Spotlight on Northwest Indiana Engagement Photos

What I love about engagement photo sessions is that I get to know the future bride and groom a little bit before the wedding day.  It gives them a chance to get professional pictures on a relaxed day in their casual clothes.  We get to talk about the wedding, the style of photography they like and they get used to being in front of my camera lens.

For local sessions in Northwest Indiana, we might take a 90 minute stroll around Coffee Creek Park like I did last Fall with Jackie and Brandon...

Other couples opt for an indoor portrait session at my Merrillville studio...

The most popular sessions are polar opposites of one another.  Being so close to Lake Michigan, a stroll along the beach is a no brainer.  

This silhouette of Rebecca and Jack has proven to be a favorite engagement photo of many clients.  We were at a Gary beach during the blue twilight hour.  I had them embrace and their love shown through in this simple shot...

The most popular session is The Chicago Engagement Package.  We meet at the South Shore train station and capture a half day of hanging out in the Windy City.  We walk downtown and usually end up at Millennium Park.

The Chicago Sessions is great for Spring Summer Fall or even Winter as demonstrated by this young couple's winter kiss at Millennium Park...

Speaking of favorite photos, this composite of the Chicago Theater and various engagement shots from the same couple woven in has proven to be quite popular. 

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While the Northwest Indiana weather can prove to be unpredictable, it can also make for some unique engagement photos.  Whether it's a walk in the Chicago rain or a waiting for the sun to set in Chesterton, I aim to fill your photo book with some wonderful photographs that show off the unique love between you and your partner.

Win A Chicago Sessions Engagement Package

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Region Weddings will be raffling off a Chicago Sessions Engagement Package next Sunday at the Bride's Guide Bridal Fair at Wicker Park Social Center in Highland, Indiana.  The show runs from 12pm to 4pm and is located on the corner of Ridge Rd. and Indianapolis Blvd.  Just visit the Region Weddings booth and fill out the form and drop it into our box.  The winner will be announced right here on the Wedding Photographer Journal.

Here are a few images from past sessions....

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If you would like more info on the bridal show, call The Bride's Guide at 219-662-9245.  Hope to see you there!!

Chicago Sessions: Winter Engagement

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Thomas and Joanne are both nurses at different hospitals.  They will be getting married in the Philippines next July.  For their engagement photos, they loved the idea of going to Chicago to take classic black and white images.  They sounded like the perfect candidates for my Chicago Sessions engagement package!!

As is custom for the Chicago Sessions, we met at the South Shore train station in East Chicago and took some shots on the platform as well as cuddling and laughing shots as the romantic love birds rode the train.

We knew there was a threat of rain and sleet and that a big snowfall was possible late in the day.  It was winter in the windy city after all!!  That's okay, as their engagement photographer, nothing was going to stop me.  I bundled up with multiple layers, a ski hat and a poncho in case of rain.  These guys were plenty brave and looked great in their classic winter coats. 

As they walked on State Street, it sometimes felt as though they were the only ones there even though this was a crowded, holiday shopping weekend.

The concept of the Chicago Sessions engagement package is to evoke the look and feel of old film photographs of the 1960's and 1970's.  If you look closely, you will see that I added a bit of grain to some of the photos and a sepia tone in others.

One of the other features of this romantic photo shoot is to capture some of the architecture of the city while not taking attention away from the soon to be bride and groom.

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I think Thomas and Joanne were concerned about the incoming fog and rain, but I assured them this would add drama to our photographs.  Here are some of my favorites that feature the fog and all taken in the Millennium Park area.

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These guys had to maneuver some iced over steps to get down to the Chicago River for some true winter engagement photos....

Here is another one of my favorites with an almost Christmas like feel to it because of the snow covered trees....

Click here to see the entire gallery of Chicago engagement photos of Thomas and Joanne.

New Engagement Package: you, Your Fiance and Bruce Springsteen

In addition to the Chicago Sessions and beautiful local settings like Coffee Creek Park and The Dunes off Lake Michigan, I will now be offering up rock and roll icons.  That's right, for an extra added fee I will provide the rock icon of your choice.  Feeling like a blue collar troubadour?  Let me give Springsteen or Bob Dylan a quick ring.  Need some flannel shirt grunginess added to your black and white shots?  I offer you Eddie Vedder and the ghost of Kurt Kobain.  Kings of Leon are currently on tour and unavailable - sorry.

Where am I getting all this craziness from?  Check out this article on a professional engagement shoot with Bruce Springsteen as an unexpected guest.  Find it right here: Bruce Springsteen joins in on Engagement Session.  

FYI: Please, please, please don't hold me to this.  It's just a funny story and I have no way of conjuring up your favorite rock stars - alive or deceased!!  :)