Hallie Duesenberg Photography

Chicago & Los Angeles based Lifestyle, Fashion, & Music Photographer

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It’s not often that I’m given full creative freedom on a shoot from concept to completion. This time I was, and I RAN with it. You all know I love color, but clients never let me get quite this crazy with it. I would be shooting lovely Maya and Kai from 10MGMT, and I brought in Sanem to wardrobe style, Stephanie to be my MUA, and Hannah to style hair. I built a set to bring my colorful vision to life, and was lent the COOLEST ART INSTALLATION EVER by artist Superfine Studio and the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. I feel like it totally brought the shoot to a whole other level and we had so much fun with it. It was important to me that everyone had full creative freedom to make this shoot what they wanted, and that doesn’t always work out for the best. But this time I think it did! I hope you all love the photos as much as I loved making them. <3

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I’m getting into more agency and test work, and I recently shot with the lovely Christopher Marrs of 10MGMT. He’s actually also a photographer and newer to the modeling profession, but you’d never know it. I loved shooting with him and creating these images, and especially enjoyed playing with the light in these bottom shots. 

Thank you to Cousin Daniel for the use of his gorgeous studio space!

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Last Sunday I hosted my 3rd annual Mother’s Day Mini Session Pop Up! We all had a blast and I’m so happy to provide this day to these moms! We held it at Bangtel’s amazing ALOHA space in Wicker Park-it was insane!! Lauren Ashton MakeUp came back to provide make up touch ups and enhance my already gorgeous clients ; )  I also want to think my super generous donors who provided their products for a gift bag that I put together for the moms!!

Rachel Lynn Chicago Luft Balloons Bon Vivant Cakes Eden Chicago Chris Uphues HERE Tattly Hungry By Nature Spoke and Weal Chop Shop Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in this shoot, from my loved ones and vendors to the beautiful clients who booked sessions. Hope everyone had a tropical Mother’s Day! See you next year : )

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Last month Russell and his band played at the Belly Up in Solana Beach! They were AMAZING and it was so fun to watch them play this great venue and just have the best time doing it. These are some of my favorite images from the night! 

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Earlier this month I took a quick trip to San Francisco to visit friends. These are a few of my favorite images from that weekend. Thanks Tiff & Ian for being such great city guides!

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                                   | A COLOR CODED CONTAINMENT | Chicago model Lauren Rebecca Roth was recently in LA, so we went to a location I’ve been DYING to shoot at to get some creative work in. She seemed to be reaching for something in all of these shots; yearning for the sun, air, light...like a trapped creature just trying to breathe and escape her colorful containment. 

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DTLA LIVING. 

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It’s not often anymore that I get to shoot for the fun of it. This fall I teamed up with Lauren Rebecca Roth, Sarah Azzouzi, and Kate Johnson to do something fun and creative, just for the sake of it. The shoot was a blast and creatively reenergizing! Working with other hustling women in Chicago is always the absolute best, and this was such a talented team to work with! Thank you to Debi Lilly and her team for the use of DL Loft!! Model: Lauren  Stylist: Sarah H/MUA: Kate Photographer: Hallie Location: DL Loft

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Take one of Chicago’s top health and wellness professionals, one of Chicago’s most talented MUAs, and arguably the most edgy, chic, artistic lingerie designer in Chicago, and you get MAGIC. I have loved The Order since I shot it and first saw it on Clark and Stone a couple seasons back. Her work is truly unique and so perfectly combines girlie details (like bows, duh) with more racy details like mesh and leather. Basically perfection. Stephanie VanHazebroeck is a DREAM to work with in every regard. Not only is her work just immaculate, but her general attention to detail is a life saver. Carla is an absolutely STUNNING yoga and health professional (you can find her teaching at Corepower & The Barre Code) and I so enjoyed working with her. Combining her athletic and slightly more modest vibe with The Order resulted in these light and airy portraits, and I’m so happy with how they came out. I loved working with this team and hope you enjoy the result!

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Last weekend, Russell and I spent a few days on the east coast, for a magical camping wedding! After a little less than 24 hours in New York, we made our way to rural connecticut for a weekend of camp fun. When the wedding’s hashtag is “#CampHardlyWait” you know it’s going to be good! It was a magical getaway from the noise and chaos of life, which was definitely a welcome respite during my busiest season of the year. These are a few of my favorite shots from the weekend, hope you enjoy them!

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A few weeks ago I had the INSANE opportunity to go to Mexico...for WORK!!! I was taken to the Fairmont Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen to photograph 3 bloggers from across the country at the resort. I will do a separate post on pictures and details on the Fairmont, so this is just about my girls. My bloggers were AMAZING!!! Not only were Kathleen, Blake, and Brooke all ridiculously gorgeous, but each of them were seriously the most kind, wonderful, laid back women to be around. We spent a few days shooting a TON of content; this is such a minuscule snippet of it. Getting to work with these beautiful souls in an absolute paradise was an experience that I am so grateful for. It was hot. Like...REALLY DAMN HOT. But they were all such troopers and somehow never looked disgusting even when rocking silk in like 148390% humidity. Starting each day having breakfast together under the palms, shooting and pool-dipping until dinner time, and then enjoying a beautiful meal together every day was kiiiiiiiind of fantastic. I could get used to that! Haha. As a lot of you know, combining travel and fashion photography is a huge long term goal of mine, so this was really a dream!

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Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting my second Mother’s Day Mini Session Pop Up! It was held at Debi Lilly’s GORGEOUS DL Loft, which just couldn’t be more perfect and lovely. 14 beautiful moms and their babes came out for a 20 minute mini session, and received their photos on the morning of Mother’s Day : ) Thank you to BlowOut Junkie, Lauren Ashton Makeup, and Lola and the Boys for spending the day with us and making everyone feel beautiful and glam! I’m so thankful for all of my family clients, and it’s such a privilege to capture these memories for them. I hope everyone who came out had a great time, we’ll see you next year! <3

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Rise Against is from Chicago originally, so they came back hereto kick off their tour and play a free show. They played the new House of Vans venue, which was fun because I hadn’t gotten to check it out yet! I went and shot their set for JBTV, surrounded by their most loyal and hardcore fans. Even though they’re not exactly my jam, their energy was insane and it felt so good to be back in the pit after a few months of no live music shooting!

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A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to cross off a major life-long dream of being in a field of wildflowers. I know that sounds silly to fantasize about, but laying in a field of wildflowers has literally been something I’ve spent years dreaming about. Because of all the rain in California this year, they’re experiencing a “superbloom” so there were literally just flowers. everywhere. It was heaven. Now, someone bring me back to this moment please? 

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When I was in Paris, the VERY last day, my time there cross over with my best friend’s time there. WHAT?! How does that even happen. So naturally, we had to do a photo shoot. Beckee and her wonderful boyfriend Daniel met me in the Tuileries Garden, and we walked around taking cutesy photos and eating macarons. It was the best possible way to end my trip. It was so nice being with people I actually knew and loved to close it out, and getting to photograph their insanely adorable love? I mean come on. So thankful for that day and these people! 

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Care for a spot of tea? This visit was galentine’s day times infinity. The Peggy Porschen bakery is all pale pink, sparkling, and as girly as it gets. We ordered the hot chocolate, a latte, a rose-infused tea, and a raspberry lemon cake. Could it all be any prettier? I really don’t think it could! We knew to go on a weekday morning, but if you find yourself here over the weekend you’ll find yourself waiting in a line outside. So plan wisely! But for a girly tea time with a galpal, there’s no prettier spot.  Fun fact-I have never once in my life had a valentine’s day date. And who the heck cares!! Choose to show love to everyone who you LOVE on this day (and every day, though..). It’s a day for hearts, pretty pastels, sweets, and thoughtfulness. Choose happiness and love! <3

xoxo

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This is by far the most self-indulgent post and photo series that I’ve ever...well indulged in. But today I’m one week into the last year of my 20′s, and find myself reflecting, and planning. I’m not going to make a “30 before 30″ bucket list or anything like that, I’m just feeling really introspective as to where I’m at right now and where I want to be. I am so, truly beyond grateful to be in London right now, and to have just been in Paris for 10 days. Celebrating my 29th birthday there was a dream. Yes, I was alone, but I celebrated with food, wine, photos, and even a little bit of sunshine. And I just smiled to myself all.damn.day because I knew how lucky I was. 

My 20′s have been tumultuous, as I think everyone’s are. It’s such a time of extreme growth and change for every single human, and some of us grow faster and differently than others. I’ve dealt with death, illness, love, lost love, darkness, and so much light. I may [only] be 29, but I have lived a vast range of experiences already. Some that I wish I hadn’t. I am proud of myself, and who I’ve become in my 20′s. In many ways I’m the same, but in many more ways I’m a very different person. In a good way. I have learned SO much from the people in my life, and I wouldn’t trade that growth. I am proud of who I’ve become, but I am nowhere near where or who I want to be. In my love life, aside a few shining exceptions, I have made pretty poor decisions. Choosing the wrong people and accepting hurt instead of love as my reality. I no longer accept that as my reality (not sure why the hell I ever did) and I am thankful for that newfound strength. 

In my career, I feel so lucky every single day that I get to make photos for a living. Like, what?! How is that a thing. Yes, it comes with sacrifice (ie, health insurance, social life, financial security, etc...) BUT it’s so worth it. I am actually shooting content that I enjoy on a regular basis right now, and I am incredibly happy about that. I will probably never be satisfied though, and am most certainly not working at the level that I feel I should be. I have to remind myself every day that I am blessed just to know what I want to do, let alone actually be doing it. 

Here are some things that I would like to move towards in the next year and onward, so I’m putting them out into the universe: -I want to find an agent to represent me and take me career to the next level -I want to produce work that I am proud of, every time I make it.  -I want to continue to grow and learn, and not remain stagnant in my style and knowledge out of laziness or lack of “time”. -I want to travel more for work. And be paid for it.  -I want to get back into playing the guitar regularly. -I want to be a better friend to the people closest to me, and make more time for them on a regular basis.  -I want to find a love I can’t live without, and then not live without it.  -I want to become the healthiest version of me that I have ever been, physically.  -I want to find an organization to volunteer my time to consistently, and do my best to stand up against injustice.  -I want to take a more active part in the Jewish community. -I want to feel satisfied and proud in my work and personal life, but NEVER complacent.  My 20′s were a wonderful blessing, and carved me like wind and water to a stone into the human I am today. I experienced more darkness than I would have liked to, of course. But I survived, and flourished. We all have our stuff, and we all get through it. This is the last year of my 20′s, and I want to finish off this formative decade being able to say that I genuinely like who I am, where I’m going, and that I’m somehow contributing to the world to make it better. This was an even more selfish and indulgent post than I intended, and it probably belongs in a journal not on Tumblr. Especially given our current world state, I apologize for so publicly talking about my own trivial needs and goals. The above list are all things that “I want.” But, I am healthy, safe, and unpersecuted. I am grateful to say that. So many of you have been such a big part of carrying me through this decade, so I wanted to share this with you.   Ready for you, 29.