Why Mom & Me Sessions Are the Most Valuable Photos You’ll Ever Take

Mom & Me Portrait Experience | Des Plaines Photographer | Fitzgerald Studio

I have been a photographer in the Chicago suburbs for 15 years – running Mom and Me photo sessions in Des Plaines for over 12 years now! And in all those years, the phrase I hear more than any other from people that wished they came into the studio earlier is:

“I wish I would have.”

I wish I would have done a session when they were little. I wish I had something on the wall from when they were four. I wish I could remember exactly what they were like at this age – the way they laughed, the words they used, the way they still wanted to be near me.

By the time most moms say those words, they can’t go back.

That’s exactly why I created the Mom & Me Photo Experience at Fitzgerald Studio. And why I am, passionate about spreading the word. I don’t want to hear ‘I wish I would have’ without knowing I did my best to let every Mom know!

What Actually Happens During a Mom & Me Session

This is not a Mother’s Day mini session. This is not a quick photo op between other families. This is your own private studio session, booked at a time that works for your life, with nowhere else to be and no one waiting behind you.

We will create gorgeous portraits while also creating video clips of your child asking questions about you. What does your mom do to make you feel better? What is her superpower? What do you love most about her? The answers are unscripted, unrehearsed and absolutely priceless. I have heard things in these sessions that made moms tear up – in the best possible way.

We can trace tiny hands and capture the silly, honest connection that only exists at this age between you and your kiddo – both in photos and writing.

Those portraits, drawings and written memories become a collage or keepsake book – something you treasure for the rest of your life because they will never be this small again.

The Thing About Time

Our first Mom & Me session was in 2017. The kids that participated are now 12 – 15 years old.

When parents and family watch it back today it hits differently than it did then. The voices. The answers. The way they looked at their moms. None of that exists anymore – not in that form. That version of those kids only lived in that season and now it can be relived from that session.

Your child is only exactly this age right now.

Next year their handwriting will be different. Their answers will be different. The way they draw your hair and describe your superpower will be different. Some of the things they say today will be gone before you even notice they left.

This is not meant to create panic. It is meant to create permission. Permission to say yes to something that is entirely for you and entirely for them, right now, while this season still exists.

Who This Session Is For

The Mom & Me Portrait Experience is for any woman with a special child in her life.

Moms, stepmoms, grandmas, aunts, godmothers – if you have a kiddo who lights up when you walk in the room, this session is for you.

Bring one child or bring multple. One-on-one time is just as magical as bringing siblings together. We also suggest planning something special after your session – brunch, a little adventure, a treat – to make the whole day feel like an event worth remembering.

Why I Priced It the Way I Did

I am going to be honest with you about the price.

This session is priced below what I typically charge because I know moms. I know that if there is any reason to say “maybe next time” you will find it. I didn’t want to give you one.

This is a luxury session but priced to make your yes a little easier, because I know this moment cannot be gotten back and I never want the price to be the reason someone didn’t do it.

Sessions are $395 and include six portraits printed in your choice of a collage or keepsake book, video clips, drawings, written memories and digital copies of all ordered photos.

What Moms Who Did This Years Ago Are Saying

Remember those kids I talked about in our 2017 session? Here are the reviews from their Moms how that session feels to them today:

Book Your Mom and Me Photos in Des Plaines

Mom & Me Portrait Experience sessions are available now through the end of May 2026 at Fitzgerald Studio in Des Plaines, Illinois. Book any morning or afternoon during studio hours – your schedule, your pace, your time.

This is not a limited date event. You are not squeezed between other families. You book a time that genuinely works for your life and you show up with nowhere else to be.

Ready to book? Head to the booking page or call the studio at 847-858-7050. If you have questions before you commit, you can also schedule a quick call and I will answer every single one.

Because in 15 years you will not remember what was on your to-do list this week.

But you WILL remember this session.

Fitzgerald Studio is located at 2434 E Dempster St Suite 107, Des Plaines, IL 60016. Serving families throughout the Chicago suburbs including Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Niles, Glenview, Schaumburg and surrounding communities.