Why Shannon Range Photography?

• I love what I do.  I love being around people, kids, adults, & pets.  I'm excited to do a portrait session and can't help but smile when the parents express to me how much they love the images and they're having a hard time narrowing them down.
• I engage the subjects in the photo session and really try to get them to open up and laugh, smile, make funny faces and just be silly.  The range of expressions and "looks" you will see is quite varied (with kids at least).
• I typically take 40-60 images of the portrait session (for regular sessions).  You will have a wide variety of images to choose from.
• There is no minimum print order.
• I'm available to create portraits 7 days a week.
• You don't have to walk through a mall or wait in long lines to get your portraits created.
• I offer a wide variety of printing options to meet most budgets.
• The special effects that can be created from you image are unlimited.
• There's no hassle about bringing your pet in to get photographed.
• Images are available for viewing online typically within a week.  
• Friends and family can view the images online in the convenience of their own home via the internet.
• Friends and family can order their own prints online so you don't have to lug around prints & pay for them!

Location

Shannon Range Photography studio is located at 256 Chicago Road, Oswego, IL - approximately 10 minutes SW of Aurora, IL and an hour W/SW of Chicago.  The studio is a 2 story 100+ year old colonial house and shoots are taken by appointment only. 

The Photographer

My Family: Hi!  My name is Shannon and I'm a 39 year old female married to an incredible guy that I met in 2001.  We married August 2003 in a small park in Northern Wisconsin right on the river.  It was a beautiful location for a couple who loves the outdoors.  We have three beautiful children, Gage is 4, Garrett is 2 1/2 and my baby girl is 14 months old.  We also have two crazy German Shepherd mixes.  It's a fun household!!!! :)  What can I say?  I LOVE pets and kids.

Our little munchkins Gabi, Garrett & Gage!

My Education: I earned my degree in Radio, Television and Film (mostly photography and video work) from Temple University in Philadelphia.

How the business was started: I started creating portraits as supplemental income in 1993.  I decided to quit my job as a Internet Project Manager for BestBuy.com in 2003 and move to Bloomingdale, IL to be with my husband.  Then I was activated in the US Army Reserve and deployed to Fort McCoy, WI for 1 1/2 years!  Uggg.  After being on active duty for so long and being away from my husband, I decided that when I returned to Yorkville (we moved to Yorkville while I was on active duty), I was going to pursue my love of photography and turn it into a full-time business.  I figured it would also enable me to be home with the kids.  I'm now blessed with a beautiful little boy, Gage, and another one on the way.  So, Shannon Range Photography officially opened it's doors for business in October of 2004.  It's hard to believe I'm this happy doing what I love and also that I've become this busy in such a short amount of time.  Luckily, I love it more and more as the years go on!   November 2009 we purchased a 2-story 100+ year old colonial home in Oswego for use as our new studio!!!

My Philosophy on "smile"  Very rarely will you ever hear me ask kids to smile except for my little one because he's a total ham in front of the camera.  If yours is also, please let me know!  I believe in interacting with them and getting them to laugh and smile on their own.  It looks much more natural and it's easier to do then telling them to smile.  Sometimes it takes a bit and sometimes they won't smile.  But those portraits will usually  turn out more beautiful than a forced smile.  I want the kids to have fun and want to come back...  

My Philosophy on props: A big, stuffed bear that I may have, doesn't have meaning behind it.  But if dad brings the stuffed bear he bought the day the baby was born, there's a story behind it.  And when the baby is an adult and looks back at that portrait, they probably won't have that little stuffed bear anymore but they'll have the portrait of him/her with it and know (hopefully) the story behind it.  Same as for seniors - if you have a special love of something, bring it with you.  If you love music, bring your sheet music or your flute with you.  If you are a piano player, why not do the portrait session at your house with the piano?