MEET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
 

Hi! I'm Lauren! Thanks for visiting my page. Get to know me!

Art has been a part of my soul since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I have been cutting, gluing, painting, decorating and crafting my way through life. I started my first business in high school as a mural painter and continued through college while working toward my B.F.A. in Graphic Design. After graduation, I received a Canon Rebel camera from my parents and future husband. Little did we know that camera would be the key to my future career. In '08 the job market was awful and I ended up with a very costly piece of paper that I couldn't do much with. I changed course and ended up working in the foreclosure auction industry for awhile. It was a good job but I quickly realized I just wasn't meant to sit in a cubicle all day. Life also started getting busy during those 5 years there. Really busy.

 

Marriage. Major DIY home renovation. Motherhood.

We decided that staying home full time to care for our first child was the best option for our family. I had dabbled in photography in the past and my images weren't half bad for just shooting on auto. After having a girl with the most stunning blue eyes, I dusted off my camera and started using it more and more. That creative spark allowed me to get through some long days at home. I posted many of my images to Facebook and that's when people took notice. Then things started to snowball.

I had friends and family ask if I could do pictures for them, which was honestly a little intimidating. Sometimes I felt lost. I knew I needed to practice as much as possible and learn manual, so that's exactly what I did. Fast forward a few years and Cheeky Peacock Artistry was born.

What's with the weird name you ask? Why not just choose my first+last name+photography? I pride myself on not doing things the way the everyone else does. It's what makes me stand out from the crowd! You see, Cheeky is a fun little word....it's sassy and saucy. It's a play on a childhood nickname that my sister and I still call each other. Peacocks...well, let's just say they have been one of my favorite things since before they became trendy. We even decorated our nursery in a gender neutral peacock theme because we didn't know what we were having! I am in awe of their colors and beauty and I find them inspiring. It must be my spirit animal! Artistry encompasses my passion for all the arts, not just photography; it's graphic design, interior design, and floral design. It's crafts, painting, ceramics, textiles, and wood burning. It's everything I do. It's Artistry.

CHEEKY PEACOCK ARTISTRY. It's a mouthful. It's a little weird. But it's ME.

After my name was established, the babies kept coming. My husband and I completed our family, fulfilled a long-time dream of building a house, and now reside in the SW suburbs of Chicago with our 3 gorgeous (and wild) children that keep us on our toes. I fuel my days with copious amounts of tea -especially black with oat milk, that's my new kick. I like tacos, donuts, houseplants, bike riding, headbands, TV shows about food & food history, bowling, 80's music, the scent of citrus, Halloween, and of course - golden hour. I LOVE anything that's pink and sparkly. I loathe ketchup and doing the dishes is the bane of my existence. The inner workings of my brain are like a messy and textured color explosion and sometimes that chaos transcends to my exterior. Most days I look like your average Mom in a messy bun in a minivan, but other days my hair might be short and hot pink and I might be wearing leggings with obnoxiously loud prints, blasting music behind the wheel of a hemi. Life is too short to be boring - why not have a little fun?

Oh, and one more thing...remember how I mentioned that I don't do things the way everyone else does? Let me clarify. You may notice on my portfolio page that not everyone's images look the same. In fact, in this business, consistency and a specific style is the norm. You may be looking for someone that always uses a vintage feel, does muted tones, or gives their images a light and airy finish. Repetition becomes boring and my creative mind just doesn't compute, so applying the same edit on every session just doesn't work for me. I take into account the lighting, the location, wardrobe colors, time of year, skin tones, backdrop, and time of day. I have visions for sessions and what I think would be the best edit for them. I don't just take photos of your family, I create custom artwork for each and every client that encompasses all things YOU.

So let's talk. Let me hear the thoughts and ideas that you have for your session. Shoot me a message! Let's make some beautiful ART together!