Crystal Parenti Photography
Hi! I’m Crystal, the woman behind the camera of Crystal Parenti Photography. My specialty is in-home newborn photography but my portfolio spans from tiny babies, fun kid's sessions, high school seniors, family shoots to personalized branding sessions.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Norridge and made the move to Park Ridge in 2013 after living in the city. We dreamed of being on a block that is walking distance to uptown and packed with other families. Wisner checked off all of our wishes and more!
Tell us about your family? Joe and I have been married since 2012 and we have two kids, Liliana (10) and Leo (7). We also recently adopted two cats Leni and Nella.
What inspired you to start your business? Photography was always a fun hobby of mine and after watching my daughter's newborn photo session I knew this was where I wanted to pivot my career. I slowly started decreasing my hours at the hospital (I'm also an ultrasound technologist) and poured all of my time into learning everything I could about running a photography business.
What is unique about your business? I’m also an ultrasound technologist so I am the rare person that gets to take pictures of both your insides and outsides.
What sets you apart from others in your industry? My unique hybrid style of both posed and lifestyle images, my fast turn around editing time and my ability to reel in both children and dads and make the session experience not only painless but fun as well. I pride myself on running efficient sessions to keep everyone moving and the energy positive. Last year I began teaching newborn photography as well. I plan on creating more courses for other photographers.
How are you and your business involved with the community? One of my favorite things to do is to volunteer for my kid's classroom parties and set up a cute little themed pop-up photo booths. Working with STROLL, I've had the pleasure of meeting so many amazing families during their cover shoots. If you attended the Christmas STROLL event last year, I was the one behind the camera doing the Santa photos!
Advice you can offer to the residents regarding your industry? Book the session. Don't wait until you are tan or ten pounds lighter or you all have expensive matching outfits. Life changes fast. Kids grow up. Even the little things, like the way your family laughs together or how your child holds your hand, evolve so fast. You will never regret having too many photos. So don't wait for things to change, just book the session.
What do you love about STROLL? I love that STROLL creates a real sense of community connection. It highlights the many families and business in Park Ridge that make our neighborhood feel like home. There's something so special about flipping through the pages and seeing familiar faces, learning about upcoming community events and discovering a new local small business. www.crystalparentiphotography.com
"Crystal crushes it every single time!!! She is the only photographer I trust to capture the most gorgeous photos of my children and family. Bonus: she is great with my kids and they just love her! We come to her every year and she never disappoints! 10 STARS!" - Francesca