Tag Archives: chicago engagement photography

There’s nothing more special than waking up at the crack of dawn and heading downtown to watch a beautiful couple share their love. And if that’s not special enough on it’s own, doing it at sunrise makes it even sweeter!

We started off Lauren and Steve’s sunrise engagement session at one of my all-time favorite engagement photo locations in Chicago — North Avenue Beach. With the shoreline, the concrete breakwalls, and the incredible Chicago skyline view, this spot is pretty hard to beat.

Loving the mugs with Lauren (to be) and Steve’s last name! Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Koveck!!

They don’t call it the windy city for nothing. 🙂

That VIEW though…. 😯

One small detail that we failed to realize until the night before, was that we had unintentionally scheduled our shoot on the same day as the Chicago Marathon. If this were something we were aware of ahead of time, we likely would have tried to avoid this date at all costs, as road closures and traffic congestion can be a real hassle surrounding the race. But with winter closing in, and everyone’s crazy work schedules, we decided it would be best to push through, see what craziness we run into, and make it work!

Thankfully, we lucked out big time with North Avenue Beach, as there wasn’t but one or two other cars in the parking lot, and not a soul in sight on the beach. Wrapping up at North Avenue Beach, our next destination was set for Lincoln Park Zoo. Steve queued up the Uber, and off we went.

This is where things got interesting.

To make a long story short, what should have started with a simple 15 minute walk from North Avenue Beach over to Lincoln Park Zoo, turned into a 60+ minute Uber tour around the city. It seemed like every conceivable route was blocked by the Chicago Marathon, and there was no end in sight. Eventually, we made the executive decision to head right back where we started, hopped out of the Uber, and walked our happy booties to over to the Zoo.

All in all, we shared a good laugh, and we all held in good spirits. We made it to Lincoln Park Zoo and the show went on!

Are Lauren and Steve seriously not the cutest couple ever? That’s right, Steve…I just called you cute.

Another huge shout-out to Lauren and Steve — Thank you two so much for putting up with all the shenanigans we ran into on your shoot! You guys were amazing, and I can’t wait for your big day!!

Interested in booking YOUR engagement shoot? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat!!

By Matt Bigelow

Chicago Engagement Session – Rebecca and Dustin

It’s always important to me to make sure the personalities of my couples shine through in their photos — both in their wedding photos, as well as their engagement photos. I want their photos to tell a story, and to speak about who they are as a couple.

When it comes to the wedding photos, this is achieved mostly by evoking and capturing emotions. The wedding day is a very emotionally intense day for most couples, so there are an abundance of moments throughout the day between the bride, the groom, and their families that will all compile together to tell their story.

With engagement photos, we have a completely different scenario. Engagement photos are a situation where instead of simply telling stories with emotions, we can now build a literal storyboard and theme to the session. With this, literally anything goes — from locations, to outfits…you name it. This is where I see a perfect opportunity to tell a couple’s story. A story of their every day lives, their daily grind, and what makes them who they are. Shooting this way adds so much more value to the finished product. The couples are able to truly connect with their photos, as they can literally see a glimpse of their world in the images we capture.

The night I met with Rebecca and Dustin to book their wedding, one of the first things that came up during our discussion about their engagement sessions was Chicago, motorcycles, and tattoos. For Rebecca and Dustin, these are all things that are a big part of their world. From there, the planning fell right into place!

For our first spot, we met downtown Chicago in the West Loop. Rebecca and Dustin showed up looking completely B/A. Totally hyped about how this session turned out — they rocked it!

Loved this license plate they had made! Super cool idea.

For our second location, we made our way to one of my favorite skyline views in downtown Chicago — Milton Olive Park. Just can’t get enough of this spot. Such a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline and the Sears (Willis) Tower at sunset.

These two look tough, but they’re two of the sweetest people I know. We had such a blast and so many laughs throughout the evening.

PS…Dustin…don’t be mad for me calling you sweet. 😉

Can’t wait to share the big day with you two, Rebecca and Dustin! Thank you so much for the opportunity to be your wedding photographer!!

Interested in chatting about YOUR big day? Click here to drop me a line — I’d love to hear from you!

By Matt Bigelow

Every once in a while you run across one of those couples that just click. They are so wrapped up in each other that they almost forget about the camera is in front of them…and the results are amazing.

Working with a couple like Allie and Josh is a wedding photographer’s dream. Yes, they are a great looking couple, but its not necessarily their looks that makes them such a pleasure to work with — its their love. These two simply can’t get enough of each other. The way they look at each other, the way they touch and the way they interact with each other…all true signs of what marriage is meant to be.

We started off our session at Allie’s parent’s gorgeous condo on the north side of Chicago. They wanted a fun, playful session indoors before we hit the streets. From there, we did a little loop around to a few spots and wound up back at their condo for a sunset shoot on the roof. There’s not many spots that beach a beautiful sunset on a Chicago rooftop. 🙂