Jil Rastello

Photography is my passion - always has been and always will be. Some of my favorite childhood memories include sitting on the floor of the kitchen in my old house, spreading all of the pictures of my family about, instantly surrounding myself with the happiness of the then and now. Once I became old enough to hold a camera, I became the person taking the family pictures. Having a camera in my hand always felt right, and I haven’t stopped taking pictures since.

Why kids instead of weddings or fashion or products, you ask? As the story goes, I planned on being a 1st grade teacher since I was in the 1st grade myself. I loved the idea of working with children and making a difference in their lives. Once I discovered photography can be a career and not just a hobby, that plan slightly changed. I knew I still wanted to work with children, but in a more creative way. While many will think portraits of newborns, toddlers, kids, and the like are just for the parents, I know first hand that having pictures from your own childhood makes the future that much brighter.

Want to know more? Here are some other random facts about me:

• My parents chose to give me one ‘L’ in my name, which I despised as a child and now adore
• My first camera was a Mickey-Matic by Kodak
• I received my Bachelor’s of Art degree in Photography
• I currently live in downtown Chicago and have no plans of leaving this amazing city, even though winter is brutal
• In June 2010, I’ll become Jil McKinney (kinda stoked!)
• My cat, Sake, is like a child to me
• My mother is my best friend (hi mom!)
• Wall-E is my favorite movie
• I like being barefoot
• I’m a pescetarian (I don’t eat animals that walk or fly)
• I’ve never thrown away a greeting card that was given to me
• In my opinion, mustaches are a key player in pop culture
• I (very seriously) enjoy long walks on the beach/lake