Christine — Waiting for Zane, Surrounded by Her Girls

Some families become part of my studio's story, and the Johnsons are one of them. I first photographed their oldest daughter, Zuri, when she was six months old Zuri's milestone session — and I have been photographing this beautiful family ever since. So when Christine came back to my Wheeling studio, glowing and pregnant with their third baby — a little boy, Zane — it didn't feel like a session. It felt like the next page of a story I've been honoured to tell for years.

And this time, the girls came too. Zuri and Zia wore matching pink dresses, their braids finished with white beads, and in the very first portrait of the session they stand on either side of their mama — Christine in a dusty slate-blue gown, beaming — with both of their hands resting gently on her bump. Two big sisters, already in love with a brother they hadn't met yet.

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The sisters got a portrait of their own, too — cheek to cheek against a lavender backdrop, hugging each other and grinning like they were sharing a secret. In a way, they were: nobody else in the world gets to be Zane's big sisters.

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Then it was Christine's time. In a black lace gown against a dark backdrop, lit soft and dramatic, she looks down at her bump with the quietest, most serene expression — a mother who has done this twice before and knows exactly how sacred these waiting weeks are. The closest portrait of the session is just her hands cradling her bare belly, her ring catching the light. No face, no gown — just a mama and her boy, weeks before they met.

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Of course, we brought the whole family together — all four of them, barefoot and relaxed, the girls in front with their hands on either side of their mama's bump and Dad behind them with his arm around Zuri. A family of four, photographed in the last little while before they became five.

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And then Christine got her queen moment — literally. In a flowing coral-pink gown that billowed out beside her, a crown on her head, she stood in profile with her hands on her belly and the softest smile. Every mama deserves one portrait that makes her feel the way this one made her look.

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The last look of the session was a rust-coloured beaded gown, the crown again, and the deepest, quietest light. The final portraits are just her: head bowed, eyes closed, both hands cradling Zane, completely at peace in the waiting.

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Zane arrived not long after, and his story continues right here on the blog — from this session to Zane's newborn session, wide awake and full of personality, and all the way to his first birthday.

It was an honor to capture this fleeting, precious season for the Johnson family, and I am so grateful for every chapter of theirs I've been trusted with. Christine, you were breathtaking — and Zane was already so loved.

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Celebrate Your Pregnancy

Alina Renert Photography is a Chicago, IL photographer with national and international publications.

Are you looking for a Chicago, IL maternity photographer? I would love to work with you! I offer a fun, unique experience in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, including Wheeling, IL. I also serve surrounding areas, including Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Northbrook, Vernon Hills, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Glenview, Des Plaines, and other surrounding Chicago suburbs. Maternity sessions are best scheduled a few weeks ahead, and my newborn calendar fills up from there — as I take a limited number of sessions each month. To book your session, use this contact page.

To book your session, use this form.