Before they
fly away
Some of you we met when they were brand new. Now they are about to walk out the door into the rest of their lives, and there is still time to catch exactly who they are, right now.
Studio 25 Naperville, Studio 25 Chicago, or on location in the city. Hair and makeup available on request.
We have been here
the whole time.
Some of you have been with us since the very beginning: the newborn curled up on your chest, the first birthday cake everywhere but in the mouth, the gap-toothed school years. And then somehow, alarmingly fast, here we are. Senior year. The last one before they actually fly.
This is not a stiff cap-and-gown photo for the yearbook (though yes, we can do that too). This is the portrait you will be so glad you have in ten years, when the house is a little too quiet. The one that caught exactly who they were becoming, right at the edge of becoming it.
Yes, this is going to be actually fun
Here is what almost every senior tells me on the way in: "I'm so awkward in photos, I never know what to do with my hands, this is going to be cringe." I get it. Me too, honestly.
But that is literally my whole job. I will tell you exactly where to stand, what to do, how to look like the most you version of you. No cheese, no forced poses, no fake laughing at nothing. Just you, looking like you on a really good day. I got you.
Two ways to book
The same guided session, the same wardrobe planning, the same reveal. The only difference is where we are: one of my studios, or out in the city.
In the Studio
A fully guided session at the bright, white-brick studio in downtown Naperville, or at Studio 25 Chicago, high above Streeterville with floor-to-ceiling windows and the skyline behind them. Up to four outfit changes, no weather to worry about.
In the City
We meet at Studio 25 Chicago, then head out into the city: the river bridges at golden hour, Michigan Avenue, the lakefront, or a place that actually means something to them. Editorial, a little cinematic, and completely theirs.
"She is so fun and engaging, even with whichever kid is acting fussy."
Choosing Studio 25 Chicago? Check in with the front desk at 220 E. Illinois St and they will send you up. Driving? Reserve CityFront parking next door on SpotHero.
Session fees cover your session and wardrobe planning. Hair and makeup is available on request. Finished portraits are chosen afterward at your private reveal. Collections begin at $1,500.
Everything handled
All they have to do is show up and be exactly who they are. The rest is on me.
Hair and makeup, on request
Want them camera-ready before we start? Our beauty team is available on request. Full glam or barely-there natural, totally their call.
Wardrobe planning
We talk through the looks together before the session, so nobody is panicking over outfits the night before. Up to four outfit changes.
A fully guided session
Direction the whole way through. They will never once wonder what to do with their hands. That part is on me.
Studio or on location
Studio 25 Naperville, Studio 25 Chicago, or out in the city somewhere that means something to them. We decide together at your planning session.
The reveal
You see the finished portraits in person and choose your favorites together. I will help you decide what belongs on the wall.
Mom and family welcome
Want a few with mom, or the whole family, at the end? We plan that right in, and hair and makeup can be arranged for them too.
Ten little bluebirds. And one of them is about to fly.Emily Cummings
Artwork, from the very beginning
These portraits are not made to live on a phone. From our first planning conversation we are designing toward a finished piece: the framed portrait in the hallway, the one above the piano, the gallery wall you have been building since they were small.
At your reveal you see the portraits finished and framed, and you choose what you love: a collection of images, framed wall art, or an heirloom album. Every piece is professionally finished and ready to hang, as a framed print, canvas or acrylic, and every piece of wall art includes its digital portrait.
Finished portraits are sold separately from the session fee, so you only invest in what you love. Most families just find it hard to choose.
From hello to on your wall
The planning session
We sit down together, in person or on Zoom, and map it all out: the vibe, the looks, studio or on location, and where these portraits are going to live when we are done.
Plan and style
We talk through wardrobe and arrange hair and makeup if you want it, so session day is easy.
Session day
Then we make magic. Studio or out in the city, they relax and let me guide every moment.
Reveal and deliver
You view, you choose, you order. Framed art and albums arrive finished and ready to hang.
- Good Morning America
- Forbes
- People
- Chicago Magazine
- Chicago Tribune
- HGTV
- ABC
You only get so many summers
Someone said that to me once and I have never been able to shake it. You get about eighteen summers with them under your roof. Eighteen. And most of us do not realize we are in the last few until they are already behind us.
I am counting my own right now, if I'm honest. So when I tell you to do the senior session, it is not a sales pitch. It is me, telling you the thing I wish someone had said to me sooner.
Do it for you. For the wall. For the morning a few years from now when you walk past it on the way to the coffee pot and get to see them, exactly as they were, right before they flew. You will never once regret having it.
From the families we photograph
The pictures turned out so perfect it was truly a magical experience. Emily is not only a talented photographer, she was so friendly and easy to work with.
I don't know how she does it, but Emily always makes our family look AMAZING... She has captured our family on four different occasions in the last four years. Couldn't recommend her more!
I have worked with Emily on a number of occasions, including headshots for me, a family shoot with my newborn, and family sessions with my older boys. She is so fun and engaging.
Fifteen years of watching them grow
I'm Emily Cummings, and I have spent fifteen years photographing families in Naperville and Chicago, from newborns through first birthdays, school years and now senior year. Some of the seniors I photograph today I first met when they were days old. I was a teacher before I was a photographer, and I am a mom in the thick of these years myself, which is why every session is relaxed, guided, and built around who your kid actually is.
Senior portraits, answered
How much do senior portraits cost in Naperville and Chicago?
The senior session fee is $600 at Studio 25 Naperville or Studio 25 Chicago, or $750 on location in the city. Both include wardrobe planning and a fully guided session, and professional hair and makeup can be added on request. Finished portraits are chosen afterward at your reveal, with collections from $1,500 and framed wall art from $600.
Can we add hair and makeup?
Yes, on request. Professional hair and makeup is available for any senior session; just let us know at your planning session and we will arrange it. Natural is just as welcome as full glam.
Where do senior sessions take place?
Sessions take place at Studio 25 Naperville in downtown Naperville, at Studio 25 Chicago in Streeterville, or on location in the city or somewhere that means something to your senior. You choose at your planning session.
Can we use these portraits for the yearbook?
Yes. We make sure you have what the school needs for the yearbook, alongside the portraits you will actually want to keep forever.
What should my senior wear?
We plan the looks together before the session and your prep guide walks you through getting camera-ready. If you would rather have help, you can add a stylist who will pull the whole wardrobe for you.
Can parents and siblings be in a few portraits?
Yes, please. A few with mom or the whole family at the end is one of my favorite parts. Let me know ahead of time so we can plan for it, and hair and makeup can be arranged for anyone joining.
When should we book a senior session?
The summer before or the fall of senior year is ideal, but any time before they walk across that stage works. Sooner means more flexibility on dates.
Tell me about your senior
Share a little about them on a short discovery call and I will help you choose the studio or the city, the season, and the looks. All they have to do is show up and be exactly who they are.
Book a Discovery Call