Hi, I’m Kim—The Heart Behind the Lens! I’m a proud mom of two incredible girls, married to my high school sweetheart, and an Iowa fan through and through—once a Hawkeye, always a Hawkeye! But before I was capturing the fleeting moments of families like yours, I was just a girl with a disposable camera, snapping every little detail of life around me.
Photography has been woven into my story from the very beginning. My dad and I shared this love—on family vacations, we’d wake up with the sun, chasing the perfect light for flower shots or watching sandpipers dart across the shore in their morning game of "chicken" with the waves. After college, he gave me my first professional DSLR camera and we spent weekends exploring new places, cameras in hand, learning, experimenting, and deepening our appreciation for the art of storytelling through images.
What started as a hobby turned into a calling. Friends and coworkers began asking me to capture their families after seeing the images I took of my oldest daughter, and before I knew it, my passion had turned into something bigger. I left a career in the hotel industry to focus on my growing family—and in that season, I realized photography wasn’t just something I loved—it was something I was meant to do.
Beyond photography, I’m deeply community-driven and passionate about empowering women and young girls. I love exploring nature, getting lost in the details that often go unnoticed. Traveling fuels my soul, and I much prefer immersing myself in local culture over checking off tourist attractions—one of my favorite adventures was exploring the Amazon in Peru.
Photography has given me so much: a connection to the world around me, precious time with my dad, and the chance to tell stories—yours included.
And so here I am! I’ve now told you MY story… What’s YOUR story? I can’t wait to help you tell it and freeze your moment in time.
ChicagoChicago. My kind of town. I may be a bit biased as I have grown up in the suburbs of Chicago; but how incredibly lucky am I to have this amazing city right in my backyard? I love the food; the culture; it’s energy. I love photographing in the city; so if you want to head down there for your session; I am all for it!
TravelI LOVE waking up early and exploring normally very busy tourists areas with no one else there but me. The still before the storm is so calming and beautiful. I could be in the middle of a bustling city or in the middle of the country and will find the beauty in a new day. And, I’ve been known to snap a picture or two during these times =)
FamilyMy family is my everything. They are the roots to who I am and give me my strength. My husband has been so incredibly supportive and he (along with my parents and friends), gave me the confidence to do this. Let’s face it; having pictures taken is a very personal thing. No matter how well I light, pose, or capture someone, there will always be someone who is still critical of how they look. You’ve gotta have some thick skin as a photographer to not take that personally, as people have their own personal image struggles. Over time; I have come to understand this and why; despite starting with landscapes and macro photography, I was able to migrate to photographing people and the connections between them.
SundaysWe implemented “No Screen Sundays” in our house at the beginning of 2019 and it has been life changing for us. No phones, no computers and no tvs have allowed us to disconnect from the outside world, and reconnect with each other. If there is downtime; it’s so easy to pass the time by throwing on a movie. This makes us think outside the box and maybe try or do things we wouldn’t normally think of doing. It truly feels like we are on vacation each Sunday and our daughters look FORWARD to this day each week. Life gets hectic. I love slowing it down.
SeasonsI love that I can be in a swimsuit for a few months of the year and a snowsuit for others. I love spring flowers and watching our landscape re-imerge (it’s like a new beginning), but also love the color and crisp air of the Fall.
What's New on the 'Gram
I just love capturing life’s milestones. If it’s important to you then it’s important to me.
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#familyphotographer #seniorphotographer #seniorphotography #wws #wheatonnorth #wheatonmoms #wheatonphotographer #warrenvillephotographer #napervillephotographer #photographernearme #yourphotographer #milestones #milestonephotography
I love seeing reactions like these from moms when they see the back of my camera. I love it even more when it’s a mom watching their senior shine.
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Currently booking 2025 and 2026 grads!
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#seniorportraits #senior #seniorsession #seniorphotographer #wws #wheatonnorth #napervillecentralhighschool #napervillenorth #wheatonphotographer #warrenvillephotographer #napervillephotographer
Posing with my camera the same way guys pose with fish!
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Photography is actually a lot more like fishing than you might think.
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Patience is everything
*similar to fishing, photography can often be about waiting for the right moment. Whether is the perfect light or a natural smile your photographer is sitting, watching and ready.
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You need the right bait.
* With fishing, it’s worms or lures and photography. It’s the photographers’s prompts or vibe. You have to entice the moment you’re trying to capture… Especially with kids or camera shy clients.
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Everyday is different
* the fish might not bite. A child might not cooperate. Mother nature may decide it’s going to rain. Both require flexibility and trust that something good will come if you stay ready.
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Both are about the catch.
* with fishing at the moment you hook a fish. In photography is the magic of catching that perfect picture. It’s a mix of skill luck and timing.
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Tools matter, but experience wins.
* you can have the best fishing rod or camera in the world, but it’s your experience and intuition that really brings the win.
#novellaphotography #fishvscamera #familyphotography #familyphotographer #wheatonphotographer #napervillephotographer #warrenvillephotographer #photographersnearme #yourphotographer
📸🌷 GIVEAWAY TIME! 🌷🚐
Let’s dream a little… and maybe win a FREE spring mini session while we’re at it 😉
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I’m giving away one spot for my Pedals & Petals Mini Sessions on May 4th — featuring a vintage light blue VW bus, beach cruiser and a sea of tulips 🌸✨
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To enter, all you need to do is finish the sentence in the comments below:
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“My dream VW bus adventure would be…”
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Get creative, be silly, go full wanderlust mode—I want to see what kind of adventures you’d take this bus on!
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Winner gets: 🌷 20-minute photo session on May 4th (can be immediate family or mama and her kid/s)
🌷 8 edited images of your choice
🌷 Spring vibes + vintage magic
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Contest ends April 12th — winner announced April 13th in stories!
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Let’s see those VW dreams roll in 🚐💨
***Bonus entry for each person you tag in the comments section.
WICKED!!!
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We are just over two weeks away! Are you ready? To find out WHY I offer these empowerment sessions and to view the amazing dresses that Lori has created for these Wicked Themed sessions... check out
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https://novella-photography.com/empowerment-session/
It is APRIL! That means I am in my WICKED Era!!! So incredible excited for these sessions to take place at the end of the month! Have you booked yours yet?
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https://book.usesession.com/i/XpHwEW2Nz
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I had a little fun in photoshop transforming my model into Elphaba. Which "witch" do you like better?
email : knovellaphotography@gmail.com
follow me on Facebook and instagram @novella.photos
located in warrenville, il
serving Naperville, warrenville, Wheaton, winfield, aurora, Lombard, downers grove, Lisle, glen ellyn, Woodridge, oak brook, elmhurst, and other surrounding western suburbs of Chicago