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ABOUT ME

WELCOME! I’m so happy you’re here!

My name is Christine and…

I’m a creative type located in the tri-cities area of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles. I moved to Illinois in 2014 from Los Angeles (many ask “why?”) due to my husband’s job- well, that and the ridiculous cost of living in LA!

Before we re-located, I had been pursuing my lifelong dream of working as an actor (and dancer) in Hollywood. In between working on tv and film sets, one of my MANY day jobs was working as a photographer ( I actually got my BA at USC in Theatre AND Film/TV, btw). Some ask what I miss most about my time in LA and I would have to say: my village, the beach, California Chicken Cafe, Denise Leitner’s jazz class, the best shopping and working on productions. The least favorite: TRAFFIC! oh, and helicopters! I may not be famous to most but what a ride!!

So, after moving to suburbia and having kiddos I realized pretty quickly that I needed a creative outlet for myself. One night as I pondered my future, I had an “ah-ha moment” and decided I wanted to photograph newborns. After some pretty hefty training and lots of props later, Sugar Plum Photography was born… wait… make that Christine Retzer Photography (after re-branding). And, I’ve been lucky enough to snuggle those sweet littles since 2015!

I label myself as a storyteller through and through- in fact, storytelling is the concept behind my work. Art reflects life. Life reflects art. In addition, I work really hard to produce the best possible imagery for my clients but also the best experience as well. Every client is treated as if they were family. And, with that I feel completely honored every time I get to capture these memories for them to cherish for generations to come.