UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOTICE

Hi. I've used a certain platform to build this website from day one of sharing my photography online. And now I've pushed it past its limits. My wings need more space to fly. And so my focus lately has been on building a new website on a new platform. It will be bigger. It will have so much more info. It will be beautiful.

For now, you can still use the contact form if you'd like to book a session.

You can still see a sampling of my wedding photography here. 

If you'd like to see some of my family, children, couple, or individual portrait photography, you can do so here for now. 

When the new site is ready, you'll be able to come right back here and it'll have magically replaced what you see now. See you there.

Outdoor Portrait Sessions Open for the Season

It's time!
Starting today you can book your summer Chicagoland outdoor portrait session with me.
Head on over to the contact page, fill out the form, and we'll start setting up your photo session. If you've got a date in mind, be sure to include that in the message box.

A few more cities may become available in the weeks ahead. If you haven't noticed, this site has been undergoing some changes and will soon change even more! Announcements will still appear on www.kristinserna.com

Start Here

There's a new page in (this website) town...
It's called Start Here and it's a good place to start if you're new to this site or simply want a guided tour of where to go to find some of the really good stuff here.

You'll find links to my photography philosophy and what to do if you're interested in booking a photo session with me. I've also listed some of my favorite posts for what to wear to your portrait session.

For wedding photography, you'll see where to find an example of the album I offer wedding clients, a sample of one of my favorite weddings I've photographed, as well as what a First Look looks like.

So click on over. Start Here!

©2015 Kristin Serna. This post and photos are mine should not be republished without my permission. Cheers!

One of the Many Reasons to Get Prints of Your Photos

Facebook is not visible around your house... yet. 

We have so many photos trapped within devices these days. Yes, we can carry a bunch around but that doesn't make them regularly viewed. Let some of them out and on to your walls and tables. Get prints of your photos. 

©2015 Kristin Serna. This post is mine should not be republished without my permission. The video belongs to Canon. Merci beaucoup.

Time to Schedule Your Portrait Session

It's that time.

You might be wanting to decorate your walls or have been wanting a new photo for the table next to your bed.

Maybe you've been thinking of sending out a photo for your holiday card this year.

Or maybe you recently caught yourself looking at your kids, your significant other, or maybe even yourself in the mirror and wanting to freeze that moment. You want to remember what they look like right now, how a smile lights up their face, bottle up the silliness and the love to relive whenever you want down the road.

It's time to schedule your portrait session.


Check out what some of my clients had to say about their sessions and then head on over to the contact page to get started. I'm currently booking portrait sessions through October 2015.

©2015 Kristin Serna. This post and photo are mine should not be republished without my permission. Merci beaucoup.

Chicagoland Family Portrait Session | Emily + James + Sam

Today I'm taking a moment from running around making noises about the new Star Wars movie title to share some photos of a dear family. What seems like a very long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I did a photo session with Emily and James for their anniversary. And now their family has expanded with Sam, possibly the most chill baby I've ever met. He was totally content with being held and talked to by his parents, who, by the way, are so good with him I'd swear this was not their first kid.

To be fair, Sam did cry once. He also took a mini break people-watching out the window from which I felt bad about pulling him away. He moved around and looked away plenty of times too, but as I've said before–that's part of what I love about photographing baby and toddler portraits. It's fun to capture a slice of time of who they were and how they interacted with the world around them.

It was a bit chilly outside so we did most of the session indoors. A nice big window let in all the light we needed. Indoor portrait sessions are always a bit more cozy and especially so when the temperatures get low. But the colors were gorgeous outside too, so when it warmed up a little we made our dash. Sam had a pretty adorable bear suit.

Emily & James - Thank you for inviting me into your home to document some time with the little guy. I'm in awe of you two and your kindness is most appreciated. 

©2014 Kristin Serna These are my words and my photos. This post should not be republished without my permission. Cheers.

Children's Portrait Session | Charlie + Jack + Ava + William

When I photograph kids I don't expect them to stay still all the time. In fact, I encourage them to run, dance, hug, wiggle, and giggle. And these kiddos? Well, Charlie, Jack, Ava, and William looked at me at first like they were wondering if I was for real.

But they got into the idea pretty quickly after that. They may have actually have been some of the best listeners I've ever photographed.

They were even good sports when a swarm of mosquitos seemingly materialized out of nowhere and started attacking us. That's usually not part of the portrait session.

Hope you had fun, kiddos. Thanks for spending some time with me. 

©2014 Kristin Serna These are my words and my photos. This post should not be republished without my permission. Cheers.

Family Portrait Session | Julia + James + Gabriel

One of my favorite things about photographing babies is you never know what they're going to do. I know some parents worry that their little one isn't cooperating, but if they're being themselves, then they are doing great. I love making images of real life. Sometimes we're not smiling, eyes wide open, looking directly at a camera and that's ok.

Gabriel loves looking into the camera. Actually, he loves looking at everything. There is so much to see in this world and this kid definitely already knows that. I was so happy to meet him. His parents are some of my favorite people in the whole world. They're kind and friendly and it's hard not to smile when you're around them. J&J – thanks for letting me document an hour of you hanging out with your son. I can already tell he's going to be a pretty cool kid.

©2014 Kristin Serna These are my words and my photos. This post should not be republished without my permission. Cheers.

Phones, Photography, and The Moment

How incredible is it that we can take photos with our phones? It wasn't that long ago that we couldn't do that – couldn't even look at photos on a phone either. At one point back then I had an early digital camera. It was kind of like carrying a brick. While not having to carry a bunch of rolls of film on me seemed freeing, it was still a conscious decision to bring that camera out with me. During a four month period of living in England I took a lot of photos with that "brick." And from them I picked out my favorite 600 photos to print out.

600.

Two of Six-hundred

I can only imagine how many there would have been if I could have taken photographs with my phone too. Today we usually have some sort of device on us at any time that can capture a moment. We can look at it immediately and decide if we're good with that one or we'd like to try again. And then we can carry those photos with us nearly anywhere we go.

But it's not perfect. It's easy to miss a moment because we couldn't pull out the phone fast enough. It's easy for the shot to be blurry because the screen wasn't responding when we pushed the button. And it's so easy to miss out on enjoying the moment because your focus was elsewhere.

The last one is something I still struggle with sometimes. But it can be really amazing to just sit still and experience the sunset, instead of fussing with settings and watching it through a lens but not really seeing it. In a world of rushing about, you can choose to feel the air cool and the sky get painted with reds and oranges and be in awe of the whole thing.

So I understand why so many people want to just take photos of their loved ones with their phones. They're right there. They're doing something cute. So you just take a photo. And I encourage you to do that. But remember, when you've taken 300 shots of those dear to you, one of your subjects is near tears, you can't be in the photo, and you're getting stressed out and have no idea how you'll narrow those photos down to find the best one – there's another way.

You can be a part of that moment (whether it means being in a photo or not) and only focus on enjoying it. You can spend time with someone you love. Hear their laugh. Feel the warmth of their skin. See them for who they really are. That's what I'm here for – to  document the moment for you. And then when you look at those images on your wall, in the frame next to your bed, or even on your phone – you can relive those warm fuzzy feelings all over again. Those memories get to be yours forever.

So please keep documenting the most important people in your life with whatever camera you have. But don't forget to call me in every once in a while to help you capture some moments of your life. It all moves by so quickly. Take some time to enjoy it too.

©2014 Kristin Serna These are my words and my photos. This post should not be republished without my permission. Cheers.

30 Seconds of Family Photography

It flies by so fast!
Interested in your own session?
Fill out the contact form over here.

Kids Portraits - What To Wear

I stumbled upon possibly one of the most adorable accounts on Instagram. And no, there are no puppies involved.

May I present to you... Fashion Kids. 95% of the images they post are sent in by parents and these kids' outfits are something else. Now it's usually best to not go too trendy for portraits, but Fashion Kids could definitely provide some inspiration for your child's next photo session. Or heck, maybe you'll find some clothing combinations you'd like to try out yourself.

Here are a few of my favorites:
Of course, no one should wear clothes they are uncomfortable in for a portrait session. It'll show all over your face. Believe me. But sometimes pulling together clothes you already have in a way you haven't tried before can turn out really neat. And if you haven't already, be sure to read my post on tips for what to wear for your family portrait.

©2014 Kristin Serna. Images examples from Fashion Kids belong to their owners. These are my words though. This post should not be republished without my permission. Merci beaucoup.

Brit | Portrait

Sometimes in winter, it briefly gets warm enough to do a portrait session outside. So you run as fast as you can on ice and snow, laugh a whole bunch, and make some pretty memories. These were some of my favorites. 

©2014 Kristin Serna These are my words and my photos. This post should not be republished without my permission. Cheers.

Baby A & the Family K | Chicagoland Family Portraits

Love, patience, and appreciation flows naturally out of this sweet family of three.
I lost count how many throughout our session I commented on how well they moved together. 

It's really beautiful to get to document two kind people enjoying some time with their baby girl. You'd never know from these photos that we were dodging leaf whirlwinds through part of this session. :)

It's not easy to pick a favorite from these portraits, but the next set might be it. Hello, sunshine and joy.

Baby A, it was a delight to meet you. I hope you see these photos one day and are quickly reminded how much your parents have always loved you. 

©2013 Kristin Serna This post and these photos should not be republished without my permission. Merci beaucoup.