Rainy Day Romantic Engagement Photos At Ogden Gardens Park

July 14, 2016 Steve Vansak

A kiss in the rain at Ogden Gardens Park in Valparaiso

When I arrived at the beautiful Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana for Kelly and John's engagement session, rain started to slowly drizzle down. Now, I love overcast days for pictures, but I wasn't sure if Kelly and John wanted to chance it. I gave them a call and they said "let's do it". I'm so glad they did as the raindrops added a unique element to many of our photos and the couple's lovely spirit of fun remained intact. If you look closely, you can see the droplets of water around them.

Some candid moments between two lovebirds during their engagement photos.

I love to take artistic and romantic engagement photos for couple's to show off in large prints in their home and also for Save the Date cards and a Wish Book for display at the reception. I also love to leave them alone and just let them be together for awhile to capture some candid moments.

Romantic engagement photos at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Kelly brought along an umbrella to match the greenery of Ogden Gardens and the rain just made things even more saturated in color. It was a wonderful session with a wonderful couple. I'm very much looking forward to their wedding at Sand Creek Country Club.

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The happy couple shares a kiss beneath the trees at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Guide To Great Engagement Photos

March 28, 2016 Steve Vansak

A couple takes a romantic stroll through the park littered with Fall leaves.

Spring is here!! Now is the time when couples start thinking about their engagement photos. This usually starts with the question of purpose (What are we going to do with these pictures?) and then moves on to location, time, etc.

Here are the top reasons clients choose an engagement session:

A chance to get professional images in a relaxed, non-rushed atmosphere. This usually means wearing casual clothes, not having to meet any deadlines and a great way to capture a "day in the life" of who you are as a couple.
Save The Date Cards: Usually you want to have your session at least 6 to 12 months in advance so you have time to get your cards designed and sent out.
Engagement photos make great decor for wedding day. Some clients will have large prints on display when guests enter the reception. Others will also have my unique Wish Book on display where friends and family answer fun questions about the couple. Guest Books with images on one side and sign in on the opposite page are also very popular.
Getting comfortable in front of the camera and getting to know your photographer. I don't think this should be the only reason for an engagement session as weddings are quite different than casually walking around taking engagement photos. However, if you are anxious about being in front of a camera, an engagement session will help and you will have some images that you will cherish forever.

Location, location, location...

Engagement photos in various Northwest Indiana locations.

I often get asked where the "best spots" are. Let's start with what you want to convey in your images. Who are you as a couple? In the collage of images above, we have romantic walks in the park, indoor shots at a local museum and movie theater as well as as casual strolls on the beach at sunset. Here are some locations from past sessions:

Lemon Lake Park is one of my favorite locations and I now have a membership at Taltree Arboretum. These are great spots to showcase nature. I've also had clients take me onto private property such as family farmland, etc.
The beach (especially at sunset) is very popular. The national lakeshore now requires permits and scheduling, but I do know a beautiful beach area that does not require this.
Hometown sessions are great and I have done them in the Crown Point Square as well as Valparaiso. Imagine going skating at the new rink in downtown Valpo or window shopping the antique stores.
Date night. Let's talk to one of your favorite area restaurants and ask them if I can photograph you from afar as you drink wine and eat your meal. Let's do some night time images in a downtown area and capture the street lights and a romantic night time feel.
Chicago is one of my favorite places. If having the skyscrapers and the energy of the windy city suits you as a couple, then my Chicago Session is for you. More on that below.

A couple sits on a bench at Buckley Homestead in Lowell, Indiana.

Various images of Chicago engagement sessions.

I try to make all of my sessions a casual, fun time and as natural as possible. However, as you can see above, a dip in the middle of a busy Chicago street is going to need to be planned out a little. Here are my top tips for a Chicago Engagement Session:

Travel light. Feel free to bring a change of clothes if you'd like or a prop, but keep in mind that we will be walking a lot and a busy city can easily see your bag walk away while we are not looking. Jackets look great against a city backdrop, so this session is good for all times of year.
Let's take a break to refresh during your session. This would be a good time for a Starbucks visit and an opportunity to change outfits if you'd like.
I'm all for going to different locations. We have gone to Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park area, and night shots off the lake. Keep in mind that we will have to watch the clock to catch our train back and that taking an Uber is better than driving ourselves or taking the L train.

A couple kisses on the rail at the Chicago River with skyscrapers behind them.

No matter which session you choose or which location, just remember to be yourself and have fun. I have two different sessions to choose from with two variations upon them - Save the Date Cards, Wish Books and Guest Books are all available after the session and we review the images.

Local Engagement

$350.00

1 hour of photography by Steve Vansak
$50 Print Credit
Digital images via download (hi-resolution, includes printing rights)
Online photo gallery and ordering

Quantity:

Chicago Session

$500.00

3 hour of photography by Steve Vansak in Chicago
$50 Print Credit
Digital images via download (hi-resolution, includes printing rights)
Online photo gallery and ordering

Quantity:

Trees reflect their Fall color onto Lemon Lake during an Autumn engagement session.

Fall Engagement Photos At Lemon Lake Park

November 5, 2015 Steve Vansak

Engagement photo with Fall colors reflecting off the lake.

I have a bit of a history with Amanda and Zach. See, I took Amanda's senior pictures a number of years ago. Then I started to see her as a guest at many of the weddings I was shooting. Soon I noticed she was slow dancing with the same guy at the receptions. Oh oh, I see a budding romance here!!

It was a thrill to photograph their Fall engagement session at Lemon Lake County Park with the Fall colors at their fullest. We started with the sun still high and peeking thru the trees and went until sunset.

The sun peek through the trees at a Fall engagement photo session.

I asked these two to have a seat on the many logs around the park and chat for awhile for some intimate candid photos. We also took a walk deep into the swampy section of the lake for a moody silhouette. Of course, a smiling portrait was in order too.

Autumn engagement photos at Lemon Lake County Park.

The Great Leaf Fight Championship of 2015 saw a truce occur between the soon to be married couple. Truth be told, I do think Zach landed a few more leaves than Amanda. Perhaps we can have a rematch at the wedding!!

An engaged couple has a leaf fight for their photo session.

The orange and yellow colored trees reflecting off of the lake was simply breathtaking. As the couple snuggled on the pier, I captured them with the reflections as our backdrop.

A young couple snuggles on the pier as trees reflect onto the lake.

Our session ended with a final stroll along the lakefront and showing off the special Starbucks cup as the couple kissed in the background.

A stroll among the Autumn leaves at Lemon Lake County Park.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Amanda and Zach's Autumn engagement photos at Lemon Lake County Park. Stay tuned here and on social media for more updates.

Fall Engagement Photos At Taltree Arboretum In Valparaiso, Indiana

October 22, 2015 Steve Vansak

A burst of sun appears over the lake at Taltree Aboretum.

Ashley is a runner and Taltree Arboretum is one of her exercise spots. When she asked if I thought it was a good location for her and Kevin's Fall engagement photos, I did not hesitate to say yes. This is a beautiful location and we certainly took advantage of it.

This scenic destination located in Valparaiso offers up gardens, a lake, wooded areas and beautiful fields.

Engagement photos at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana.

A kiss underneath the the tall trees of Taltree Arboretum.

As you can see from the above images, we can get several different looks in the same location with many different paths to get into the shade or let some sun peak through.

The leaves were golden red and golden orange!! So many different colors on display in this hidden Oasis for the soon to married couple's engagement photos.

An Autumn engagement session at Taltree Aboretum.

We decided to end our session with a photo amid the rolling hills for some wonderful scenic landscape. I'm so glad to have captured our happy couple with that wonderful pastel sky as a backdrop.