticing – that’s the difference.
Anticipation
I’m not reacting to moments – I’m prepared for them before they unfold. Understanding how a child’s brain works at each developmental stage, combined with over 20 years of photographing children of all ages, means I have a crystal ball of sorts for predicting a child’s next move. I could just say “oh, I’m a natural and it’s instinctual” – but that would be oversimplifying what anticipation actually is.
Trust
A child genuinely knows when an adult likes them and wants to interact with them. Parents feel it when someone genuinely understands their child…it’s the difference between a child’ performance in front of the adults and the camera and authenticity in how they show up during our sessions.
Some of my favorite photographs as a Suburban and Chicago child photographer come from moments where a child’s will and my ability to gain their trust intersect. Sometimes during an outfit change I’ll take the kids aside and explore their personality in front of the camera without the hovering of a parent nearby. I’ve learned that reducing the pressure to perform in front of “their” adult allows children to open up – and we craft images filled with genuine expression rather than a forced “say cheese” smile. Those threshold moments I mentioned before? They just flow.
A building trust between myself and my young subject is when the real photo magic happens. Ultimately it’s the heart and soul of what I do as your creative cartographer with a camera.
You might be curious what one child’s childhood looks like through the Marmalade Lens. We have created a page just for that, coupling one mom’s views on her son’s childhood with our own musings on the subject. Check out Noah’s Story!
