Molly Grace Photography

New Blog!

2010-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Molly Grace Photography updated the blog look! It’s now easier to access (just put blog in front of the usual website address) and looks a lot better. The same things will be on the blog – the week’s seniors, the occasional “Behind the Eye” post, weddings or family sessions, and just other tidbits. Drop a comment here, or on the Facebook fan page, with what you think of the new look!

Here's the new blog: http://blog.mollygracephotography.com/

Have a great day!

Alyssa

2010-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

It was such a surprised to see Alyssa and her mom walk in because we used to be neighbors! I immediately was like "oh my gosh!" I couldn't get over how much she looked like Jewel during her session and I probably drove her and her parents crazy with the amount of times I said it. We all totally saw it true in the pictures during the viewing, but it is so out of context of Alyssa as her own person. She is beautiful, a total fashionista who was super excited about her outfits and changes. She is totally rocker in her sparkly shoes. You can tell she takes great care of herself and gets that from her mom as I would often see her mom going out for a walk or a run when we lived close. Go Carol! I love that mom's are instilling physical fitness in their daughters at a younger age.

Vote for Kendall for Glamour's Woman of the Year!

2010-08-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have been photographing Kendall since she was little, like elementary school little. It's such a privilege to see how Kendall has used her lessons and own life experiences to make a difference in others lives. Make sure you vote for Kendall so she can continue to change the world.

Megan

2010-08-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Megan had such a great session. We took a risk on not rescheduling it because of the high chance of rain but it ended up being perfect. It did start raining, but we just went back to the studio and had a great time there. It stopped raining and was perfectly gorgeous outside. The light was crisp and contrasty and had a beautiful glow to it. It was a photographers dream; it was a great session that really quenched my thirst for a super artsy shoot. It let me use her beauty and style and fashion choices in such an amazing way.

Tom

2010-08-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Tom is studying to be a Broadway singer/actor. He produces his own CDs of him singing Broadway classics. He is totally animated. Anna, my makeup artist, loved him immediately! During his in-studio shots, she was giving him scenarios to react too! We continued it outside too as we found its what works best; we had so much fun! Tom is taking his pictures to New York, and I am very privileged to have had him come to me for them! Even with him following his dream, it was so great to see how grounded he was. He is very close to him mom and I know that he will always call this his home.

Will

2010-08-04T11:58:00.001-07:00

It was super fun to be able to shoot Will's senior portraits considering he doesn't live or go to school in Chicago! Will lives in Florida with his mom but was with his dad and stepmom for a while. His stepmom Susan had heard of me through other neighbors. Will is really artsy; he loves to paint and uses multimedia of paint and words to communication. He also paintballs but unfortunately he didn't bring his paintball gear. I loved the way how in his session I was able to use some of the elements of downtown Naperville to really show who he is: like using the the graffiti to show his love for paint and being artsy. I saw so many pictures during his viewing that I thought would make an awesome greeting card so maybe look for those in the future?!

Andrea

2010-08-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Andrea is a uber confident and happy go lucky girl. She knew exactly what she wanted for her shoot meaning she loved her favorite sweatshirt so she wanted pictures in that and her mom loved pictures by the water so we made sure to get those too. I felt super happy to get these great clients considering it really seemed like they put a priority on photography in their family. Based on the other photographers that they said they had worked with, it was a privilege to be able to do Andrea's senior portraits! It was great to meet her whole family at the viewing, and it was totally funny because looking at the pictures made them realize how much Andrea looks like her mom.

Megan

2010-08-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Megan is a 2012 senior at St. Francis. She heard of me through Devin Dickson's mom who was cutting her dad's hair! I loved their outfits that they had just purchased. She found some really great jewelry. To me, I think Megan is really gorgeous and yet her strong suit is that she's always funny. That just made me work harder to keep her laughing! I love her pictures so much; in some of the ones with her awesome jewelry she totally looks like a supermodel. Megan's mom even called me the day after the session to thank me for it. It was such a delight to work with such a sweet family like them!

Behind the Eye - a note from Molly Grace

2010-08-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

So funny that these Behind the eye posts have happened so few times as we had planned to do every other week. At this point you have to just laugh at yourself... and just do the best you can so hop on the wagon again and write them.

Lately I've been thinking about the old lady inside me, she's perhaps coming out sooner than I want even though I am only a mere 28 years old. I've pulled out about 6 gray hairs and been going to the chiropractor 2 a week the last 2 months to get rid of my these serve headaches I keep having. All of this has gotten me thinking about my future daughters mother (not prego yet ) my husbands future partner in the rocking chair, and ultimately the old lady within me. I guess my big lesson lately is to be kind to myself, to take time for myself, to consider how I process stress and find a healthy way to deal, to not be so hard on my body but instead to cherish it and hopefully it will here long enough to laugh at the days to come in the rocking chair with my love, and maybe have a grand child or two.

My advice to you girls and guys is to take it from me and do the same, today maybe go for a walk, maybe take a 20 min nap instead of a cup of coffee or a red bull. Oh yes, and when possible eat organic :)

Kylie

2010-07-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Kylie is super lucky because she looks so much like her mom. They both are blessed with awesome fabulous perfect arms that are skinny but not too skinny. And yet Kylie still has gorgeous curves to rock the red dress, one of my favs! Her boyfriend came with for the viewing, and he has just amazing eye; you can see what a great pair they make. She's going into cosmetology which is so fun because she's gorgeous and it will be a great field for her to have a ton of fun in making other people feel beautiful and good about themselves. I loved seeing her and her mom's relationship; I can really tell she's been a product of good parenting.

Chloe

2010-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

First off, I love Chloe's name: Chloe Rose, how beautiful! She was a referral from two friends: Stephanie and Darcy. She looks a like her friends a little too. Initially, Chloe seemed a little shy but sweet spirited. After her viewing with her mom and dad though, I could tell that was only half of who she is! We had so much fun at her viewing. Her and her mom are so funny with her mom giving captions to nearly every photo.

Megan

2010-07-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

Megan is so cute. She came to her session was a little entourage of friends. Two of her friends, who were both named Mary Wright, joined along for her session. They were awesome and had muffins and waters and snacks, super cute. Megan was a referral from one of her soccer teammates whose photos I had taken a few years ago. So Megan had known for a while that she wanted to me to take her senior photos. It was also awesome that I got to shoot her because she had been waiting for hours before her session to get the new iPhone! She had to leave for her session but her mom stayed in line and brought it to her during our time together. I totally loved her style of outfits. She was high fashion but had an inner beauty as well.

Ashley

2010-07-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ashley is another 2010 senior headed to college next year! She graduated from Monitini Catholic High School where she played lacross for the girl's team. She was excited to show a different side of her, and it was so fun to see her discover this and blossom in front of the camera. And even with this other side of her, she was still totally comfortable in her rugby shirt and cool shoes. After her session her and her mom had dinner together, and she tried to wait for her dad and her brother to come home to see her in the make-up and the fake eyelashes that are apart of the make-up look but she ended up taking them off. They did see them in the photos and everyone loved her different look!

Katie and Adam by Molly Grace featured in Style Unveiled!

2010-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be featured on Style Unveiled again, but this time as a photographer! It's incredible! And very awesome!

Click here to see the whole article
And if you missed it before, our other article to the right :)

Luke of Enshape Fitness

2010-06-30T15:32:00.001-07:00

This is my great friend Luke. I know Luke through church, and he is a great Christian guy. He's so outspoken and uses this to kick people into gear. He totally uses his big great smile for God's glory at our church. He's taking his business to a new level with personal training. I hope to photograph him for years and years and hopefully he can get me Enshape too.

Olivia

2010-06-30T14:31:00.001-07:00

In addition to senior photos, I also do family sessions. Here's a few from cute little Olivia's session and there is another family session a page or two back. Just scroll to the bottom and click on older posts to see it. Call me at 630.788.7717 or email for more information!

Emma

2010-06-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Emma is an amazing ballerina! She dances at a dance company in Chicago! Actually, she came straight to her viewing from dance. She has a younger sister that I can't wait to photograph as well. Emma's shoot was amazing, so high fashion. I loved it. I thought her outfits were great too.

Tory

2010-06-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's totally clear that Tory had an idea for what she wanted for her. We found this rummage area in downtown Naperville that was just asking us to photographer her. It was so cool because it was great mix of what she wanted and also different from the normal Naperville locations. She had a great relationship with her mom which I love to see.

I really loved her faith ring too. It was fun as well because I could select what I want to focus on in the photo. So, like I could choose to focus on Tory's face or focus on the ring, like the photo below.

Sarah

2010-06-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sarah is another graduated senior heading off to college in the fall. She's from Texas so of course I loved her because I love all things Texas. She'll be in San Antonio the next school year, a city I'm so looking forward to visiting soon. She had the windiest day for her session! Her dad came along too which was so nice.

Chelsea

2010-06-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

Chelsea is a 2010 senior, so she just graduated high school. Her fun guy friend Luke referred her. She has an awesome future in soccer ahead of her. She is the perfect mix of spirt and faith. I loved her amazing little cute faith rings. She's got a good sense of fashion too! I think she has a great grounding as to who she is.

Buddy Up Promotion!

2010-06-23T17:01:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

Here at Molly Grace Photography we have a promotion going on right now called the Buddy Up! It's a really great opportunity to share the special time that is your senior photo session with a friend. If you and a friend schedule your shoots back to back (so you schedule the 10:00 am session and your friend schedules the 10:45 am session) you will both receive $20 off the session fee. And it isn't just the two morning sessions, its any of the corresponding times, like 1:00 and 1:45 of 4:15 and 5:45. Make sure you mention that your buddying up when you call to make your appointment!

School of the Performing Arts

2010-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June, I shot a dance studio before their big show. I heard about the School of Performing Arts is through some clients. A lot of seniors I get are dancers there. My niece is also dancers at SPA too! It was a really great opportunity and I had tons of fun!
I also shot their show as well so it was really special to see the girls and boys that I shot dance. I love seeing people do what makes me happy. Everyone did amazing!

Molly Gets Married!

2010-06-15T10:49:00.001-07:00

I've been a little busy in my personal life lately, and I want to share it with everyone. It's a little late, and some clients already know, but it was such big news that I couldn't just sum it quickly since I felt there was so much I wanted to say about it, and then with my busy season in gear its hard to find a moment.

I fell in love and got married.

I met Michael at a time in my life when I wasn't at all looking for a relationship, which was kind of a nice place to be since often before in my life I was one of those girls who was constantly looking for that opportunity to find love. I had met him twice of before at church and even casually talked to him once, but I say the official day we met was April 19th. It was such an amazing day. He asked me out to lunch (he'll tell you he was drawn to me) and I responded by saying "only if its a big group of people. otherwise I'd like to go back home and work." It was such an uncanny remark and totally shows that I wasn't looking for someone to complete me, make my life, or be my savior. Of course he got a big group of people together. We met later at a Shane and Shane concert that I had planed to go to that night. I saw him there and was like " hey let's sit together." At that point I found myself curious about his life and his faith story. There was this moment during the concert that had never happened to me before. It was just this feeling. I saw him open his hands in worship to the Lord and I was like "Wow". Something just hit me. Up until then I hadn't thought of him as anything other than a friend. He walked me to my car and asked me about my life, and I responded with the obvious answers of work and family. His persistence led to a phone call and he actually called when he said he would, even though I had forgotten about it! It led to our first date and we just talked and walked around downtown Naperville for hours. He says the way he approached our relationship was something like cautious optimism. He approached our relationship in a way that he had never approached an other relationship, making sure I fit in 5 characteristics that he had been looking for, and because I seem to fit those qualifications, our relationship felt natural and easy.

Michael's 5 characteristics were if we were compatible in faith, finance, had similar ideas about family, and, the biggest thing was if I was independent: did I have a life, was I looking for someone to save me. Then there also had to be a spark. I think the 4 issues aligned, and, because of this, we had a spark together. This is what he says about me: Molly is unlike any woman I had ever known. I never felt the way I did with her before and knew after only 2 months of dating that she was the one. Her spirit, drive, beauty, and amazing personality drew me to her unlike any other woman I knew. I loved the way our time together always felt so natural and easily lost track of time a lot on our dates. I would say we had immediate chemistry and our first kiss was evidence of this. It has always felt like home being around her and her family and cherish that very much. For the first time I felt like I found the one God intended for me and that message was loud and clear. I am so proud of her accomplishments as a photographer and so proud to call her my wife.

Michael is everything I've ever wanted and never thought I could find in one person. I love him because he leads me, and I am a pretty strong girl. I love him because he makes plans and follows through and researches everything. I love him because he's silly and spontaneous and we laugh like when your five years old. Our first kiss was incredible, he put his hand on the small of my back and pulled me in. I was literally drunk off his kiss (Of course I hadn't had a drop of anything alcoholic, but it was such a great moment, I was literally in a daze) I remember, after our kiss leaving his house like literally running from his door to my car. And when he told me he loved me, I just felt this rush inside me and I nearly cried.

This is what I want everyone to take away from this; this is my tiny little soap box, for girls… and for guys too, but mostly to girls since I am one. Wait, really really wait, to find the right person who is perfect for you, not the perfect person, (who is) but the one who really works with you. As someone who had been previously looking for someone to fulfill their lives, I quickly learned that just a person, just a warm body was not enough, and you can never change anyone to be something you want. I think the key thing that had happened right before I met Michael is that I was clear and honest with myself that maybe I wasn't going to find someone, and so I made sure I was going to be happy and satisfied with what was in front of me, my business, my family, my friends, my humble apartment. I think that's what really made things easy for Michael and I, cause he was, just very simply that icing on the cake of life. So here it is girls, I am bottom-lining it don't compromise or give up things your looking for in a person just because you want to settled. Wait, and you will find it, and when you do it will bull you over, I promise.

Michael and I waited to get engaged as long as we could. My parents had encouraged me to date him in all seasons. As much as we would have loved to get married after 3 months (as by then we knew we were in love, wanted to married so badly, and were looking forward to having a life), I'm thrilled that we waited; the circumstances that we found ourselves in or the situations that happened while we dated, meeting family and friends or health issues, just allowed for us to be completely confirmed that we were the right people for each other. There was always just a knowing and a huge joy with him in how experiences felt around him and how he handled different aspects of my life together that by the time we got engaged, we were super sure, and I hardly even needed a ring to show that I was his, though he picked out such a beautiful one. So all in all we dated 8 months, got engaged and were married 3 months later, so 11 months, when you know you know.

Sure, we wanted a beautiful wedding, but we weren't as focused on the material aspects of it. Starting a life with Michael was enough for me that those things didn't take precedence over the relationship we were starting together, so we set the date only 3 months away.

We chose to get married and have our reception at Klein Creek golf course and take photos at Klein Creek farm. I loved having photos done there because I volunteered there when I was growing up. I think when we thought about having our pictures at Klein Creek farm I had envisioned walking down the long path towards him. I was so happy to have my parents there to walk me down, yet I felt it significant to say goodbye to them and walk the rest of the way to him myself. I envisioned that picture of my parents hugging, I knew they would, and Kristina and I talked about that, and they caught it. And it was so funny, cause Michael was late, ( and he never is ) so I had an opportunity to run around a bit, then I had to hide behind my parents while we waited for him to pass me. Those are the sweetest and funnest moments we could never have planned.

Our theme centered on naturally simple elegance. The colors of our wedding represented our precious family members that we had gone home to heaven this past year. We had several different handmade items all contributed by friends and family. My florist was my father! Beyond the flowers, we had a Chuppah adorned with fabric and flowers but most importantly it provided the lighting. I designed the invitations & programs and a friend addressed them. I even made homemade fudge for our favors with Eva, and designed the necklaces she and I wore. I even had one of my brides generously pass along her idea and let us borrow her moss boxes and lanterns. Anna, did our make-up. We had a friend from church as a day of coordinator help to see that everything ran smoothly. Michael's mom made homemade lasagna for our rehearsal dinner at our soon to be house, and my friends were like hostess and servers for our guests. The whole day was an out pouring of love, and a gift.

Can I say the whole day was the best part… it just was the sweetest most cherished day I have ever lived. It is a lot of tiny vivid moments that I will hold in my heart forever. I loved rushing to the farm, loved crouching behind my parents waiting for Michael. I cherished the moment that Michael and I looked around the room at the reception and just thought to ourselves that everything was better than we'd ever dreamed. I loved all those moments between all the big ones.

For Michael, the best part was the moment he saw me walking down the road with my parents, in my wedding dress that he hadn't seen yet. It was one of the most vidid memories he's ever had of being so filled with joy. He also loved our first dance cause it was our first moment of being alone, not literally but everyone else faded away for those few minutes and it was just us.

Our advise: once you've planned out how the day will go and all the little details remember that at the end of the day it's just one day and just a celebration of the happy days to come. It's about the relationship you have with your sweetheart. Of course you want the best people there, hire the best venders you can afford and share with them your vision for the day, but then give them freedom to be the artists that they are. We got some of the best photos on earth because I told Kristina to just feel free to shoot however her artistic heart desired.

In retrospect, even though I would love to back to the wedding and relive the day, with Michael I know tomorrow will be better than that day, from the little moments like us making dinner together to the big ones when our baby is born ( a couple years down the road ).

A lot of people ask me who photographed my wedding, and it was an obvious choice to have Vrai shoot it as I work for them. I have had the total privilege of working with Kristina Carter for 5 years now as her associate shooter for Vrai Photography. She has been my mentor and cheerleader in photography and most importantly she has been one of my closest friends. Kristina and Aaron rocked this wedding in ways we cannot get over, we love them so much, these kinds of friends are the best family you could ever create.

Here is the link to her blog posts
Part 1
Part 2

Tina (as I call her) entered some of our pictures into a contest and won, take a look. Contest Blog

Our wedding did get a little fun press too, it was noted on Style Unveiled! It was such a reward and we were flattered to be recognized. Style Unveiled

Here are some of Tina's fun photos that didn't make Vrai's blog or the presses, but I love! Oh Yes! These needed to be marked with the Vrai Logo as they were shot by Vrai, but we made a mistake and put the MG logo on them, I am sure Tina will understand, but note... these are Vrai shots all the way.

Colleen

2010-06-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

I absolutely loved Colleen's session. She was so natural in front of the camera. Every side and element of her personality came out during her shoot. She totally reminded me of my niece Nora with her personality. Thinking back on the session I really wish we would have gone to Borders as Colleen is an avid book reader. But, still, I loved the day with this spontaneous and cute girl.

Bjork Family

2010-05-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Bjork family is truly an amazing family. Yvette and Anders have been together since they were 19. Yvette is Filipino and from Chicago, and Anders is from Sweden. They were married at Danada House, where we did this shoot, in 2000. They've lived in Manhattan for the past 4 years though. Their two girls are named Stella, 2 years old, and Siri 8 months old. They are both adorable! Anders talks to them in Swedish so they will be fully bilingual. How cool! They call themselves very modern, contemporary, city folk. Yvette and Anders are truly amazing parents. I had a blast shooting them because they were always entertaining their kids so I could capture some really cute moments!

Stephanie

2010-05-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

It was a huge compliment to me to be able to photograph Stephanie as her dad is a photographer as well. He was a travel photographer who now does some movie work. We had a sweet moment together when he told me how much Stephanie loved her session and that photography is 90% personality, and that based on that I was really headed somewhere with my work. I could totally tell that Stephanie is an artsy girl, even before her mom told me about the great drawings she does. She has a plan for her future, taking a similar route as I did before she makes her big leap. I had a really great time with Stephanie!

This year were offering new wall pieces with great creative names: the Sequence, the Star, the Series, the Story, and the Masquerade. This is the Series. It has 3-5x7 photos in it. I think its fun to have a Series because it helps to see progression second by second. I shoot a lot of frames-a-second, and it's amazing to see the moments you can get when you shoot like that. I wanted to feature that. I love how one piece of art can stand alone but also stand together with other pieces.

Kalina

2010-05-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

These aren't Kalina's senior photos; in fact, she's still a freshman in high school! Instead, she is using her photos as entries in beauty pageants. She's a pointe dancer so for her to bring her shoes was so awesome. It was fun to see her grow at our viewing because I think she didn't realize how gorgeous she is when she's not smiling. It was awesome to notice that because it was totally something that I saw during her shoot. I loved shooting Kalina and had a great time with her and her mom!

Jen

2010-05-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

I had such a great session with Jen! She brought the most adorable dog you'd ever imagine with, her King Charles Spaniel named Lolly. It was clear that her parents loved her and doted on her, and Lolly. She was such a sweet girl who is excited to go away to college. She made her own decision for school, not going to either of her parents' alma mater. She was a super sweet girl who I enjoyed spending time with!

Stephanie

2010-05-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Her parents will tell you Stephanie took after her sister for her shoot; she was very fashionista for her shoot, maybe more so then she would be a normal day, but that's what your senior session is about: being yourself but also showing another side of you. Her mom Olga was so cute; I could really tell she loved her daughter. I absolutely loved her blue dress! The first photo here is one of the shots that I just love! It feels like everything just came together perfectly for it: the way her body bent in a geometric shape, the perfect way her hair fell, the blue dress being a complementary color to the orange wall, the way the light hit her face and the dress, perfect. It was so fun and just in the moment. Love it. Check out the Facebook Fan page for more of the amazing photos with her blue dress!

Kim

2010-05-12T16:03:00.001-07:00

As soon as I saw Kim for her session, I knew I recognized her. She was in the Glenbard Fashion show that I photographed bit ago. It was super cool to see her again and photographer just her this time. Her boyfriend's mom gave her the gift card for her session. I loved her colorful outfit with the backdrop in the studio; I thought it just looked awesome. I could tell she loved the second make-up look that Anna did; she was just beaming with joy and beauty. She was such a nice girl, and I had an awesome time with her.

Alexa

2010-05-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Alexa's session was so much fun! She is such a happy girl, super busy and super talented. She's very sporty! I love her shoe choice too; they were awesome and totally showed off her great legs. Her mom was amazing as well. I had a great time with them.

Sophie

2010-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was so happy with Sophie's shoot. I loved her look, loved her hair and loved her kind of vintage look with her style of dress, and the great blue poka dots. That day the colors seemed to just align, blue... as I know from art school is the complementary color of orange, and so the orange brick wall worked great, and the sun was perfectly shining on it. My luck further continued with the light as I found a blue stripe on the sidewalk I had never seen before... again another awesome combo for her dress. Sophie, was such a fun girl to shoot, her face was expressive, perfect in that her eyes were open and honest, and real, not too smiley, but just real and open and for a photographer like me, that is the best!

Marrisa

2010-05-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite clients told Marrisa about me, then told me how much I would love shooting Marrisa because she had such beautiful hair. Marrisa's shoot was awesome! And she brought her dog, you gotta love that!

Devon

2010-05-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was super impressed that we were able to get Devon in for a session the day after she called to book an appointment and all the more impressed that she was able to be ready. I loved her clothes and her super happy smile. Devon's session, (you'll see more on my facebook profile and fan page ) was really able to be artisy, you could tell she loved the prospective of capturing unique images just as much as I did. I love her glasses... I can always count on my seniors to let me know what's hot now!

Katie

2010-05-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Katie, had a art-y style. I loved the colors she wore, loved her jewelry and the way why she wore it. And loved her calm manner that made her such a pleasure to work with. At her viewing, her mom and her could barely pick a photo they didn't like which makes me so happy and delighted. There is no telling where this girl will end up either, with her talent and skill in drawing!

Kate and Emily

2010-05-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

I loved Emily & Kate's shoot, what an amazing pair, and each so unique and talented. I had a great time with them and their mom Kathy enjoy a fun day out at in the country. Even when your in the country you can wear city shoes, in fact each of them busted out there fabulous kicks and heels, and even rain boots and had a blast.

Stephanie

2010-04-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

I had such a fabulous time with Stephanie. She's got an Old Hollywood look to her, and I can't quite think of what movie star she looks like. She's calm and open and expressive, not obsessed with outer beauty but more with her inner beauty and really let that shine. I loved her dress and all of her outfits! She brought her dad along for session which was extra special. I loved seeing the father-daughter relationship they had together. Stephanie's going on to study to be a doctor, adding another person in her family to enter the medical field.

Kayla

2010-04-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Kayla loves her headbands! And I loved it too! She was super cute with her box of goodies for the shoot with headbands and earnings. I could tell she had a fun time picking out her outfits with her friends. Kayla loved the artsy shots of her, with the shadows and the reflections. She had a gorgeous smile though and found the perfect balance of these artsy shots and just smiling at the camera. I had a great time on the shoot and meeting her parents and two friends who were both named Maddie at her viewing!

Luke and Tekste

2010-04-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had a super fun shoot with a couple of great guys last Saturday. I don't normally shoot on Saturdays but because I shot Luke's sister before I made an exception for them. It was awesome to see more of this family, both Luke and their Ethiopian exchange student, Tekste. Both boys were awesome, super well dressed. Luke's heart of gold really came through with how he treats everyone. A volleyball player, I can tell he's going on to do good things in business or fashion. The opportunity that both boys have because Tekste is an exchange student is amazing. They are learning so much from one another and truly taking everything they can from this experience.

Our Spring, Summer & Fall Appointments Days and Times!

2010-03-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Book your Molly Grace Senior Portrait Session for Spring, Summer or Fall in Advance, sessions go quickly!

Spring(April 7 - June 2)
Wednesdays at 12pm, 12:45 pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm

Summer (June 2 - Sept 1)
Wednesdays at 10am, 10:45 am, 1:15pm, 2:15pm
Thursdays at 1 pm, 1:45pm, 4:15pm, 5:15 pm

Fall (Sept 1 - Dec 1)
Wednesdays at 12pm, 12:45pm, 3:15pm, 4:15 pm
Thursdays at 12pm, 12:45pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm

Call Molly Grace Photography at 630-788-7717 to book!

Make-Up Tip of the Week!

2010-02-26T12:55:00.001-08:00

Remember, a good foundation is where it all begins! Don’t get too cakey! Just a bit of concealer under the eyes and over any blemishes, then skip the liquid stuff and dust on a nice powder foundation. No need to spend the big bucks…one of my favorites is Mabellene’s PureStay powder foundation. Apply with the sponge for more coverage, or a brush for a lighter look.

Behind the Eye.......

2010-02-19T16:32:00.001-08:00

Ahh…. Winter's in the midwest are always challenging around mid February. It was fun when it snowed in December but now it's getting a little old and the snow continues to dump on us. I know this well because after growing up in Wheaton and going to Wheaton North I've been in the Chicago land area for most of my life. Despite my attempt to stay in the South after my time at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, I soon realized there is nothing like living by family, so I moved back. This is a truly unique and fun winter for me because I am deeply looking forward to officially starting my life with my sweetheart in the Spring. Our Wedding is quickly approaching and I find myself a little crazed and sometimes in circles over what to do next. In addition to the wedding planning, we are painting our house and working on my "to do" list for fun changes here at Molly Grace Photography. The list seems endless and I often have a hard time even accomplishing any of it somedays. When the list is long like it is now I begin to stress and honestly, that stressing out just makes accomplishing anything nearly impossible. How amazing would it be if I just did the things on my do list, didn't tie it to any other emotion or anxiety and just accomplished stuff?! A lot more could be done, perhaps. Umm… procrastination, can anyone relate? It's funny because I thought a lot of my procrastination would end when school ended and because then no one would give me dumb homework I would dread doing. Unfortunately procrastination continues, especially when you assign yourself stuff to do and especially when you are the boss. Now of course, I am a girl and also an artist so I was designed to have a little more emotion to things than let's say the average "guy." The average guy that understood things for me would go a lot better if I stopped procrastinating and just did it.

So here's my challenge, to myself and to you. Let's work on NOT procrastinating! just kidding, that's lame. Let's just NOT procrastinate. It's a simple as that. Let's take the opportunity to just simply do what needs to be done. Work at these things and give only our best, then check it off the list and move on without stressing. Then you have the knowledge that you did it, you are prepared and it's all good.

Make-Up Tip of the Week!

2010-01-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Anna, our make-up artist, has some make-up tips for you girls that she would love to share. So, what better place to do that but on the blog! Check back for a new tip or a note from Molly Grace!
Here's the first one, straight from Anna, the best make-up artist in the world!

Make your eyes really pop by applying a very light, very pale pink eye shadow to the inner corner of your eye and just below the browline at the center. For evening, you can make it slightly frosted if you like.

2010-01-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

We are wanting to share this with everyone! It's such an honor for us to be chosen for this. It's great to be able to help the animals. I hope that you guys can enter; it'd be awesome to see some amazing shots of the zoo

Exciting Honor!

2010-01-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Molly Grace Photography was honored by AsukaBooks, one of the companies that produces our books. They named our book of Rebecca as the book of the week for its design! It was super exciting to see this on their Facebook page. If our products from last year were honored by our vendors then I can't wait to see what they think of this year's! Stay tuned to see what cool new products are coming up!

Reflections of self

2010-01-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

In art school, my professors said that every photo was a self-portrait. I find that true, even when I'm shooting a senior who seems to be so different from myself. I relate to every one of you, identify with each of you. I see a little bit of myself reflected in you, in this shot literally :)
Can you guess whose eye I'm reflected in?

Jessica swims away with her session

2010-01-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I had such a great last session of the year with Jessica! It was a cold day, it even snowed, but we still had tons of fun, especially when she put her swim goggles on. It was the perfect shoot to end the season.

Madeline bring her family to the table

2010-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

It was such a joy to shoot Madeline. She was such an insightful girl. It was great to be able to talk with her and her mom and I loved seeing their relationship together and the honesty there. It being Thanksgiving week I was only fitting that I met her whole family too when I did a family session! It was a great time with a great family and a great girl.

Jessica

2010-01-05T15:32:00.001-08:00

Jessica's session was so fun. She's a sweet girl who is super smart too! Her beautiful smile came out sometimes, especially when she was playing with the leaves, but her serious studious side really shone during her session. I had a blast hearing about the plans for a canvas in her house because she was loving her session so much! It was a great day.

Cara

2010-01-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

Cara was such a cool girl! I knew when she told me she was referred by Anthony that it was going to be a great session. It was so much fun to meet her awesome mom; its not often you find a cool math teacher like Cara's mom! The viewing was nearly as fun as the session too. Just hanging out with Cara and her mom is always a blast. Her mom was so excited to see shots of her daughter that totally express her personality. I had a great time with them.

Kylie

2010-01-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Kylie is one girl who has got it all going on. But, she is so humble about it. She's confident, gorgeous, and super smart! She almost has her nursing degree already and she's still in high school. This girl has drive! She was such a sweetheart to shoot and such a great girl.

Casey

2010-01-05T15:26:00.001-08:00

I can already see Casey's name in lights on Broadway some day. She's got spunk to her that is going to take her far in the performing arts. She is in Oliver, a musical, right now so we had a great time working on her fun faces as well as her head shots.

Tarah

2010-01-05T15:23:00.001-08:00

I have such a blast shooting athletes like Tarah who plays softball. It's so fun to let every side of them shine in their photos and let them show their passion. Her mom was super supportive of her, and it was so fun to see their interaction, especially because her mom works where she goes to school. It was a fun day, even in the cold, and I had a great time with Tarah. I can't wait to shoot her sister who was so excited at the viewing for her turn.

Nicole

2010-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

Nicole is such a fashionista! She's got her own style and totally works it. She came in with a great vision for her session and had such super cute clothes for it. Her mom was just as sweet as she was. I loved running in to Nicole's mom at a sandwich shop later that week and chatting with her quickly. I'm so excited to see what photos she choses for the canvases!

Victoria

2010-01-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time at Victoria's session. The beautiful November day made for some awesome shots of her in downtown Naperville in her pearls. She rocked it like her favorite singer Taylor Swift would! She's got an inner-confidence about her and is a such a strong girl. I had a blast spending time with her!

Anthony

2010-01-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

Anthony was super excited for his session! He was referred by his friend Amanda and brought along his friend Cara; I love it when friends tell each other and tag along for each other's sessions. He was super cute through, especially when he rocked his pink shirt. He was nervous about his viewing but loved his photos! I loved getting a call from him a few days later about his online photos and hearing all the girls in the background screaming, so cute. :)

William

2010-01-05T15:17:00.001-08:00

William is such a sweet guy. His grandmother called to schedule the session after he mentioned me to her. It was awesome to see that they had a great relationship together. I loved seeing him and his dad together during the session; his dad splits his time between New York and here so it was really special to be able to see them spend time together. It was a great session with a nice guy.

Krystan

2010-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Krystan is such a talented dancer! I can see her going far with it. She was so sweet and took some awesome promotional shots for dance companies and auditions coming up. It was so great to see her mom again after I shot her sister Rachel earlier in the year. I love when I get to shoot sisters. I had so much fun with Krystan!

Abby

2010-01-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed the session with Abby! I loved her mature and classic clothes, totally her. She is such a sweet, quiet, happy girl. Her mom is great as well, super funny. I just got off the phone with her, and she never fails to make me laugh talking about their life and their bet on when I would get engaged. I had a ton of fun with them!

Chelsea

2010-01-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

Spending the day with Chelsea was really awesome! She reminds me of myself so much. She's totally intuitive, wants to be writer, and is just a great girl all around. And with a way cool mom like hers, I can see where it comes from. I loved seeing her again a few weeks after her session at the same park I shot her at! So funny.

Kayla

2010-01-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Kayla had an in with my make-up artist, Anna. Casey, Anna's son, and Kayla are dating, and it was so awesome to see how they interacted together, super cute. She totally rocked her whole session at Oswego East even though she was sick. Her mom was such a sweetheart, so proud of Kayla, and it really showed while we were together. I totally loved her dress too!

Taylor, Ian, and Casey

2010-01-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

These three boys are totally special to me because they are the sons of Anna, my makeup artist. Molly Grace Photography really wouldn't be what it is without Anna and her amazing talent in makeup. She is an awesome mom too. Casey and Ian are her seniors, both heading out to do big things! Casey is off to pursue his love for drama while Ian is going to the Navy Seals. Taylor's a sophomore so Anna will still have one of her boys next year! All three are so motivated, and it will totally be a special year for them.

Michelle

2010-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Michelle is a special girl because she was my first intern! She found me online and asked if she could intern, and I was happy to bring her on board with Molly Grace Photography. It's been super fun getting to know her and hearing about school and her family and her job at Jamba Juice. She's an awesome intern, super fast at her work! Spending the day with her outside of the studio was such a blast. The session was way fun. I love her and am dreading when she has to leave me for college!

Jillian is a classic!

2009-11-10T13:04:00.001-08:00

Jillian & Haley had a powerful and sweet connection as step sisters. Their affection for each other was a different kind of love than that of regular sisters born unto the same family. These two were friends and by God's grace and love got the great and severe blessing of getting to be sisters. Truly these two, and their family is an inspiration and testament to all things working out for good. I love Jillian's dark eyes and sweet smile, and I love how she is wearing proudly the red sweatshirt that represents her brother, who is away.

Haley Audrey Session!

2009-11-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Haley sister to Jillian has an deep and inner beauty, that was fun for me to pull out. Clearly, her life has been blessed by experiences that have rooted her and grounded her and given her the freedom to be all that she is now. I love her eyes, check em out!

Jenn is cute like Audrey Hepburn

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Jenn and her mom were totally going for a unique look when they planned out what Jenn would wear for the shoot. They were totally going for the "Anthropologie" look. Don't you love love love the hat! Oh My Goodness so cute! I love the awesome orange chair that they brought from Jenn's room, too, it has a unique name that they call it, but I simply can not think of what they referred to it as. I love these images, stay tuned I think you'll see more of one of them on our updated site.

Julia!

2009-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love her yellow jacket, it screams of optimism and vibrant joy! Even to the viewing Julia wore this super cute hat, man I love girls who have the confidence to sport their own style. Plus, before I even met her another one of my clients could not stop talking about what an awesome girl she is.

Taylor!

2009-11-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

It was fun shooting Taylor because last year I shot her sister, it's awesome shooting siblings because you can see the unique similarities and family traits. I loved seeing Taylor's mom Susan again too, maybe it's because she's southern and I adore southern people! Nevertheless, Taylor did an awesome job, just being herself and gorgeous!

Amanda!

2009-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Amanda is this tiny thing, but so blessed with tall awesome legs, in addition to her beauty she is incredibly smart and a talented musican. So though for this day we got to praise her outer beauty, I am clear she got so beautiful because of the time she spent using her other awesome gifts, which made her inner beauty shine and sparkle. This girl is up to great things!

Samantha!

2009-11-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

I loved loved Samantha's session cause we actually went to Barnes and Noble and got in trouble taking pictures. But for those 5 or 6 shots we got, it was worth it because that's really want she loves to do and high represents where she'd like to go in life. Ahhh.... which is essentially my point when I photograph someone, I want to photograph, who they are, where their going and all the many awesome things they'll be up to. Fashion, Design, whereever this girl goes, I know she's going places.

Ashley is an artist

2009-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed getting to know Ashley, I can't decide if it was because she is so cute, or if it is because she seems so independent and down to earth. I totally love her style and the way she expresses herself with fashion. She even brought her guitar.

Rachel Rocks it Fashionista Style

2009-10-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am particularly proud of this last session, what great fall light we got to use! I love Rachel's eyes, and her great skin. And I really love this ring she had that she let me try on, mmm... But seriously this girl is headed for fashion stardom because she's gorgeous and super tall, lucky girl. I def. had to have her get a little lower so I could get my signature above shots. That said this girls personality is strong, so I am glad that she's got a rock solid head on her shoulders.

Mary Mary...

2009-10-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I photographed Mary's sister, when I was a little tiny pea in the world of photography, meaning way prior to the Sofia session and the Audrey the Classic, and before the 5th Ave. Station Studio. I loved loved hanging out with Mary and her mom, what fun clients I have. We did talk about silly little things, like babies, and children, Mary's mother has 7 so I was all ears to hear all about them. Mary is super cute and I loved her awesome laugh!

Alyson is cute like an Alie Cat

2009-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

So life goes full circle doesn't it, Alyson is the daughter of a special teacher of mine when I went to Wheaton North. So fun to photograph Alie and really get to know her! I loved her beautiful eyes and her sparkling sweetness.

Sarah is in a field of gold

2009-09-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

We had Sarah's viewing last night, her sister and her picked carefully their favorites and had a hard time parting with the shots as we narrowed them down. I loved as they did this shot in the field. I am certainly excited about her sisters shoot in the next couple years, she is gorgeous like her sister!

Rachel rocks out her tutu!

2009-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Okay guys, so if everyone of my clients pushed the fashionista envelop like this one did I would be flying high everyday. I LOVED this out fit, a tutu with a rocker tee and black high tops, love it! Yes, what an amazing shoot this was. Mind you Rachel is a rockstar and has the eyes to prove it.

Robert takes his sporty side and pushed a little country

2009-09-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

So Robert's session also consisted of football jersey and jeans and a letterman jacket, but it happened to be that I just loved his last look and so I had to blog just those here. For those of you that know me, I love country, so for me this was truly a delight and a trip. Yes, we had a real gun as this session too, so that was fun, and different, for me kinda scary since that's not in my everyday line up :) We were all done with his session and walking back to the car when I saw this perfect opportunity for a silouette, what a great timeless shot.

Katie is blooms among the flowers

2009-09-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

What was it about my time in the park with these new friends that I just loved so much. I love talking and asking questions and hearing all about what Katie and her mom have been up to this summer. So fun! Look at Katie's amazing eyes and her quiet refection in the field of flowers. Love it Love it Love it!

Kendall is nearly my first client!

2009-09-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

So Kendall and I go way back. In fact I first meet her mom when I had short red hair and had just graduated from high school and and was in my first year of college photography classes. So Ellery and Kendall by now to me are less clients and more of friends at this point. So much so I wanted them to my Michael real quick before our session and then we got down to business, and chatted as we walked about the park. I love them! And I love my job!

Check out Kendall's organization Kids Caring 4 Kids

Hillary get's the good light in the sun

2009-09-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

When Hillary stepped in that light I told her that everyone would be jealous she got such great light for her shoot. Isn't that shot magical and glowing! Oh if we all were so lucky. Hillary is a beautiful girl with a great sense and personality to her, she is going places.

Danielle

2009-09-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Danielle is adorably nervous, for things, for the shoot, for the viewing and she has no need to be because she is simply adorable and so easy to photograph. I loved our shoot, loved hanging out in downtown Naperville and loved using the awesome color that day. Danielle's mom, I must say is so sweet, and has raised such a sweet girl, props to her!

Andrea makes sweet music the secret garden

2009-09-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

I loved Andrea's curly hair and the way she communicated what she wanted in the photo's. The light was beautiful as is poured in through the trees and so we had to get creative with the clarinet, I love that shot!

Carrie is Magical in the Garden!

2009-09-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Carrie is all about the model poses, I didn't even have to come up with ideas for her, this girl had it all down pat, and she just moved with easy as my camera clicked. You go Girl!

Emily is bareback and barefoot!

2009-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

So yeah, it's pretty much a photographers dream to have such an opportunity to photograph such a free spirits as Emily and her horse Cosmo. I loved that she was barefoot and loved how her green dress looked with the grass!

Mariah and her sister's let their inner spirit shine

2009-09-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

I loved Mariah, the way she smiled and cuddled with her sis's, and hung out casual in her jeans. You can tell that Mariah has been raised knowing that she loved, and in turn loves on others. I also loved Mariah's sister's Rachael and Eaden, their friendships reminded me of my relationship with my sisters. These three are adorable and lots of fun!

Hannah joined into the White House Black Market and added one set of dance shoes!

2009-09-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hannah, her mother and I meet in downtown Naperville, shot there, then rushed back to the studio before the rain. I loved loved this studio session she shared with Darcy... ahh what a fun day! I think back to that day and it was Aug 19th, crazy that time fly's so fast and it's already Sept 2nd. Life just keeps getting fuller and fuller. Hannah, rocked it, what a cute girl with lots ahead of her.

Darcy put the White House in the Black Market!

2009-09-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Darcy, has a future ahead of her for sure, check it out, this girl is on the rise. I loved her session, loved her out door session in downtown Naperville and loved her dramatic personality that came out in the studio. I felt like I was shooting for White House Black Market, and it was fun, so I'll look into that.. stay tuned :)

Lauren's Gwen Session took off at the trash the dress part

2009-09-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Ok so Lauren and I had a celebrity moment the other day, each of us, at the same time! Lauren was sitting on this huge fallen tree with her gorgeous pink dress, like a celebrity when a car drove by and asked what photography company I worked for, I said, " I worked for myself and the biz was called Molly Grace Photography," she said, "oh my neighbor just had her pictures done by you too, I gotta call you!" That made me feel like a celebrity, my goodness, what fun! Lauren had a beautiful session, and she was most excited about her trash the dress so here they are!

Alison shows more than her soccer side

2009-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

I just loved hanging out with Alison, I love her smile, yet also loved the realness and expression in just a glance. What a cute girl, this soccer star is going places.

Courtney & I hung out in a laundry mat!

2009-09-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week it was a couple weeks ago... well honestly it's continued to be crazy busy this week too! I have been wanting for sometime to photograph a senior session in a laundry mat, and Courtney was willing enough to go with my silly idea. I even got a bee sting while I was there, but as I always say, it was worth it! What a beautiful cool girl she is, and the pictures just to continue to declare it.

We also dropped by this cute popcorn shop in Naperville, and took some cute photos there, so thanks www.kernelfabyans.com

Classic, Like Coco Channel

2009-08-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to shoot Coco as I shot her sister last year. Coco Chiliax's attitude made her so easy and fun to photograph. She's a cute one!

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I loved Shea's style

2009-08-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Shea's style was very her, unique and almost cultural or safari-like. Is that a word? It is now. Anyway, I loved it! What a great photo shoot to end my week of shoots, loved the light, loved the bike from the Green store on Washington Street. What lucky girls we were, great light, great bike.

Anna is so Gorgeous!

2009-08-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Check out this beautiful girl. I love this shot with the pearls. I also loved hanging out with Anna and her crew, I loved Anna's mom, and really enjoyed hearing and seeing what an awesome mom she is. I loved having Anna's friend with us, it made for more fun, more happy and more love to capture.

Jessica's Sofia Session is super fun just like her cousin Julia

2009-08-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

I love that girls are so happy with my work that they tell all their friends about me, because then I get to photograph everyones friends! So one of my girls from last year Julia shared with her cousin about and so I got to photograph her. I loved hearing about what a close knit family Jessica comes from, I loved hearing about their boat and lots of memories they make each summer in the sun. My parents used to have a boat in Texas so I could totally relate to all that fun, sure we wished we were boating, but we were busy with our shoot. What a beautiful girl!

Nisha is a natural

2009-08-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Nisha from Bolingbrook, a referral from my girl Joy, was a natural when she showed up with her mom. She seemed to just have an ease when she moved, and she seemed to just have fun. She is so beautiful!

Molly ... Moll Doll.

2009-08-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's very fun to have a client with your very same name for sure. There were moments when I got confused about who was talking to who. And moments when it thrilled me to and was fun to hear Molly's mom say Moll Doll. When I lived in Texas, everyone called me Moll Doll, but not even my parents still keep it up here. I love Molly's session. And I loved seeing her sweet relationship with her mom, you always can tell, the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree.

Nicole is a sweet one

2009-08-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Anna my make up artist had the in with Nicole because Nicole had gone to school with Anna's son's since they were tiny, so it was super fun to hear their stories while Anna did her hair. Nicole's session rocked, I loved hanging out with her supportive mom, and talking and chatting about our common interests and fun summer memories. What a fun girl!

Sporty Liz makes her high fashion debut

2009-08-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Liz is a busy girl! And really so am I, so we really had to work to get in this summer, but we got her in! Liz's talents in Volleyball is something to admire, as I was never the sporty girl, but I sure do wish I was more of one. Check out her cute style!

Not even a little rain...

2009-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Brieanne's session was so fun not even unpredicted rain in the middle of it kept us from having fun. I love that I got to use my new backdrops that Anna and I made personally. Brieanne's style and personality lit up all around us, as she put on her favorite dresses with great colors. This was another sporty girl that just rocked it and worked it when it came to the camera. Nice work girl, I can't wait to photograph your sister!

Chelsea scored big!

2009-08-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know Chelsea, she'd probably rather have a soccer ball in her hand or in her control on the field than do a photo shoot with me. But check out this players beauty and classic style in the fashion world, nice eh? Chelsea was so cute and sweet to work with and I could tell she was really getting into it too. I seriously work with the best people!