Hey there!
I know that when I'm looking for a photographer for our own family photos, I've always looked for someone that I felt like I really connected with. I knew that I wanted the person I chose to feel like a friend. I always go for a photographer that makes me, my husband, and my kids feel super comfortable, lets us have fun, and helps pose us in a way that is flattering because we most certainly are not models!
This is where this "about me" section comes in. I want you to get to know me, and really get a feel for who you'll be working with if you happen to choose me to be your photographer - and I really hope you do!
A lot of people ask me during sessions how I got started doing photography and how long I've been doing it -- I've been photographing people professionally for the last 14 years! Crazy, right? When I was in high school I planned on being a fine artist after I graduated. I wanted to draw, paint, sculpt (I even took a shop class where I learned to weld so I could make large metal sculptures and was the only girl in that class!), and sell my art to make a living. After talking with my school counselor, she encouraged me to go to college and I ended up choosing the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago - I moved there in 2006 after graduating. I had the time of my life living in the big city and learned so much! By my senior year, I was burnt out on Graphic Design and had studied a lot of photography learning the basics so I could do product shots and whatnot. I had taken some photos here and there for friends, but hadn't started my business officially. One of my best friend's mom's best friends was getting married and having a beautiful beach wedding in Michigan and asked her and I to photograph the wedding... WHAT?! And that is where I fell in love with photographing love. I was terrified to capture this wedding but had the absolute best time doing it. I got home and decided that this was it! I was starting a business! I created Candid Clicker Photography and did all of the graphic design for my branding, created a website, and started putting my name out there to build my portfolio...
Fast forward 14 years and here I am, rebranded to my new business name of Alyssa Staats Photography 4 years ago. I felt sad to leave the brand of Candid Clicker behind, but so much has changed in my life and my business and I'm so happy with what this new brand has become!
Another thing people always ask during sessions is about my personal life. After all, I'm learning all about your family and loved ones, so why wouldn't you want to get to know me than more than just what I do professionally?!
My husband and I have known each other for years... ever since high school. Our best friends are married to each other and we have hung out in the same circle for a while, but never dated. Just before I decided that I was moving back to my hometown in Northwest Indiana after living in Chicago for 9 years, Kris and I started dating. He had recently moved back to La Porte, and knew I was coming home as well and the timing was perfect! We now have 2 amazing kiddos - Grayson (8) and Avery (5) and have been happily married since 2018. We have so much fun chasing the kiddos around - quite literally, we've started the sports and activity stage with them which is so fun but a little hectic - they really keep us on our toes, and keep us so entertained! We also have a gigantic black lab named Conway. We have a full house and very full hearts! It's also a noisy house, so if we ever end up on a call or Facetime together, you may hear a dog bark or kid asking a question or playing floor is lava in the background!
We live in La Porte, Indiana, which is only an hour and 15 minutes from downtown Chicago, and 20 minutes from New Buffalo, Michigan. Being so close to Lake Michigan, I can cover all of "the Region", which means you'll find me all over NWI, Chicagoland, and SW Michigan! I get a lot of extended family reunion sessions from families on vacation in Michigan City, Michiana Shores, Lakeside, Union Pier and New Buffalo in the summer, photograph lots of engagement sessions and branding and headshot sessions in downtown Chicago, and get a lot of local family and high school senior sessions here in Northwest Indiana! Whatever you're looking for photo wise, I probably do it, so please reach out so we can chat about what you're looking for!
A few more fun facts about me:
- I nannied a sweet boy for 2 years while living in Chicago. This helped me learn valuable lessons on how to take care of my own kids, and also how to work with other people's children.
- I worked in a bar for about 7 years in Lincoln Park, with roles ranging from hosting, to serving, then bartending. I also lived above the bar. It was a wild ride and was so much fun! I always have a bottle opener in my bag on hand for the groomsman that needs his beer opened, and am a pro at opening and spraying champagne bottles for a fun photo!
- My logo has a Lily of the Valley flower in it because that is my favorite flower! When I was little my grandma had them growing in her garden and we would cut them to put in a vase. We would put food coloring in the water and would watch the food coloring travel up the stem and turn the white of the flowers to a beautiful color. I have them growing in my yard every spring and they remind me of those memories every time they pop up!
- After having my two children and working with many new moms, I seriously considered becoming a doula and/or lactation consultant. I absolutely loved my birth experience and learning the ins and outs of nursing, and found the whole experience so interesting! I really wanted to help others have a great experience as well. I never ended up doing this because I didn't want to do any more schooling to get the needed certification, but would consider it down the road if I ever decide to change roles... and I'm always down to chat about your birth experience! I love hearing about the experiences that each of the moms I work with has.
- Having the graphic design background under my belt, when I got married I did all of my own design for our printed materials. I had so much fun doing this and getting to create something that I loved for us. If I could've photographed our own wedding I would have too (I have a hard time letting go of control... haha) but instead I found a wonderful local photographer that did an amazing job and has become a photographer friend that I can chat back and forth with and send referrals to!
- I over exclamation point and smiley in all that I do, so please know that I'm not yelling at you in my messages and emails! I want to get my excitement and happiness across because I'm truly overjoyed and so excited every time I get a new inquiry or hear from a repeat client. I love getting to know new people and getting to see people again that I've gotten to know over the years that are now like family to me.
Thanks for getting to know me a little more! I can't wait to meet you and get to know you and your family!
- Alyssa