Mini sessions are a shorter, condensed version of a full 1 hour session, lasting only 25 minutes. They are designed to be quick, efficient, and affordable, while still providing you with high-quality photos. The location is chosen in advance, which allows me to streamline multiple sessions in a short period. Below are some tips to […]

As autumn begins to paint the landscape, it’s the perfect time to capture the beauty of the season with a fall photography mini session. I’m excited to offer a special opportunity to create lasting memories with our fall mini sessions. Here’s a glimpse into what you can expect and why you shouldn’t miss out. Why […]

Hello Again Friends! Just like that, Summer has flown by, school is about to resume, and it’s time once again to think about Fall pictures. Below are links to book Mini and Full sessions for Fall 2023. Fall 2023 Mini Sessions: https://book.usesession.com/s/79t6FoQQx Fall 2023 1 hour Portrait Sessions: https://book.usesession.com/s/YeD8OoiEY As always, please feel free to […]

I hope you all are doing great! Below are links where you can book your mini session directly. If you need to book a a Multi Family Session, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you. I am here and happy to help you book a session and answer any and […]

I had a last minute mini session scheduled with this sweet family. The day was overcast, and we fit it in right at sunset. Look at that pup!

I hope you all are doing great! Below are links where you can book your mini session directly. If you need to book a full session or a Multi Family Session, please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you. I am here and happy to help you book a session and […]

I hope you all are doing great! Below are links where you can book your full or mini session directly. If you need help or have questions, please let me know. I am here and happy to help you book a session and answer any and all questions you may have, especially if you have […]

Hello, everyone! I’m so excited to see all of your familiar faces this fall and meet some new friends, too! If you haven’t booked with me before, welcome! I have my dates and times listed below, but if you need any help with booking, I can do it all for you and answer any questions […]

I hope you all are doing great! It was wonderful to see so many of you this past year, as odd as 2020 was. I look forward to seeing many more of you this year. Regarding Covid, I am happy to take any additional precautions during your session. Please let me know in advance if […]

Lucas was one of those magical babies that just sleeps and sleeps for his entire newborn session. He was such sweet little baby that I was able to get so many different poses with his family and sisters, and then tons more individually. Below is just a small sampling of what his family received. If […]

My first photo of Megan was 7 years ago! I can’t believe it! Her family was one of the first families I photographed. I was so shocked to see how she had completely grown up into such a beautiful young lady. On this particular Sunday, the fall weather forecast was giving me a headache! The […]

I have missed you all so much! Spring wasn’t the same, and I’m hopeful we’ll have a more normal Fall. Below I have listed all my dates for the fall season. I will update dates and times as they sell out. I have left some gaps for reschedules just in case we have some bad […]

Tower Grove Park, Saturday April 25th, (5:45-7:45p)Forest Park, Sunday May 17th, (6-8p)Queeny Park, Saturday May 30th, (6:15-8:15p)Longview Farm Park, Saturday June 13th, (6:15-8:15p)Forest Park, Sunday July 11th, (6:15-8:15p)Queeny Park, Saturday August 8th,  (6-8)Mini sessions are sold on a first come first serve basis, and payment is non-refundable. If a reschedule is necessary due to weather […]

Hello, Friends! I hope you all had a relaxing, fun filled summer! As usual, it has flown by and now it’s time to talk about fall. Below, you will find mini session dates and locations. I will update this page as I sell out.  If you are interested in a full 1 hour session, please […]

SPRING MINI’S 2019 $250 | 25 minutes | 10 edited images | option to buy more images MINI SESSION AVAILABILITY SOLD OUT 5:30 | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 The 7:30 time slot is not available on May 4th because the sun sets a little earlier that day. Mini sessions are sold on […]

It’s that time of year again! Fall sessions are starting soon, and I’m almost full.  As you may already know, I send my newsletter out before I announce minis to the public. If you’d like to be one of the first to hear about mini’s in the future, please sign up on the bottom of […]

Would you like a spring mini session? If so, please email me at marybeth@illumenphotography.com. Or send me an email to be the first to know about my mini session availability BEFORE the public! I moved some mini’s to a different date so I had some option open up. Here is my spring mini session availability: […]

Hello! I am so excited to be taking spring mini session pictures again! I have only a couple spots left so please let me know if you are interested. As of today, I am sold out on April 8th, only 1 left on April 29th, and another 1 on May 6th. If I end up […]

Tessa was a fabulous sleeper. But her sister, Nora, well, I wasn’t so sure she’d cooperate for us. Boy, was I wrong! My newborn stylist, Mary, did such a fantastic job winning Nora over! Peekaboo makes for some fantastic pictures. We all had fun!

Oh my blog. It’s been so neglected. I love to share pictures, but life has taken over. Eventually, I’ll share some more updates on my life, but first, let’s look at Henry. Henry’s mom knows how to decorate like a pro. When I wasn’t taking pictures, I was asking a million questions about where she […]

Christina is one of the most laid back, yet stylish brides I have ever met. She and Ryan did an amazing job planning such a chic affair. The Missouri Botanical Garden was the most incredible ceremony backdrop complete with a round bridge. Wow. Did I mention how beautiful Christina is? Well, see for yourself…   […]

Surprise, It’s a boy! Yes, it was just 2 years today that I was photographing Joshua’s mom and dad’s wedding. So much has changed! We are delighted you are here, Joshua. You are a sweet angel. Enjoy!

Camilla did awesome for her newborn shoot! My newborn session packages are all inclusive, do not require minimum purchases, AND they include a print release. It is never too early to book your session, and it may not be too late! Email me to book at marybeth@illumenphotography.com. Pricing information is located here. I look forward to taking your […]

I have several spots still available!  Email me to book your session: marybeth@illumenphotography.com.

This is Levi. Below is a sample of some of the pictures I took for his sweet mommy & daddy. Do you see how asleep he is? You see, he is only 9 days old which is an ideal time to take newborn pictures. He is also being warmed by a small nearby heater and just finished […]

You may think twins would be twice the work for a newborn shoot, but these twins really made my life so easy. They loved being next to each other, and they slept the entire time. In the event you may be expecting twins, please note that there is not an additional charge for multiple babies. […]

Spring Mini Sessions have now been announced. Please email me at marybeth@illumenphotography.com to book your session or for further questions.

Wow, I took baby Luke’s pictures back in OCTOBER! It’s been a while! His 4 month birthday is next week! Happy early birthday, buddy! Wasn’t he the sweetest little newborn? Even though he was wide awake, he was just as comfortable and happy as he could be.

Matt & Christy’s wedding was one of my absolute favorites. They are such a sweet couple, and I loved working with them. They are also friends with my husband and I had the luxury of dancing with my husband at their wedding which I always enjoy! Their pictures tell the story of their day. Here […]

Well, I’m finally getting around to posting on my blog again! Here is a small sample from Olivia’s session. She is the youngest Blues fan I’ve ever seen! 🙂

It’s been a while since I took Rosaleen’s pictures, but I had to show a few samples from her session now that I have some mid-winter free time. Her face is so beautiful and perfect. She was sound asleep the entire time so it was super easy to photograph her. She also has a wonderful mommy and […]

For Fall Mini Session details and booking, please email me at marybeth@illumenphotography.com.

First come, first serve. Please email me to book. (I do not get a notification when comments are made so I cannot reserve a space based on comments below.)

What a beautiful name for such a beautiful baby…

Little Aria arrived just in time for Christmas. What a beautiful gift she was to her parents! She was so precious at just 6 pounds. She posed easily and stayed asleep the entire time. I can’t believe I get to see her again in 3 months! How did I get so lucky?

My favorite reindeer ever…

It’s been quite a while since my last blog post, and although these past few months have been wonderful, they’ve also been extraordinarily busy. Below are pictures of Jen & Levi’s rustic wedding from September. More blog posts from this fall will follow soon. Now onto their wedding… Jen & Levi: I could sit here […]

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”  ~Marcel Proust

Twins!  Brooke and Scott are wonderful friends of ours, and have been since my husband and I started dating.  So when Brooke contacted me about going down to Springfield to take pictures of their new twins, I jumped at the chance! Most of the newborns I photograph weigh more than the amount that both of […]

These pictures of this beautiful family are exactly why I schedule my photo shoots near sunset. I named my business Illumen for a reason! Illuminating light turns a photo from a something A-Okay into something extraordinary. I don’t think it hurts that this family was so photogenic, and easy to work with. The Flynn daughters […]

I haven’t done a personal post in quite a while, and watching my little girl go out and pick tomatoes seemed like the perfect photo op! My daughter, Sarah Jane, is quite focused and even a little serious at times. I’m sure you can tell that by looking at the pictures. She loves to eat […]

Harrison was a little dream baby. He doesn’t like hand holding and he’s stronger than he looks, but overall, I’d still give him an A+. Despite the pouty lips, he still gave us a few smiles. I’d say he was a good sport…no pun intended. 😉

Just spent a few hours last week with this beautiful couple. Now, I won’t be able to take their picture again until take their vows next June. Way too long!

I met Jessica earlier this year, and I felt like we immediately shared excitement about her wedding day photography. She has such great style and chose such a cool location in Forest Park at the Highlands Golf Club.  Her husband Anthony is such a gentlemen, and there is no doubt how much he loves and […]

My friend, Ryan, gets pictures taken of her sweet, naturally red-headed son every year on his birthday. Happy Birthday, Ethan! You are such a fun kiddo!

Some babies, like Bennett, are sweet…AND cooperative AND oh-so sleepy! Just 5 days young, too! My very favorite picture is the first one of him sucking on his pinky. He soothed himself right into a dreamy sleep. Enjoy!

Here she is…Little Henrietta. 6 days new. She put up a fight, but in the end, we got her to sleep like a newborn. 🙂 Take special note of her little smiling face and the one with her daddy. MY FAVS!

Charlotte is a wee bit too many weeks to call a newborn, but she is beautiful and oh-so tiny. As you can tell, her family, including her big brother Sam, adore her little self.

Hi. My name is Caleb, and fire trucks are my thang!

Hair. Lots of hair. Little Olivia is one month old…and wide awake! But she is a cutie!

I had never met Lindsey before I did her engagement shoot, but she and her fiance Gerald became my instant friends. I loved working with them, and they made the session so easy. Lindsey’s godfather has some connections with the Cardinals so they were SUPER LUCKY to have their pictures taken inside Busch Stadium!!! So […]

Isn’t this little family the cutest?!

Yes, their last name is No, and they have a great attitude about it! Just talk to Erin for a few minutes and she’ll tell you a few business ideas she’s come up with….like the No Love Daycare. Ha ha! Erin and I met in college when we both decided to take an opportunity to […]

This sweet little guy was just 16 days old, but oh-so-awake! We cuddled him and cuddled him until he finally fell asleep. It’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it!

Two darling little sisters enjoy their day at the park in anticipation of their birthdays. Laney turns 1 and Lily turns 6! Happy Birthday, girls!

The Sumner Family was sooo laid back; it made this photo shoot easy for me. As a matter of fact, they even stopped to let the kids have a break at the playground! So fun! I have a lot of favorites… but I love love love the one of Oliver and his dad sitting on […]

Getting married in the middle of an ice storm would be stressful for most brides, but Katie was not most brides. Her beautiful, winter wedding went off without a hitch, and her attitude throughout the day was admirable. I never heard a complaint from her or her groom, Mike, even though the temperatures outside were […]

This little angel could not have been more perfect for her newborn session. She happily slept the entire time! Little London is so beautiful with her full little lips and creamy baby skin. I have proof below: What a wonderful big brother Caleb is to Miss London! He loved on her every chance he got. […]

You’re our little ballerina Who loves to leap and twirl A tutu-wearin’ dancer And our precious little girl

Get ready for a whole lotta newborn pictures! This baby is cute, and my website is going to be inundated with photos of her sweet little self.

Tanya and I met when we both worked for Edward Jones; she helped me secure a promotion I had been really trying hard to get. Since then, we’ve become great friends. Now, she is a Financial Advisor, and has two wonderful boys. She and her sweet family came over for a mini session in my […]

A few of my favorite people…on a cold day…in their beautiful neighborhood.

It was COLD outside….brrr! But not like today with all the snow. This is a darling family, and I was grateful to finally meet them all. Here is a small sample of the pictures from their extended family shoot.

This was a special mini-session done for an a-dorable set of cousins specifically for their grandparents. Here is a small sample of the pictures I took. They look so Christmasy in their red!

This engagement shoot just makes me exponentially more excited to shoot their wedding in March. Lovely couple. Enjoy!

Erin and Ryan are dear friends of our family whom we met through our church a few years ago. Our first kids were 9 days apart and our second were just a few months apart. I am so grateful they chose me to take their pictures. They are one of the most photogenic families I […]

Is this family gorgeous or what? Check out Miss Natalie’s eyes! She obviously gets them from her parents! Love them!

My husband used to be a radio personality in college and law school…yes, it’s true. He worked at a few different stations, but it was at Y107 in Columbia, Missouri that he met Blake. I heard a lot about Blake but never got the chance to meet him or his girlfriend until the day before […]