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You Deserve To Be Seen: The Power of Self-Love Photography
Gina Santellano Gina Santellano

You Deserve To Be Seen: The Power of Self-Love Photography

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General

April 27, 2025

Every woman deserves to feel seen and appreciated. A self-love session is a perfect way to celebrate yourself. These sessions focus on you, not your roles as a mother, partner, or professional. They are a space for you to be who you truly are.

In these moments, it's not about looking perfect. It's about giving yourself permission to embrace your beauty, your story, and your spirit. You are unique, and you deserve to shine in your own light. A photograph can capture the real you, showing your emotions and strength.

During the session, the atmosphere is relaxed. You can be yourself without feeling pressured. You can laugh, dance, or simply be still. Let your guard down. These photos are for you. They remind you of your worth and beauty, celebrating all that you are.

The experience is personal. Each session is tailored to your vibe. Whether you want soft and gentle or bold and fierce, it’s all about how you want to express yourself. You choose how to show your personality.

When you see the final images, you may be surprised. You might see a version of yourself that you didn’t know existed. This is the power of self-love photography. It captures the authentic you, allowing you to connect with your inner self.

These sessions create memories. They are timeless. Each image tells your story and holds your emotions. You can look back at them and remember this phase of your life. They become a tribute to your journey and self-discovery.

Take a moment to think about how you feel about yourself. A self-love session can help shift your perspective. It can remind you of your strength and beauty. It's a celebration of you, just as you are. You deserve to take this time for yourself.

If you've been craving a moment to reconnect with yourself, I'd be honored to hold that space for you. Self-love isn't a destination, it's a practice. And this is one powerful way to begin.

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Including your pet baby in your Maternity Session
Gina Santellano Gina Santellano

Including your pet baby in your Maternity Session

Ahhhh…..I cannot say it enough, in home sessions will always be a favorite. It is intimate and it is a piece of your life that you will want to remember exactly as it was. Life is ever changing. We move, we grow, we evolve. To look back on images and be able to remember what you felt at that moment is priceless.

I will always encourage including your pet babies in your session. We are blessed to have so many years with these lovely spirits. Let’s make sure they are documented in your milestones too. They were there and they were apart of that story.

I always guide my clients before session day on what to expect and how to prepare. One good way to prepare a session that your pet baby will be included is to have treats and their favorite toys around to help us when capturing them in the frame. It also helps to distract them when we are not including them in a certain image. But overall, just love on them and keep the same energy with them as if I was not there. This will keep the session the most authentic and will be the images you will look back on and remember….

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Chicago Newborn Session
Irina Irina

Chicago Newborn Session

Lifestyle Newborn Sessions are chefs kiss. There is nothing more beautiful than being able to document those firsts with your new baby. Those first 2 weeks, are often a blur after the moment has passed. That newborn smell, those little wrinkly feet, the little flaky skin, skinny lil legs and tinest feet change so quickly. After a month they already look so different. Document your days. Always.

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Downtown Chicago Engagement Session
Gina Santellano Gina Santellano

Downtown Chicago Engagement Session

Chicago Is truly a beautiful city. I love being able to have sessions in our downtown area or in areas that you can see the Chicago skyline as a backdrop. There are so many different destinations for this. My pro tip- the sessions are best during the week, early morning, or off season. This is when you can beat the crowds and almost have the place to yourself. If it is not possible, I always suggest certain locations in the area that may be a little more secluded.

My clients were so freaking cute and it was a pleasure capturing their young love. Give me all the playfulness, so many laughs, and all the love is enough for an amazing session. This day was absolutely freezing (definitely off season lol) but, they kept each other warm and a little dancing and running kept things warm.

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