Wehmeier Portraits, Orland Park

The Wehmeier Portraits studio has a warm, family feel to it. And that’s no surprise, given that Rob Wehmeier and his wife Elise run the place. Inside, there is a living room with a leather couch, a baby-changing area, and a selection of beverages and snacks—amenities all designed to make families feel at home on the day of their portrait session. As parents themselves, Rob and Elise understand how short youngsters’ attention spans can be, so they encourage kids to play while they set up the studio. Clients return to the leather couches five–seven days after their session to view projections of their photos.

Rob has been a professional photographer since 1991, and he has knack for arranging subjects into poses, whether it’s directing a large family into a unified group or guiding a solo high-school senior into the shape of a diploma. The Wehmeiers' studio allows for some flexibility, too; it has one whitewashed wall, another wall for patterned backdrops, and a third wall for colored panels. Occasionally, the Wehmeiers haul their camera gear away from the homey studio to photograph weddings and on-location events.