oak park family photography – CHICAGO AND SUBURBS FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

LUNDE FAMILY- FRONT PORCH SESSION- AURORA IL

May 13, 2020June 2, 2020by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

It’s my first session back! finally. I can’t believe it. I’m so so happy to be back to work. The time away from all of my clients has been hard but also it solidified that I absolutely love my job so much. This new normal has been so hard on all of us. Harder on others, i don’t doubt. I feel so grateful that I am able to slow down my time and get time to stay home with my kids. I know many essential workers don’t get that luxury. I am planning a giveaway for some of those families.

I photographed this sweet session, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being confined to a single space is new to me. Also I wasn’t sure how I would accomodate the social distancing and how it would influence my shooting style. I am happy to say that I can manage. I have added some tigher crops in post for a little variation that I love, and maintaining my favorite wide angle shoots. I guess if you’re not a photographer this all means nothing to you. haha, All of this to say, I loved it.

What a time to be a live. I am a true believer that art can always bring some strenght and beauty to any specific moment. The memories of this time will be so rough. But capturing some smiles can soften that up. If you are able to have a photographer capture your family, I highly encourage you to book it. Time is fleeting, even if its the crappiest time currently.

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women

A freelensing session in Austin | Chicago and west suburbs photographer

This week I am highly reminiscing about my session in Austin. I taught a bunch of incredible women how to shoot more abstract and diffrent by using a little bit of freelensing. For those that don’t know about freelensing, Freelens means being intentional with bokeh and blur. It takes a little bit of patience and […]

September 24, 2020

at home documentary

Commercial work for Dockatot | Chicago family photography

I’m always so damn grateful for all of the opportunities this life has given me and continues to give me. I think that being in the industry that I am the comparison joy creeps in often. I have to constantly remind myself that my voice is what sets me apart. Last year I was awarded […]

September 10, 2020

children

Orland Park IL, Meha family session | Adri De La Cruz family photographer

A few weeks ago I did this beautiful session at 3:30 pm. Why is that relevant? well if you’re a photographer, then you know how difficult brighter light can be for a session especially with little kiddos. They move fast and they’re unpredictable. Most of the space in this location was also very open. But […]

September 1, 2020

beach session

Mayorca family at the South Shore beach | Adri De La Cruz, Hyde Park family photography

October 8, 2019May 11, 2020by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

Throughout our whole session I felt so connected to their family story. It was so heart breaking to hear the longing to be somewhere else, to go back to their home Venenzuela. But truly the way I saw them, it felt that even though circumstances (much like my own) have forced them to migrate to other places, they truly felt at home with each other. They radiated the word home and belonging. Their children just were so connected and beautiful.

We chatted about how we struggle to hold on to our native tongues for our kids, and how so many words online have hurt us deeply. Home is wherever you are, that may be true. But I hope that they get to return and feel that sense of belonging everyone deserves. For now I get to make new friendships in this beautiful city. One which I’ve adopted as my own. Its my home.

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beach session, Chicago BIRTH, chicago family, maternity

Goddess at the beach | Chicago maternity beach session, Adri De La Cruz

August 6, 2019by Adri De La Cruz | Photographer1 Comment

Flabbergasted by her beauty.

Sometimes in this line of work you get meet some truly calm and powerful souls. The way in which she told me her birth plan was amazing, full of hope and steadiness. Nothing could rock her.

For her session we headed to the beach, probably the only available location due to the high temperatures, the typical icy lake turned Luke warm. It was refreshing. To say that she made my job easy would be an understatement. It like she was made for basking in the sun.

To give you an update she had her birth, that same one she told me about, she brought to fruition. Just like I knew she would.

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Client session, family, infant, kids

A little time in the sun, commercial shoot| River Forest IL, family photography, Adri De La Cruz

June 17, 2019May 12, 2020by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

An amazing company reached out for this shoot! So I headed out to these beautiful woods in River Forest IL. It’s such an amazing town. Pay’s family was just so stunning. This little baby was so chill and easy going, she really made my job so easy. Every time she had a moment, dad would put on baby shark and she was all smiles.

One of the most important aspects of my job is making sure I capture families in their truth. & Have their love be reflected 100%. So it was so much fun to capture their love. Also I was so grateful for the cooler sun shine day. In Illinois we really have to be mindful of ticks and other bugs.

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at home documentary, Client session

Creative mama + kid session | Adri De La Cruz Chicago + West suburbs, family photographer

October 17, 2018by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

The beauty of this world can be found everywhere you go! for this beautiful session, we headed to this local coffee shop as well as a walkway. I just loved how spunky and full of smiles this duo was. Heather is a fellow local photographer, I absolutely fell in love between the bond of her and her kiddo.

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at home documentary, Client session, family

Kerns Family | Adri De La Cruz Chicago and west suburbs lifestyle family photographer

August 8, 2018by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

I met Lydia online.

She was a part of a private and small Facebook group started on WebMD, aimed at coping with miscarriage. That one thing unified a group of about 12 of us. I’ve loved her ever since. She’s one of those girls that can see your point of view but then tell you kindly and calmly how wrong you are without making you feel bad for it. Obviously, we were meant to be friends.
She invited me to join her in her new home in North Carolina to take some photographs of her beautiful family. They are all each authentically beautiful and I’m so honored to have been able to capture a slice of their love. Also that baby! I mean how freaking adorable is she? She gave me allll of the damn baby fever in the world.

We need to plan a girls trip soon for sure! I love her to pieces and even more so know that we became IRL friends. Oh how the world has changed.

Client session, family, infant, kids

Potempa Family | Adri De La Cruz- Chicago and west susburbs family photographer

July 6, 2018by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

Oh man! this baby and those eyes. He smiled from the moment he arrived until he left. I had such a lovely time photographing this beautiful family. They truly made my job so so easy! I am so so glad that we pulled an early 8 am session for this one, the heat is unbearable lately, and this babe, I think really appreciated the shade and the promptness. I had this idea for incorporating a waterfall, but we changed the plans to this little patch of grass, and I love how these turned out. Mr. William was all smiles!

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children, short personal stories

Sometimes a little throwback is needed | Chicago and sorrounding area family photographer

April 19, 2018April 19, 2018by Adri De La Cruz | PhotographerLeave a Comment

We are so over winter.

I know, I know how so very whinny of me. So with that, I am torturing myself sharing old images of warmth and sunshine. Plus I really really miss that cute little dress, it seems that we wore that every day of summer two years ago. I am currently in the midst of some inner feeling dealings, I’m not even sure what it is about the in-between time of winter-spring that I find so hard to deal with. Yet I am always so grateful for these two, they keep me grounded. Even though this motherhood gig just somehow keeps getting tougher, it also keeps getting more and more beautiful.

See I kept it short and sweet! I am so looking forward to warmth, Spring hurry up will ya.

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