Chicago and Suburban Chicago Family Photographs by Marmalade Photography

This gallery is made up of Chicago and Suburban Chicago family moments as captured by Marmalade Photography throughout our 20+ years in business. These moments span both on location photography work and photography at our curated Marmalade Locations.

Chicago and Suburban Chicago Family Photographs

There is something that happens when a family stops moving for even just a moment. When your kids forget the camera exists and mom and dad forget the performance of it all.

That pause brings on flow and this is the kind of moment I live for. I call those threshold moments. It’s a pause during a lifestyle session that makes the difference between art worth displaying as a real life moment vs. posed portraits that often reflect the people in the photo but not who they are.

Those are the kind of Chicago and Suburban Chicago family photographs worth making!

The Process

Where does Marmalade Photography Create Chicago Family Photographs On Location?

Chicago is THE city of neighborhoods we’ve familiarized ourselves with some favorite things about each one!

We create custom photography for Chicago families on an appointment only basis.

Since 2005 we’ve been traveling on location to areas of rich character rich and history like Old Town, we often visit and photograph in the beautiful and luxurious Gold Coast. There’s been some moments where you can find our work in the bird’s eye view of some of Streeterville’s most luxurious high rises. We often find ourselves in fun and lively Wrigleyville where you can feel the electrical energetic vibe.

Often you’ll find Marmalade Photography photographing in spacious and lovely Lincoln Park where greenery abounds and beautifully bricked homes line the streets. We love photographing in Chicago’s Printers Row with its industrial roots – which make outdoor shooting locations fun to source.

Photographing people in the theater district? It’s never the same session twice! There is no shortage of iconic and lit up venues and beautiful theater…alleyways!!!

Another favorite on location area is in vibrant and texture filled River North where the light reflects just so off the Chicago River and onto the many layers of texture that sit in the threshold between the water and the skyline. In historically and culturally rich Hyde Park where the energy shifts to something quieter and more considered.

And all points in between.

Or maybe you want to be photographed in your home and at your favorite park like some of the family photos featured in this section. There is no wrong way to have an on location photo session with your child and family. To be honest? Finding the perfect location is part of my job and I’m an expert at it so you need not fret if you like the comfort and convenience of being photographed in and around home!

Where does Marmalade Photography Photograph in Suburban Chicago?

Far from being limited to the urban settings of the city – Marmalade proudly serves our brand of beautiful lifestyle photography for clients living in historic (or newer) homes alongside the quaint tree lined streets of Evanston.

We often travel to the North Shore to the always elegant Highland Park and all points surrounding on a regular basis, capturing images of the people in the places they know and love the best.

We have many clients in beautifully, energetic Naperville – a second home base of sorts. Yes we’ve photographed in historic downtown and alongside the Riverwalk…but we’ve also found ourselves in nature preserves and parks alongside the DuPage River (as well as photographing events in charming Naper Settlement!) We often find ourselves at our client’s homes first and foremost and venture from there…every session is unique in how it flows.

LaGrange is one of our favorite client home bases for photography with it’s historic downtown, incredibly walkable neighborhoods and the community roots so prevalent in every little shop along the way.

We’ve even traveled on location for clients who have spaces in New Buffalo, Michigan…to Kentucky and Missouri for clients who wish to have their families photographed by Marmalade Photography and many clients have driven from Wisconsin to meet up with us at any one of the aforementioned spots for a photo session. In the past few years we’ve had clients travel to us from Madison, Milwaukee and Racine for family and high school senior sessions! In fact we’ve been hosting clientele from Wisconsin since 2007 when we had our first Milwaukee family come visit us at our studio!

What is a Marmalade Location?

Our Marmalade Locations are curated sites in the SW Suburbs chosen for a myriad of factors that work well for our clients. To become a Marmalade Location I carefully evaluate:

• Is the location worthy of “field trip” status? I ask the question: is it worth it for a family from Glenview to travel to this Marmalade Location session? The answer must be yes.
• Does the location offer a nice variety of vignettes to photograph in? The answer has to be a resounding yes.
• Will my clients fall in love with not only the scene but the images we create in this scene? Many of our clients that travel to us state they enjoy falling in love with the destination almost as much as the imagery that results.

Marmalade Families who have willingness to step out of their “normal” to have a short day trip to a Marmalade Location tend to be very happy with the result of their “field trip”.

As far as Marmalade Location scenery…there’s a variety of to choose from! When you reach out to us to discuss booking a session and we start the planning process we will offer up a private access slideshow for you to thoughtfully select your favorite Marmalade Location. We vibe with nature, with downtown and with ruins in our location selections! So whether you seek open fields, a quaint downtown, a dynamic river backdrop or the ever-changing forest location filled with greenery (or color!) the result is often imagery captured with people you love in a place you fall in love with. Some locations have a mix of everything. We also have a discussion in that locations gallery that breaks down the age appropriateness of any given site.

We Collaborate WITH You to Tell YOUR Story

What we create together is not just a gallery of Chicago and Suburban Chicago family photographs – this collaboration results in a document of your family at this exact moment in time – the ages, the dynamics, the love that is specific to your people and no one elses. In twenty years the images we create – what may seem like mere photographs right now – will matter in ways you cannot yet imagine! I promise that you will cherish those long gone moments and relive the light of the setting sun that warm summer afternoon or the calm breezes of the river that early fall afternoon or you will remember the timeless scent of the leaves burning in the crisp autumn air of late fall.

Let’s Make Your Photographic Vision a Reality!

Ultimately what you envision for your Chicago and Suburban Chicago family photographs is a dream we can shape into reality.

With over 20 years of experience creating Chicago and Suburban Chicago family photographs, Marmalade Photography is equipped to make nearly any dream photo session come true. We would love to talk to you about your vision!

---

---

Seeking more guidance on finding a Chicago and Suburban Chicago Family Photographer?

Not sure where to start when looking for a professional family photographer to capture images of your children or family? QUESTIONS TO ASK A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE HIRING is a great article that also has a printable pdf associated with it for interviewing potential photographers.