Taylor Jo Photos

Directions Website Contact the business

Taylor Jo Photos Hi there! I am so happy you found me. Specializing in lifestyle photography, I am here to help you pause time and find the hidden beauty in everyday scenes.

From newborns, to weddings, to family shoots, I do it all! Message now to book!

Y’all mentioned… and I listened! 🍎🎃It’s last minute because, well… that’s just how I am. 😂 BUT...go ahead and shove this...
09/24/2026

Y’all mentioned… and I listened! 🍎🎃

It’s last minute because, well… that’s just how I am. 😂 BUT...go ahead and shove this into your calendar NOW because we’re bringing the cutest, nostalgic fall vibes back to town on October 10th from 9-11 AM! 🍂🤎

10-minute mini sessions
7 images you’ll FALL in love with
$100

🍎 9-10 AM - Apple Orchard
Think wandering through the apple aisles, picking apples with your kiddos, little hands reaching for the same tree, apple kisses, giggles, and all those sweet candid moments that make fall feel like fall.

🎃 10-11 AM - Pumpkin Patch
Think cozy blankets, pumpkins, snuggles, little ones being little, and those perfectly imperfect moments that feel straight out of a vintage fall memory.

These sessions are quick, easy, and intentionally simple - just enough time to capture the reason for the season…

FALL. 🍎🎃🍂

If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to update the family photos, grab some nostalgic memories, or just get everyone dressed in their cutest fall outfits… THIS IS IT.

Spots are limited, so don’t wait on this one. 🤎
*$9 apple orchard admission will be needed day of separate from session fee*

https://book.usesession.com/s/fPJ0TG_GIA

If you know Holly, you know she has always been the “mother” in almost everything she does. She’s the one who notices wh...
09/18/2026

If you know Holly, you know she has always been the “mother” in almost everything she does. She’s the one who notices when someone needs something. The one who makes sure everyone is okay. The one who carries a little more than she probably needs to because she just genuinely wants the people around her to feel cared for. If Holly was there, you knew you had someone you could count on.

And maybe that’s why watching her step into motherhood feels so incredibly special. Because this isn’t a new part of who she is. She has been loving people that way for as long as I can remember. But now, that love gets a little person of its very own to pour into. A little person who will grow up knowing exactly what it feels like to be loved, protected, and cared for by a mama who would move mountains for them.

And then there’s Noah. The way he looks at her says so much without either of them having to say a word. The soft glances. The little touches. The way you can just *feel* how deeply he loves her. And knowing that these two are about to become parents together? It’s the kind of thing that makes your heart hurt in the best way.

There is something so bittersweet about photographs like these. You’re capturing a family that already exists, while also documenting the very last moments before they become someone new. Before the tiny hands, sleepless nights, first cries, and a whole new kind of love change everything.

Holly & Noah, I am so thankful you trusted me with such a sacred little piece of your story. I hope when you look back at these years from now, you don’t just see pretty pictures. I hope you remember exactly how it felt to love your baby before you ever got to hold them. ❤️

🗝️: maternity photography | maternity session | expecting parents | motherhood | couples photography | Allerton Park and Retreat Center | family photography | Central Illinois photographer | Taylor Jo Photos | candid photography | timeless memories |

What better way to start your Wednesday than with some timeless love?! 🤍These two had me giggling the entire shoot. Thei...
09/16/2026

What better way to start your Wednesday than with some timeless love?! 🤍

These two had me giggling the entire shoot. Their love reminded me so much of mine and my husband’s; witty, quick, and always good for a laugh.

But those glances… 🥹

Those glances alone carry years and years of love. There’s just something so beautiful about witnessing a love that has grown through all of life’s seasons. 🤎

🗝️: Timeless love | couples photography | romantic portraits | anniversary photography | authentic love |candid moments | lifelong love | married couples | Allerton Park & Retreat | lifestyle photography | couples session | sentimental photography | Taylor Jo Photos | Monticello, IL | photographer near me

One thing I hear ALL the time when couples with older kiddos get in front of my camera is, “I honestly can’t remember th...
09/15/2026

One thing I hear ALL the time when couples with older kiddos get in front of my camera is, “I honestly can’t remember the last time we had pictures taken of just us.”

Sometimes it was at one of their kids’ weddings… and sometimes even then, those pictures somehow get missed.

And honestly, it puts a whole new perspective on parenthood.

Because we’re so used to making sure the kids are in the pictures. We’re worried about their smiles, their outfits, whether they’re looking at the camera, getting everyone together… and somewhere along the way, pictures of just us get pushed to the side.

But that love is still there.

Thank you guys for trusting me to capture just a tiny piece of your love. You deserve those pictures, too. 🤍

🗝️: Couples photography | couples portraits | marriage photography | love after kids | candid couples photos | lifestyle photography | lasting love | authentic connection | documenting your love | Taylor Jo Photos | Central Illinois photographer | Allerton Park and Retreat Center

Somebody pinch me…There is no way my baby girl is 1 🥺🎂🗝️: one year old | milestone shoot | family photographer | childre...
09/12/2026

Somebody pinch me…

There is no way my baby girl is 1 🥺🎂

🗝️: one year old | milestone shoot | family photographer | children’s portraits | Central IL photographer | slow time down | capture everything | preserve these moments | children photographer

As life moves on and your kiddos grow up and move out, it can become a little harder to get everyone together for those ...
09/11/2026

As life moves on and your kiddos grow up and move out, it can become a little harder to get everyone together for those family pictures.

So when Michelle reached out and asked if it would be okay to bring her four-legged, furry baby instead of her children, I was honestly over the moon. 🤍

And then I met Marley.

She has the most beautiful little gray hairs peeking through her black-and-white coat, and I couldn’t help but wonder about the life behind them. She’s clearly lived a lot of years and, I’m sure, has experienced her fair share of hard days. But you would never know it by the way she carries herself.

Marley still gets so excited.

She was excited to meet me. Excited to explore. Excited to be loved on. There was still this little spark of puppy in her, even after all these years.

And I think that’s what got me.

Here was this dog who has already lived an entire lifetime, with years and experiences I’ll never know, sitting in front of me and reminding me that getting older doesn’t have to mean becoming less joyful.

She didn’t know me. I was a complete stranger. And yet she greeted me like I was someone worth being excited about.

I think there’s a lesson in that.

I hope I get to grow older with a few more gray hairs, a whole lot of stories, and somehow still have enough puppy left in me to get excited about the new people, new moments, and little joys that come my way.

I’d love to be a little more like Marley. 🐾🤍

🗝️: pet photography | Senior dog | family photographer near me | furry friend | outdoor session | Tolono, IL | dog lovers | family photos | Taylor Jo Photos | dog portraits | four-legged family | puppy at heart

🚨 FALL MINI SESSION EMERGENCY 🚨I am LOVVVINGGGG that fall is knocking on our doors 🍂🤎 and I really want to get a few fal...
09/09/2026

🚨 FALL MINI SESSION EMERGENCY 🚨

I am LOVVVINGGGG that fall is knocking on our doors 🍂🤎 and I really want to get a few fall minis on the books!

BUT… I have a problem. 😂

I cannot decide where we should go. And since I am a lady for the people 📜, I’m putting the decision in YOUR hands.

Would we rather…

🍂 A.) Our ol’ trusty Allerton Park
🌾 B.) Homer Lake
🎃 C.) Curtis Orchard
🍁 D.) Girl, I’m signing up no matter what! 👀

I need opinions. I need votes. I need answers. 😂👇

Tell me where you want your fall photos!

🗝️: fall mini sessions, Champaign-Urbana, Central Illinois fall photographer, fall family photography, outdoor fall photos, Allerton Park fall minis, Homer Lake family photography, holiday card photos, fall photographer near Champaign-Urbana, Taylor Jo Photos

There is something so incredibly special about meeting someone who is walking through the same season of life you are.St...
09/03/2026

There is something so incredibly special about meeting someone who is walking through the same season of life you are.

Stetson was the absolute sweetest boy. From the second I met him, he did not stop smiling. I’m convinced smiling is his full-time job because this boy was ON THE CLOCK. 😂🤍 And those smiles made this session so easy, so joyful, and honestly just really fun.

But what I’ll remember most from this session isn’t just that sweet little face.

It’s the conversation I got to have with his mama.

Being a young mom is one of the greatest blessings I’ve ever been given. But if I’m being completely honest, it can also be really, really hard. There are days where I feel like I’m figuring it all out as I go. Days where I wonder if I’m doing enough. Days where I’m exhausted, touched out, overwhelmed, and somehow still expected to keep everyone alive and thriving.

And then you meet another mama who is living a version of that same life, and there’s this unspoken feeling of “Oh… you get it.”

That is one of the things I never expected photography to give me.

The friendships. The conversations. The connections. The little pieces of people’s lives that I get invited into for an hour or two. This camera has given me so much more than beautiful photographs. It has given me people.

And I will never stop being grateful for that.

So yes, I came to photograph Stetson and his parents.

But I also got to sit with his mama, hear a little bit of her story, laugh with her, relate to her, and remind myself that none of us are really doing this motherhood thing alone.

Thank you, Brandon family, for trusting me to capture a little piece of your story. Thank you for letting me into your world, even just for a little while.

I hope when you look back at these photographs years from now, you don’t just see Stetson’s smile.
I hope you remember this season. The messy, beautiful, exhausting, fleeting season of being his parents.

Because it goes by so stinking fast. 🤍

🗝️: young motherhood • motherhood journey • mom life • motherhood unfiltered • baby boy • family moments • lifestyle family photography • authentic family photography • candid family photos • motherhood photography • family storytelling • childhood goes fast • preserving memories • Illinois family photographer • Central Illinois photographer • real motherhood • meaningful moments • family connection • photographer friendships • capturing motherhood • Taylor Jo Photos

🚨Effective immediately 🚨I will no longer be posting identifiable images of children on my photography page, signed relea...
09/03/2026

🚨Effective immediately 🚨

I will no longer be posting identifiable images of children on my photography page, signed release or not. I will also be going through my existing work and removing identifiable images of children currently posted.

This decision weighs heavily on me.

The recent 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling involving possession of AI-generated CSAM depicting fictional minors deeply disturbed me. Regardless of the legal reasoning, the fact that we are even having conversations about sexually explicit images depicting children being constitutionally protected is something I cannot ignore.

As a mother, I look at my own children differently now. I think about their innocence, their safety, and how fiercely I would protect them. Then I think about every baby and child who has been placed in front of my camera by parents who trusted me.

Those children are someone's entire world.

As a photographer, I have always wanted to share the beautiful moments I capture. But a signed release gives me permission, it doesn't mean I have to use it.

I would rather have a smaller portfolio than risk compromising a child's privacy.

And I know someone may ask, “Won’t this hurt your business? You specialize in newborn and children’s photography.”

Honestly?

I really don't care.

If protecting children means my business grows slower, my portfolio is smaller, or I have fewer images to show prospective clients, then so be it.

I will still photograph your babies. I will still document your families. I will still capture the tiny details, the laughter, the chaos, and the love.

But from now on, those memories will belong to you and your family, not my public page.
I am a photographer, but I am also a mother. And if I would want someone to protect my children, I have to be willing to protect yours, too.

08/25/2026

Thank you, Jesus, for my job.
Thank you, Jesus, for my family.
Thank you, Jesus, for the beautiful land that surrounds me.
Thank you, Jesus, for clients who become friends.
Thank you, Jesus, for moving mountains in my life, opening doors I never could have opened myself, and allowing my business to become my ministry. ☀️🤎

🗝️: Faith over fear • Family photography • Golden skies • Mama’s boy • Couples shoot • Allerton Park & Retreat Center • One year shoot • Milestone photography • Pause this time • Family memories • Precious moments • Motherhood photography • Family photographer • Illinois family photographer • Central Illinois photographer • Lifestyle photography • Candid family photos • Documentary family photography • Little moments • Growing up too fast • Authentic moments • Golden hour photography • Sunset family photos • Outdoor family session • Timeless photography • Meaningful moments • Memories that last • Capturing childhood • Family keepsakes • Generational memories •

Address

515 Old Timber Rd
Monticello, IL
61856

Opening Hours

Monday 6pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday 6pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday 6pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 6pm - 8:30pm
Friday 5pm - 9pm
Saturday 8am - 9pm
Sunday 12pm - 9pm

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Taylor Jo Photos 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 Taylor Jo Photos:

Shortcuts

Share

Category