Family & lifestyle photography in Illinois
You know their different laughs. The sleepy one, the mischievous one, the one they can barely get out because you’re chasing them down the hallway. You know how they fit against you right now. These are the things I want your photographs to hold.
I’m Nicole Kilday, a family photographer based in Hebron, Illinois, documenting families, maternity, newborns, and milestones across McHenry County since 2016. We’ll plan time around something you love doing together, at home or somewhere that feels like yours. I’ll find the light, bring ideas, and give you direction when you need it—with room to follow whatever the kids get into along the way. You get to be with your people. I’ll make art from the way you love them.
Family photography that brings you back to how it felt
Tell me what your family gets into. Backyard sprinkler days? Checking on the horses with a little shadow following behind? A newborn asleep on your chest while their big sibling brings over another stuffed animal? We’ll build our time around something familiar, something you already love doing together.
There’s time for your kids to get curious about me before I ask much of them. I’ll learn their names, hear their stories, and let them show me around. Then I’ll bring ideas shaped by your family and a decade behind the camera—finding the light, getting you close, and giving you something to do together. We’ll make room for a smiling photograph, too, without turning the afternoon into a negotiation over who’s looking where.
And while you’re in it, I’m watching. The little hand gripping your shirt. Your partner looking down at the baby you’re still getting used to calling yours. Everyone piled onto the blanket, with the dog absolutely convinced there’s room for one more. I want to make photographs that hold the details and the love tangled up in them. So years from now, you can remember what it felt like to be right here, together.
Is this your kind of family photography?
You want to remember this season of your life. And you want to…
Be in the photographs, with your kids wrapped around you and your partner pulling you close.
Make an afternoon of something you already love doing together—the backyard, the lake, pancakes with a very enthusiastic little helper.
Give your kids time to be themselves, whether they’re telling me their entire life story or taking it all in from your arms.
Have someone help you figure out where to go, what to do, and how to feel comfortable—with ideas that make sense for your family.
Let the favorite blanket, the superhero costume, and the dog who follows you everywhere be part of the story.
Trust my eye to make art from this life you’re building, with photographs your kids will someday pull out to see how deeply they’ve always been loved.
Then hi—I’d love to meet your people.
An artist’s eye. A mom in the thick of it, too.
I’m Nicole—a light chaser, mom of two feral little boys, and still in love with the boy I met at 20. Around here, it’s sandbox days, a singular cowboy boot, and a German shepherd never far behind. Some of the dreams I used to chase are now the people making a mess in my house.
I started in art school and switched to psychology, but kept coming back to creating and connecting with people. Photography gave me a place for both in 2016. A decade behind the camera has taught me how to work with the light, notice the smallest gestures, and make something beautiful while everyone’s doing their own thing. Getting to know your family tells me where to put that attention.
Being a mom makes this personal. I know how much you can want to remember while you’re still busy getting through the day. You deserve photographs with you in them—the way your baby settles against you, your older kid leaning into your side, the look you share with your partner when someone says something completely ridiculous. I want to know what that looks like in your house. And I’d love to make art from it.
Take a look through the V family’s outdoor session or Chace and Alex’s maternity story.
How we plan your family session
01 · Tell me about your people
Who’s coming along, and what do you want to remember about life right now? Tell me about your kids, a baby on the way, or something you love doing together. Share the timing you’re hoping for, too. You don’t need a whole session dreamed up—that’s something we can figure out together.
02 · Get into the dirty details
I’ll personally read your inquiry and send the session details, investment, and availability. We’ll talk through your ideas and any questions before you book. Once we’ve picked a date, a signed agreement and retainer reserve our time together. For newborn photographs, reach out during pregnancy so we can plan around your due date.
03 · Make it feel like your family
We’ll choose a place, something to do together, and a time that considers both the light and your family’s rhythm. I’ll help with clothing questions and getting ready, too. When the day comes, let the kids show up as themselves. You bring your people—I’ll bring my camera, ideas, and a whole lot of curiosity about this little life of yours.
Family, maternity & newborn photography sessions
One session, for whatever season you’re in.
Waiting on a baby. Learning their little expressions. Realizing the kid who needed help onto the trampoline is now helping their sibling up. We’ll plan around your family and something you want to remember about life together right now.
You’re bringing me into something personal. You get my time getting to know you, ideas shaped around your people, and an eye for the photographs you might not have known to ask for. Every edited image is yours to keep.
Starting at $900
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A 30–90-minute session, Monday–Thursday
Family, maternity, newborn, or milestone photographs
Pre-session planning and guidance
Every edited image in an online gallery, with high-resolution and web-size downloads
A personal print release
Travel within 45 minutes of Hebron, Illinois
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We’ll leave 30–90 minutes for your session, with time to get comfortable, follow the kids’ curiosity, and make photographs together. The length depends on what we’re planning and how things unfold. It’s one collection, with the same care whether we finish sooner or use the whole time.
We can pause for a feeding, a cuddle, or a little reset. I want you paying attention to each other while I pay attention to the photographs.
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Sessions take place within 45 minutes of Hebron, Illinois—at home or somewhere meaningful to your family. Tell me where you feel most yourselves, and we’ll consider the light, season, and what you’d love to do there.
Studio appointments at The Ellery in Crystal Lake may also be available by appointment. If that’s what you’re imagining, mention it when you inquire so we can discuss availability and details.
Newborn sessions take place in your home, usually 1–3 weeks after birth. Reach out during pregnancy so we can reserve space around your due date. For other sessions, please inquire at least one month ahead.
“Nicole does so well with high-energy toddlers and lets moments happen naturally. The results are perfect. We can’t wait to work with her for years to come!”
A few more family session details
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They can move. They can be curious. They can take a little time to decide what they think of me.
We’ll plan something they enjoy, give them time to get comfortable, and follow their lead while I work in direction. I’ll always make room for a smiling-at-the-camera photograph, but I won’t turn it into a battle. Keep loving on your kids. There’s plenty for me to photograph in that.
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Something you feel good moving, sitting, and scooping up your kids in. Think colors that work together, comfortable textures, and clothing that makes sense for what we’re doing.
I’m happy to look at outfit ideas beforehand. And if your toddler is deeply committed to the superhero costume, tell me. That little obsession is part of who they are right now.
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Your home already holds something important: the life you’re living in it.
We’ll look for good light and places where you naturally spend time together. I may move a distracting item or suggest a different spot, but the toys, the snuggle blanket, and the dog’s favorite place on the couch belong here. You don’t need to turn your house into somewhere you don’t recognize before I arrive.
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Reach out during pregnancy for either session. For maternity photographs, around 28–32 weeks is often a lovely time, depending on how you’re feeling and your pregnancy.
Newborn sessions take place at home, usually 1–3 weeks after birth. We’ll reserve space around your due date and confirm the session once your baby arrives. There’s room for feeding, changing, and settling them along the way.
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Family, maternity, newborn, and milestone sessions take place Monday–Thursday. We’ll choose a time that considers your family’s routine, the location, and the light.
Please inquire at least one month ahead. If you’re hoping for a particular season, reach out earlier so we have more room to plan.
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Let me know as soon as you can if someone is unwell. We’ll work together on another date based on availability and the rescheduling terms in your agreement.
For outdoor sessions, I’ll keep an eye on the forecast. If conditions make our plans unsafe or impractical, we’ll discuss another date or a suitable alternative. A little wind can be beautiful. Miserable kids with a fever deserve a day on the couch.
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You’ll receive every edited image from your session. I select the photographs for their expressions, connection, variety, and the story they tell together. Your gallery includes high-resolution files for printing and web-size files for sharing.
Full family galleries are delivered within 4–6 weeks. The final number varies with your session—there’s no need to choose a handful of favorites and purchase the rest.
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Your photographs are personal, and I value your family’s privacy. Much of the family work I share is faceless—the little hands, close embraces, and details that tell a story while keeping identities private.
Faceless doesn’t mean permission-free. I won’t share your session on social media, my website, or in public portfolio galleries without your express written approval by email. A social media tag or collaborator invitation doesn’t replace that permission. Please only invite me as a collaborator after you’ve given me written approval by email.
You’re always welcome to keep every photograph just for yourselves. You’ll receive the same care, attention, and experience either way.
Let’s remember this part.
Tell me about your people and what life looks like right now. A baby on the way? Someone taking their first steps? An ordinary afternoon you wish you could bottle up?
I’ll personally read your inquiry and send availability, session details, and all the dirty details about working together. Bring an idea or let me help you find one. I’d love to make something that feels like your family.