Posts Tagged: love

Jordan & Sarah | Central Illinois Engagement Session

This was my first outdoor winter photo session, and it was as cold as it looks – central Illinois isn’t very “pleasant” around the New Year. But don’t worry, I was all bundled up (see the last picture) and Sarah & Jordan were troopers! Sarah is Katie’s cousin, and we’ve gotten to know Jordan & Sarah as a couple over the last few years during holidays and other trips home. Right before we went back to Illinois for Christmas this year, we found out they got engaged! As usually happens when you’re a photographer, the discussion soon turned to photo sessions and the next thing we knew, we’d scheduled an engagement session and started talking wedding photography!

All the photos below were taken on Sarah’s parents’ property, which is a really beautiful section of wooded land, farmland, a river, and there’s even an abandoned bridge.  We couldn’t have asked for a better setting, and the pictures turned out beautifully.  We also got a chance to include Snickers, their goldendoodle, in the photo shoot as well!  Our time with Jordan and Sarah (and Snickers) was a lot of fun, and we can’t wait to photograph their wedding in July!

 

 

 

 

 

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Michael & Brittany | 9.27.2013

Mike and I have quite a history.  We first met in 8th grade, and he’s been my best friend since 9th grade.  There are lots of stories to be told about our adventures in high school and even some from our college years when we didn’t see each other much.  Then 2 years ago, he was my best man.  Last month, the roles were finally switched, and I had honor of being his best man!  I flew back to Illinois a week early for the bachelor party (sorry, no pictures of that), which was a blast.  Katie flew up on the following Wednesday, and from then on, it was all wedding stuff!  We helped set up the decorations at the awesome venue and got to spend a lot of time with Mike, Brittany, and all of their friends & family.  Of course, I brought my camera for all the festivities, and while I wasn’t the official photographer, Katie and I tried to capture as many moments as we could.  You couldn’t have asked for a more picturesque day to get married – sunny, clear, and a small hint of fall in the air.  All the girls looked beautiful; all the guys looked like bankers from the 1890s (I had a full beard, so me probably more than everyone else); and the wedding was perfect from start to finish.  It was truly a day to remember.

I only met Brittany about a year and a half ago, but we’re basically old friends at this point.  She and Mike are perfect together – I’m so happy that God prepared them for each other, and I’m super excited to see where He takes them from here.  Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Zajac!  We’ll always be part of your lives – we wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now move to Texas already.

Mike & Brittany | Chicago Engagement Photography

While visiting my family & Katie’s family in Illinois this holiday week, we were able to carve out some time to spend with friends.  My best friend, Mike, and his fiancee, Brittany, already had tickets to the Friday afternoon Cubs game, so we decided to join them, but not before a detour through the South Pond area of Lincoln Park Zoo to take some engagement pictures!  I have always wanted to take engagement or wedding pictures at this location because of the really cool architecture and the combination of the outdoor/natural feel with the awesome views of the Chicago skyline.  (The Hancock Building, left, and the Sears Tower, faint right, are both shown in second picture below, which I love.)  And it works out perfect when you also get to hang out with really good friends who recently got engaged!  Anyway, we spent about an hour and half taking pictures before finally catching a cab up to Wrigley Field, buying some pizza, scalping two tickets for me and Katie, and then watching the Cubs lose to the Pirates (sigh).  It was a lot of fun, and nothing beats Chicago in the summer (Chicago in the fall is pretty close, though).  These few images below were just the first few to catch my eye as I was reviewing them in Lightroom – expect more to come in the near future!  Congrats to Mike & Brittany!  Can’t wait for the wedding in September!