Rife Ponce Photography — Attraction in West Chicago Township

I've used Maggie for our annual family photos the last two years, and she has been fantastic! Both times, she took the time to listen to the style and vibe we wanted, then suggested some great locations. She was also flexible and brought such a warm and relaxed personality, which we appreciated as a family of five with three kids under five and a dog. Her communication from the start was excellent—she responded quickly to emails, answered all our questions, and made sure we felt prepared for each session.

Our latest session had its challenges: the weather wasn’t cooperating, and the kids were definitely not in the mood. I went in with pretty low expectations for how the photos might turn out, but Maggie blew us away! She stayed calm, patient, and somehow managed to capture genuinely beautiful moments, both posed and candid, despite the chaos. We ended up with a lovely mix of family shots, individual and small group photos, and even some special detail shots that felt so personal.

If you’re looking for a photographer who can handle a little (or a lot!) of unpredictability while delivering beautiful photos, Maggie is fantastic. We’re so grateful to have these memories thanks to her...

I have had the privilege of working with Maggie now three times. First, she shot my professional head shots, where she coordinated a photo shoot that was tons of fun and the results were amazing. She is true professional and does a fantastic job of making her subjects feel super comfortable! When my husband and I got engaged, she was one of the first calls I made! We lined her up as our wedding photographer because her knack for capturing real moments just as they are is incredible. We scheduled our engagement shoot with her in Lincoln Park, where she caught some hilarious and mischievous exchanges between me and my husband and we were thrilled with the results. On our wedding day she was the consummate professional. She managed the photos with our super large extended family beautifully, and captured some truly magical moments during the ceremony and the reception. I have never seen a photographer capture the little nuances of human interaction so beautifully. But beyond her work, she is an absolute gem of an individual. Beautiful on the inside and out, she is a true pleasure to work with. I cannot...

We first worked with Maggie for an outdoor family photo session in the fall. She was so great with kids that our usually shy 3 year-old took to her immediately. This has never happened at first meetings with anyone. We were prepared for an hour of meltdowns and instead had smiles, laughter, and amazing fun. We had such a good time, we asked Maggie to also take newborn photos at our home.

All the photos were incredible. Maggie skillfully captured the spirit of our family in the best ways, utilizing the environment and finding the perfect lighting. She gave just enough instructions so that we don't feel lost but everything was still very natural and organic. We had a perfect collection of dynamic, candid and posed photos. Our holiday and birth announcement cards were a hit! We will definitely be calling...