Fall Engagement Photos at Millennium Park

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One of the last images taken for Krystyne and Todd's Fall engagement photos occured in front of the Millennium Park fountain in downtown Chicago.  Todd spun his fiance' around and when they landed, fell into this passionate kiss.  It was perfect!!

The day started out with a walk around the downtown area amongst the shoppers and business people of Chicago.  This was all part of a Chicago Sessions engagement package in which I shoot in color and then turn all the images into old school black and white street photography.  I even add grain for a film like quality.  Here is an example of the color and black and white of the same image of the engaged couple walking down State Street.

Note the image grain and the dark room dirty border for a retro look.  For a complete example, take a look at this recent Chicago Session slideshow.

I've been known to get into traffic every once in awhile to get a shot that I want and this "one way love" image is an example of that.  Okay, it was only a few feet into traffic, but hey, you know these cab drivers!!  I might was well have been their hood ornament.  :)

We happened upon a row of bicycles that begged for a photo.  Perhaps all that 1960's classic rock I listen to influenced this as I recall a few album covers often saw rows of bikes like this.  I would have loved to have had the soon to be married couple riding a two seater, but it was not to be.  We spotted one, but the rider didn't stop.

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The sun soaked kiss below was taken overlooking the Chicago River as tourist elbowed around us trying to take the same shot.  Sometimes you just have to muscle your way into the crowd.  Krystyne and Todd did a great job blocking out all of the distractions and focusing on each other.

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We took a short break and met up again at Millennium Park for some real Autumn shots with the Fall leaves and orange and yellow colored trees.  We wanted to commemorate a photo with the 2013 wedding date and a trusty chalkboard did the trick. We have a lot more images like this with messages to each other written for the camera.  Can't wait to unveil all of the engagement photos in color and the specialty black and whites.

The wonderful thing about Millennium Park is you can get two worlds in the same shot.  In their entrance into the Millennium garden we have the Fall colored brush with the cityscape background.  Our focus of course, is the happy couple in the middle.

By the time we got deep into the park, these guys were old pros at being subjects for the camera.  They simply sat down and interacted with some gorgeous natural light falling upon them.  

One of our more fun loving images of the day is this back to back photo on one of the park benches.  I think these two were pretty relaxed at this point.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at at Krystyne and Todd's Fall engagement photos at Millennium Park in Chicago.  To keep updated and to see more images, subscribe here to the Journal and give us a "like" on the SBV Photography Facebook page.  More to come!!

Studio Engagement Photos

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I will be the wedding photographer at Brett and Maureen's Fall wedding at Ogden Garden in Valparaiso this coming September.  The young couple was recently in for a studio engagement session.  The guitar playing groom to be didn't take much coaxing as he serenaded his fiance in front of one of my black backdrops here at my Crown Point studio.

We had a very simple session with me just talking wedding stuff as the happy couple cuddled up close.

They both have eyes that are very piercing, yet tender at the same time.  Some of the black and white treatments I did have a very soft vignette that I hope captured the romantic vibe I felt between the engaged couple.

I simply asked them to look up at each other and it didn't take long for some laughs to come forth...

I like to play music at sessions and perhaps it was the funky R&B shuffling from my iPhone, but inhibitions were quickly lost and the romantic couple had no problems with kissing for the camera for some up close and personal photos.

Ogden Garden should be alive with Fall colors come the September 29th wedding.  I'm looking forward to capturing the vivid red, yellow and orange colors I know will be there to illuminate a very colorful wedding.  this is why i chose to conver many of the studio engagement photos into artsy black and whites.

Of course, the full color versions are available as well.

To learn more about Region Wedding's engagement photography, download the free Region Weddings Engagement App for iPhone, iPad & Android:

http://moblalbum.com/124/gallery/2004 


Chicago Engagement Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek at Kelly and Mat's Chicago Session Engagement.  We had a bright sunny day to contend with along with some winds and, oh yeah - a heavily secured NATO conference!!  Fortunately, this soon to be married couple ARE NOT wanted criminals and the shoot went off without a hitch.  :)

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If you have followed the Northwest Indiana wedding journal for a while, you know I'm a big fan of these Chicago Engagement packages.  You will also know that this Chicago Sessions package consist of color images transferred to black and white after the shoot and made to look like old film.  It's romantic and cinematic - think 1960's street photography.

I'm currently editing Kelly and Mat's images to give them all these looks.  The color versions will be available to them as well as the black and white images.  The photo book that comes with the package (great for display at the reception) consist of all the black and white images made into one beautiful story of the day.

We may take in the garden at Millennium Park (see above) or go with the street photography look of the couple perched up high with the tall buildings as a backdrop...

The windy city brings many different looks, sometimes all within a single block.  It's a teasure trove of photo opportunities for engagement photos.

Stay tuned for more Kelly and Mat engagement pictures as I ready them for viewing.  I will be taking Memorial Day off to rest up after a terrific wedding in Portage yesterday.  Have a great weekend!!