Baer Video & Photo

Home
United States
Carlock, IL
Baer Video & Photo

Kate Baer is the photographer & videographer behind Baer Video & Photo, creating intentional, story-driven visuals for families, individuals, and brands.

Rooted in real moments. True-to-life style. Now booking 2026.

09/02/2026

Meet Hailey! 🎓

This one's personal. Hailey is more than a senior; she's my cousin — and it is WILD trying to look at these photos and not still see the little girl I watched grow up. She's one of the sweetest, most generous, kindest people I know, and my son absolutely adores her (she's our go-to babysitter, and it shows in how good she is with him).

Class of 2027, Hailey's headed toward pre-vet after graduation — no surprise to anyone who knows how much she loves animals. We kicked off her rep year with session 1 of 3 right on our family's private property, and it was the perfect low-key start to what's going to be a really fun year of documenting her senior year.

Interested in being a senior rep for 2028? Like my socials and follow along — when applications open, you'll be the first to know. 🤍

08/30/2026

From lavender winter sunsets to golden hour and everything between 🤍

Some clients you just get to watch grow — literally. I photographed Shelby and Joe's engagement session (that lavender winter sunset with snow falling is still one of my favorites I've ever shot), then their wedding day, which somehow ended with the northern lights dancing overhead. And now? Their maternity session.

We spent the evening on Shelby's family's private property in Washington, IL, and the sky put on an absolute show — the most golden hour I've seen all summer, melting into magenta, then settling into blue hour just as we wrapped.

What makes this one extra special: I coached Shelby in All-Star cheerleading years ago. I've watched her grow from a teammate into this incredible young woman, and now into a mom. Getting to document her engagement, her wedding, and now this next chapter has been one of the greatest honors of doing this work.

Congratulations, Shelby and Joe. Can't wait to meet this baby. 🤍

08/23/2026

Backroads, a wheat field, and a creek that's been in her family for generations.

Senior Sunday is here for Kamryn — Olympia High School, Class of 2027!

We spent her session cruising the backroads around Danvers and Goodfield, stopped for golden-hour shots in a gorgeous wheat field a family friend of theirs let her use, then finished up on her family's private property at the creek that runs through it.

Fun facts: Kamryn is an FFA officer at her HS and was just crowned McLean County Fair Queen a few weeks ago— too bad we didn’t have the crown for some of these, but the timing never worked out for a crown shot — the wheat had to come out in early July and Kamryn wasn't crowned McLean County Fair Queen until late July. When it came down to it, wheat won. 👑🌾

Priorities.

Small-town roots all over this session, though.

More of these will be popping up all school year because they're all this good. 😍

2027 seniors — and 2028s, don't sleep on this — reach out and let's get you on the schedule before spots fill up.

08/18/2026

There are moments you shoot, and moments that shoot straight back at you. This was the second kind.

Mid-ceremony, both of their families came up and prayed over them — out loud, hands on shoulders, voices lifted, the whole room alive with it. Tiffany crying. I had the camera up, and I was crying right along with her. You could feel it. God's love, His blessing, their family's love — all of it, filling that room.

This was the moment I stopped being able to "keep it together, Kate." It was beautiful. It is my favorite moment from their day.

08/17/2026

When Tiffany got engaged and asked me to be the one to capture her wedding, I was all in — no hesitation.

I met her a few years ago during my corporate days, back before I went full-time boss mama. She was someone I took under my wing — she'd shadow me occasionally, soak up everything, and ask the right questions. The kind of person you just want to see win.

So getting to photograph her wedding to Caleb hit different.

They started the day getting ready at the Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Bloomington — my first time shooting an AP ceremony, and I was not prepared for how powerful it was. There was a moment mid-ceremony where I was genuinely telling myself "keep it together, Kate." You could feel God in that room.

The rest of the day threw out the traditional playbook, and I loved it — hors d'oeuvres and dessert instead of a sit-down dinner, a couple of heartfelt speeches, a grand exit around 5, then golden hour portraits to close it out. Deep reds, candlelight, roses everywhere — Bridgerton meets Victorian romance, told exactly the way they wanted it.

So proud of you, Tiffany and Caleb. This one was personal.

08/01/2026

Kyler + Taylor Ummel
June 5, 2026

Venue: Marlene's Event Barn
Photographer:
DJ: Mason Ringer
Caterer & Florist:

07/31/2026

She showed up to her senior session with a stuffed animal she's had since she was little, her jacket, her belt buckle, her pins, and a bouquet of flowers.

So should you bring accessories to your session? The answer is always yes.

These are the things that actually mean something. The stuffed animal isn't just a stuffed animal; it's every night growing up. The jacket and pins aren't just an outfit; they're years of showing livestock, competitions, and friendships made through FFA. Flowers from someone she knows who runs their own small business (shout out to .co).

We built a lot of her session around these pieces, and honestly some of my favorite photos include these items.

So bring the weird stuff. Bring the sentimental stuff. Bring whatever tells your story, even if you think it's random. We'll find a way to use it.

What would you bring to your session?

07/19/2026

WETTSTEIN || Maternity

Gallery delivered. 🩷

There’s something about maternity sessions that always slows me down a little.

Maybe it’s knowing how much life is about to change. Maybe it’s remembering what those last few weeks before Sawyer arrived felt like. Or maybe it’s because I know someday these photos will remind them of the quiet before everything became beautifully loud (I’m in the 18-month-old stage…it’s gotten really loud).

I’m so excited for this next chapter for Shelby + Joe.

More from this session to come… I have a feeling it’s going to be one I’ll be sharing for a long time (sort of like their engagement photos and their wedding photos).

And on a completely different note… anyone else wondering how summer is already flying by? For those heading back to school soon, I swear we just got started. We haven’t even squeezed in a family vacation yet.

I’ve been a little quieter on social lately because my editing hat has officially taken over. June galleries have been the priority, and I’m happy to say they’ll all be wrapped up by the end of July.

This week and next are full of editing and client meetings before August kicks off with a calendar full of weddings and commercial photo and video shoots.

Now, back to editing…on Monday.

05/22/2026

Availability update:

I am currently booked through September.

If you are a current client, have a project already in motion, or have already reached out about a date/session/project, you’re good. This does not affect you.

This includes family sessions, senior sessions, professional portraits/headshots, small-business and brand photography, agricultural storytelling, video projects, and wedding films.

If you’ve been thinking about getting something on the calendar before the end of the year, now is the time to reach out.

Thank you, truly, for keeping my calendar full. I’m grateful to get to do this work for so many wonderful people and stories.

05/10/2026

A MOTHER’S STORY || PAINT EDITION

Watching Jessica with her three kiddos during this “Seasonal Story: Paint” session made my heart so full.

Maybe it was because it was also her son’s first birthday. Maybe it was the laughter, the paint-covered hands, or the way everyone eventually stopped worrying about the mess and just leaned into the moment together.

Last year at this time, I was deep in the corporate grind. Wake up. Work all day. Come home and get maybe two hours with Sawyer before doing it all over again the next morning. And while there were a lot of reasons behind my decision to leave what had been normal for me for 6.5 years, the biggest reason was simple: Sawyer. I wanted to build a life where I could be present for him while still creating work I love.

So photographing other moms this spring hit me in a different way than it used to.

Watching moms step into these sessions — not worrying about perfection, not worrying about the mess, just fully showing up with their kids — reminded me exactly why I wanted to create experiences like this in the first place. They created space for the pause.

Not perfect photos. Not clean clothes. Not everyone looking at the camera at the same time.

Just moms being with their kids. Laughing. Playing. Letting go a little. Being here in this version of motherhood.

The paint washes off, kids grow, and the house will get quiet again someday. But this chapter deserves to be remembered while you’re still in it. Happy Mother’s Day to the moms in every stage of it. 🤍

Address

County Road
Carlock, IL
61725

Website

http://baervideoandphoto.com/, https://www.honeybook.com/widget/katelynn_baer_photographer_179724/cf_id/69765991228bbd00

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Baer Video & Photo posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Baer Video & Photo:

Name:

Email:

Message:

Want your business to be the top-listed Photography Service in Carlock?