FAMILY TIES

For four-generation family business Ebert Studio, the focus is on families

By Kerrie Kennedy Photography by Jim Prisching

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Ebert Studio in Oak Park has written an impressive tome. Back in 1915, Henry Ebert opened Ebert Studio on Chicago’s West Side, near Madison Street and Pulaski Road. Surviving two world wars and the Great Depression, the studio moved to a storefront in Oak Park in the 1950s, and in 1980, grandson Bob Ebert moved the studio to its current location, a historical home on Marion Street in Oak Park, built by W.G. Barfield in 1897. Jeff Ebert, premier portrait photographer

The home features an indoor studio that offers a wealth of natural light, thanks to its bank of northern-facing windows, and a landscaped garden that serves as an outdoor studio. “The garden was the main reason my dad bought it,” says Jeff Ebert, who currently runs the family photo business. “He was tired of lugging equipment around to parks.” The garden explains why summer is a busy time for the studio. Before school starts up again, area families gather together to capture a moment in time that literally tells the story of their family. From birth to graduation, Ebert Studio has followed children and families for years, as they celebrate the milestones of life. “There really are so many times in a child’s life that are pivotal—when they turn one, when they turn three and have a little more personality, when they turn seven, around the age of First Communion, around eighth grade, and then, of course, when they’re seniors in high school,” Ebert says. Years later, he just might see those same seniors back in the studio for engagement photos, and down the road, anniversary photos. In many ways, the studio is in the business of capturing life itself, reminding people who they are and where they belong. Nowhere is that more poignant than at Hephzibah Children’s Association in Oak Park, whose walls are lined with framed 8” x 10” pictures of every child that has walked through its doors—all of them photographed gratis by Ebert Studio. “We’ve been working with Hephzibah for close to 30 years now, ever since my Dad befriended the director, and asked what he could do to help,” Ebert says.

STUDIO Most of the rooms at Ebert Studio are used as gallery space, thanks to its bank of northern-facing windows.

Hephzibah, Oak Park’s oldest social service agency founded in 1897, offers short- and long-term group homes for area children that have been traumatized by “ Every child wants to neglect and abuse. According to Ebert, every child that visits feel like someone is proud of them.” the studio comes in —JEFF EBERT with a brand-new outfit and haircut.

“These kids don’t get a lot of new things, so when they go shopping and come in with newly-creased clothing and their hair done, they already feel like models,” Ebert says. “These kids have so much character—they’re all just great kids.”

After the photoshoot, each child receives 16 wallet-sized photos to hand out to prospective parents, Ebert says.

But until then, their 8” x 10” portrait, joining countless others on the walls of Hephzibah, gives them a critical feeling of acceptance.

“To have a portrait of you in your home gives kids a sense of belonging,” Ebert says. “When families come into our studio, it’s no different. Every child wants to feel like someone is proud of them.” n

To learn more about Hephzibah, please visit www.hephzibahhome.org.

PERFECT BACKGROUND Adjacent to the home/studio is a landscaped garden, which naturally changes with the seasons.

Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience.

Northern exposure. Use the north light instead of the sun for your lighting. Direct sunlight is not as flattering. 2

Don’t say cheese. Saying cheese makes people smile in a way that looks fake. Think of something off-the-wall or different. We use the word “bubbles” a lot—it catches people off guard. 3

Lean in. If you lean forward so your body is further back than your face, it stretches your neck out, and improves your posture. 4

Black is best. Black is slimming, and white is revealing white will make you look big, regardless. And if you’re at all concerned about your arms, wear something with sleeves. 5

Strike a pose. Angle your shoulders away from the camera if you want your body to look thinner. And to make your face look thinner, make sure the camera is held slightly above your face—never below.

Ebert Studio is located at 227 S. Marion Street in Oak Park. For more information, call 708-386-6222, or visit ebertstudio.com.