I remember photographing my first session for angel portraits like it was yesterday….the year was 2006 and I had just approached the WINGS organization with the concept of creating a calendar for them...one of angels, aviators and fairies...we would call it Beautiful Things with Wings. After having received the go ahead...it was time for me to photograph some test images to market with. My model for my angel portraits was of course my daughter Alyssa. She was a petite 6 year old at the time. I carefully set up my backdrop and lighting in my the living room of my house...that was where all of my sessions were photographed back then. I had to climb up on the red couch along the long wall of the room and began our session. I remember the way her dark thick lashes rested on her cheek...her sweet little rosebud lips...the magic of photographing my little girl as an angel…
When from the front door we heard the emphatic knocking of my 4 year old son banging on the side windows...He was pounding with both fists... chanting…”I want to wear the wings!” We decided to open the door and let him in...I quickly took of his t-shirt and strapped my angel wings onto his bare back. We tossed a gold halo onto his head and the rest is history. Perhaps one of the sweetest angel portraits I have ever created...alas...I have been sworn to not share the images from his break in session...so you won’t see them here...but when the day comes that he gets married...you bet those portraits will make it into his wedding slide show!
We have come a long way since those fledgling years of photographing in my living room. For the past 7 years, I have been blessed to be able to photograph our angel portraits on the Eden de Palais at the Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington Hills. Being the only photographer in the world allowed to create portraits on that amazing carousel has been such a gift to both myself and WINGS as well as the children who are able to take part in this experience.
Over the past 10 plus years, we have been able to help raise over $300,000 for the women and children who use the services and shelters of the WINGS organization as a refuge from domestic violence!
If you want to get involved with this project, we will be photographing our sweet angel portraits this coming April 11-14. Please call 224-655-7801 or contact us and join us in supporting women and children in need!
~April
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