Best Smash Cake Photographer Chicago Near Me

4worldlovers:
I'm Abigail, an award winning Maternity and Newborn Photographer, and owner of Abigail Joyce Studios. My team serve the families of Chicago, IL and the surrounding townships.

From your newborn's first days, baby's first steps, or the discovery of all things new, we specialize in capturing your story for unforgettable memories.


From rolling hills, boardwalks and iconic skylines, to naturally lit timeless spaces, we provide you with the best indoor and outdoor locations Chicago has to offer.

Every session include a private, online gallery with free and unlimited downloads.

And when it's time to order prints, use our inclusive print options tailored for your gallery.


We provide a timeless approach, focused on you and your family. This gives you peace of mind, knowing you'll have the most beautiful memories to share and continually look back on.

4worldlovers: Naja Lerus Photography serves the Chicago metro area – Lincoln Park, Wilmette, North Shore and Chicago suburbs, including North, West, Northwest, and South suburbs.

Just left a photo session with Naja and the experience was impeccable. The studio and Naja are warm and welcoming! From the moment you arrive she takes full control and starts to establish repoire with your infant! I trusted her fully with my baby…even when she didn’t know I was watching she was as loving and gentle with my daughter as I would be! So sorry I missed out on her for my maternity shoot! I highly recommend this studio for chronicling your pregnancy journey!

4worldlovers: For the modern Chicago family looking for something a little less "posed" and a little more authentic.

Having a new baby can be stressful, but your newborn photography session shouldn't be. You don't have to have your house super clean, be dressed up, or try to get everyone to a studio. My goal is to simply capture you being you!

All you have to do is snuggle with your new little baby and I'll take care of the rest.

I bring everything we need to get those simple, clean, bright and airy photos you see on our site.

Moments and memories will always beat the perfectly posed image. Part of the beauty of photographing with a candid and natural approach is that the photos to follow are incredibly authentic.

Instead, your images will capture genuine emotion and connection. I document so much more than what you look like holding your new baby, I want to capture what it feels like.

My pricing is all inclusive. No hidden fees or watermarked images. Ever.

Many photographers will only give you a limited number of the digital files or require you to order prints at an inflated rate... but I believe these are your memories and I don't want you to have to pick between your favorites. I want you to have them all!

My home doesn't have the best lighting. Will my photos still be bright and airy?

This is a great question, and one that I get asked all the time. You might be surprised to find out; I actually only need one good window to get beautiful and bright photos! I have lots of strategic ways to use camera settings and the placement of the light source to achieve that airy look. Plus... a lot of the magic happens in editing. Here's a before and after to give you an idea.

How does booking work since we don't know exactly when my baby will make her arrival?

When you book, I put you on our calendar based on your due date but I don't actually set a specific day and time for you shoot until after your little one arrives. After you deliver I'll send you several time slots to choose from that fall in that 7-14 day-old age range (the ideal time for a newborn session). I'm pretty flexible and can usually work around your schedule!

You mentioned not to worry about cleaning... but will the clutter will show up in my photos?

I want to your newborn photography session to be as stress-free as possible. You already have a new little baby at home (who is likely waking up every 3 hours at night) so I don't want you to worry about trying to clean up before I arrive. But that doesn't mean I'll leave all the clutter in the background of your photos! Whenever there is something distracting in the frame I'll just run over and move it out of view. I also send a list of tips after you book on how to prepare for your session, that way you have all the info before you have a baby in your arms.

I have a large and very energetic dog... will they be able to be in some of the family photos?

Yes! I love working with dogs! So don't worry about your dog being too crazy or excitable!

"We cannot say enough great things about our experience. It was such a crazy time in our lives and somehow Jess managed to capture the feel, mood, beauty, and intimacy of those earliest weeks as a family of three. Our family will treasure the moments captured forever."

"We used Jess for the first pictures of our son, when he was just 2 weeks old. She managed to make our disaster of a house look beautiful in pictures, got the sweetest moments of our son, and the pictures are gorgeous. We recently moved out of state otherwise I would be using them for all of our family photos. Book now, you will not regret it!"

"Our experience was nothing short of amazing from start to finish. Jess was so nice and was super sweet and gentle with our baby. The photos she took were absolutely gorgeous, and we received so many compliments. I highly recommend!"

Newborn sessions last about an hour (depending on how many breaks for feedings your little one needs). Within 2 weeks of your shoot, you'll get a link to a gallery with all of your high resolution, edited, digital files. Here's what you'll receive...