The Best Photographers in Illinois
We graded 10 companies on seven things customers actually report: satisfaction, reliability, workmanship, value, momentum, track record and how owners handle complaints.
From 32,323 Google reviews of 201 top-rated photographers nationwide; 10 of them in Illinois. Updated November 2, 2026.
Find the right company for your job
Pick the job — we re-rank companies by how customers rated that exact job.
Best photographers in Illinois for headshots and portraits
Clear ✕Job match = this company’s ★ on reviews Google tagged “Headshots and portraits” (shrunk toward the category average when there are few), how many such jobs it has done, and its overall Experts Score.
What customers said about headshots and portraits
I cannot rave enough about Brenda P Photography!! 🥹🤎 She is seriously AMAZING at what she does! Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is also one of the sweetest people to work with! I recently had her do a branding shoot for my business, Liz Hair Collective, and I am absolutely OBSESSED with how the…
Brenda was amazing! We did our maternity photoshoot with her and absolutely loved the photos. She did a great job guiding us and it was a fun experience. I would highly recommend her!
Brenda was so kind and welcoming from the very beginning. She explained the entire booking process to us and walked us through what to expect during the session. When we arrived, she made us feel so comfortable and did an amazing job guiding us on how to pose. Her positive energy really made the whole experience…
Brenda did a fabulous job on our maternity photos, she made us comfortable, nailed the photos we wanted and more!
Brenda has easily become our go-to for our baby and family pictures. Easy process and fast turn around time for pictures. Thank you so much Brenda for capturing beautiful memories for our growing family!
Overall ratings
Experts Score 0–100Experts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. and a letter grade per factor (A = top 20% of photographers).
| # | Company | ScoreExperts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. | FactorsFactor grades, in orderSatisfaction (54%): Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.Reliability (24%): How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.Craft & service (0%): Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.Value (14%): Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Momentum (0%): Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.Replies to reviews (7%): How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.One letter per factor score: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39, F = below 20. | ★Google star rating as shown on Google Maps. | Typical billMedian bill customers of this company reported in their reviews (needs 3+ priced reviews). |
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| 1 |  Mae Photo Booths LLCYorkville, IL | A 100How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 69%100+69.2Reliability 31%100+30.8Experts Score= 100Not enough data for value, replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––A– | 5.00 | — |
| 2 |  Petite Studios PhotographyYorkville, IL | A 100How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 100Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 5.00 | — |
| 3 | A 100How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 100Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA–AA– | 5.00 | — | |
| 4 |  Being Joy PhotographyYorkville, IL | A 99How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%96+14.6Experts Score= 99Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 5.00 | — |
| 5 |  Pfeiffer PhotographyYorkville, IL | A 99How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%99+58.1Reliability 26%98+25.6Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 99Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 5.00 | — |
| 6 |  Ally and B PhotographyYorkville, IL | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%97+56.9Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 98Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 4.98 | — |
| 7 |  Transcending Roots Photography LLCYorkville, IL | A 97How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%85+12.9Experts Score= 97Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 5.00 | — |
| 8 |  Jennifer Kaye PhotographyYorkville, IL | A 96How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%100+58.7Reliability 26%99+25.8Value 15%78+11.9Experts Score= 96Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAABA– | 5.00 | — |
| 9 |  DazzleShot ImagesYorkville, IL | A 96How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%95+55.8Reliability 26%95+24.8Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 96Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 4.94 | — |
| 10 |  Jenny Taylor Boudoir PhotographyYorkville, IL | C 53How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%72+39.3Reliability 24%22+5.3Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%11+0.8Momentum penalty36−6.4Experts Score= 53Grade C: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | BDAADF | 4.83 | — |
What jobs cost
What customers paid, from the price Google asks reviewers to report.
| Job | Low25th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid less than this. | TypicalMedian of the bill customers reported in their Google review (Google asks reviewers for a price range; we use the middle of each range). | High75th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid more than this. | FairOf customers who rated the price, the share who chose “Great price” or “Reasonable” rather than “Overpriced”. |
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Photographers in Illinois at a glance
How the 10 photographers we rated in Illinois compare, and what customers praise most.
Experts Score grades
A = score 80+, F = below 20.
- Grade A990%
- Grade B00%
- Grade C110%
- Grade D00%
- Grade F00%
Google ratings
Average stars per company.
- 4.90★ and up990%
- 4.80–4.89★110%
- 4.60–4.79★00%
- Below 4.60★00%
What customers praise
Share of Google review highlights.
- Quality3,10527%
- Professionalism3,29828%
- Responsiveness2,69323%
- Punctuality500%
- Value2,50722%
Was the price fair?
All price verdicts left with reviews.
- Great price2,15656%
- Reasonable1,52140%
- Overpriced612%
- Not sure1103%
Price verdicts by year
Share calling it great / reasonable / overpriced.
How we grade
Satisfaction (54%) — Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.
Reliability (24%) — How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.
Craft & service (penalty, up to −10) — Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.
Value (14%) — Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.
Momentum (penalty, up to −10) — Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.
Replies to reviews (7%) — How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.