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Baby Photographer To Chicago's Top Athletes Will Open A Studio In Beverly

By Howard Ludwig | December 17, 2014 5:43am
 Naja Lerus will open her first photography studio at 1911 W. 103rd St. in Beverly next month. The storefront will replace her home studio and is close to Belle Up, a high-end maternity store.
Naja Lerus will open her first photography studio at 1911 W. 103rd St. in Beverly next month. The storefront will replace her home studio and is close to Belle Up, a high-end maternity store.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

BEVERLY — Naja Lerus' three children are nearly as eager to have their playroom back as she is to be opening her own studio.

Lerus, a photographer to some of Chicago's top athletes, signed a lease late last week for a storefront at 1911 W. 103rd St. in Beverly that was last occupied by the restaurant Cafe 103.

"It's scary and exciting at the same time. But if you stay in your comfort zone, you are never going to grow," Lerus said Tuesday.

Lerus expects her studio to open late next month. It will replace her home studio in south suburban Robbins that has been visited by the likes of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, as well as Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett and Jermon Bushrod of the Chicago Bears.

 Naja Lerus has earned a reputation for photographing the young children of some of Chicago's high-profile athletes. Her clients include Derrick Rose, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett.
Naja Lerus Photography
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Chicago's top athletes have come to know Lerus as the city's go-to infant and maternity photographer. Her big break came after photographing Derrick Rose's son, PJ, in October 2012.

"I was nervous, but [Rose] is such a genuinely nice person," Lerus said.

Rose later tweeted out several of Lerus' pictures and gave the photographer permission to use the shots in her public portfolio. From there, word of Lerus' talents spread among Chicago's elite athletes.

Lerus charges $550 to $1,700 for a three-hour photo shoot. The self-taught photographer prefers to bring infants into the studio within the first 10 days of life, though she accepts clients up to 3 weeks old.

Most of her shots occur while the baby is sleeping. To help infants relax, Lerus keeps her studio at 85 degrees. She said her style is meant to keep the focus on the baby, thus avoiding dressing the child with large bows or posing in over-the-top sets.

Lerus also takes maternity photos and some family portraits. She said the maternity sessions typically serve as a getting-to-know-you meeting, and then lead to an infant photo session.

In her new location, Lerus will be just two doors down from Belle Up at 1915 W. 103rd St. in Beverly. The high-end maternity and women's clothing store moved to its current location on Dec. 4.

Lerus believes the proximity of the two like-minded storefronts will benefit both businesses. In fact, news of Belle Up's move spurred Lerus to look for available storefronts nearby. She acted quickly to sign a lease after learning the storefront was available.

"I knew that was it. It was a gut feeling," she said.

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