Engagement Photos At Porter County Municipal Airport

September 26, 2016 Steve Vansak

A romantic kiss in front of a vintage airplane.

Every good flight requires proper planning - instrument panels must be inspected, destinations must be mapped out, propellers and engine checked. Most of all, a good travel companion must be selected!! All this and more was accomplished at Emily and Todd's engagement session at Porter County Municipal Airport in Valparaiso, Indiana. (Click images to enlarge)

Romantic travel plans at Porter County Municipal Airport.

Will Todd being flying alone on this trip? Will Emily board the aircraft by herself? Of course, any journey between lovers must have a long goodbye, complete with a romantic stroll upon the airport tarmac...

Romantic engagement photos at Porter County Municipal Airport in Valparaiso, Indiana.

A young couple in front of a vintage airplane with it's propellors spinning.

Perhaps this journey requires Emily and Todd to travel together. As the sun begins to set, a decision must be made....

The groom to be dips his bride to be on the tarmac at Porter County Municipal Airport.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” - Leonardo da Vinci

The sun sets over the airplane hangar in an aviation themed engagement portrait.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Emily and Todd's engagement session at Porter County Airport in Valparaiso, Indiana. Stay tuned to social media channels below for more images. To inquire about your wedding date or an engagement session, please fill out the Contact Form here.

Cute Engagement Photos At Taltree Arboretum

August 9, 2016 Steve Vansak

Two Chicago Cubs fans kiss in a field at Taltree Arboretum for their engagement photos.

Shane and Tiffany's big request for their engagement photos at Taltree Arboretum was to show off their jerseys for their beloved Chicago Cubs. No problem!!

We started off the engagement session with this cute couple strolling around the beautiful nature park with it's many colorful flowers and picturesque lake.

A cute couple takes a stroll besides the lake at Taltree Arboretum with a big ball of sun in the sky.

We photographed in the nearby woods as well as the garden area before Tiffany and Shane displayed their Cubs fandom and promoted their upcoming 2016 wedding. Tiffany's ring looked spectacular and we definitely needed to show that off for a few shots.

Cute engagement photos at Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Engagement photo at the nature retreat of Taltree Arboretum.

I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek look at Tiffany and Shane's engagement session at Taltree Arboretum. At this writing the Chicago Cubs lead the National League in wins. Later this year we will be celebrating this couple's wedding, but I have a feeling a pennant celebration will also be in order!! World series win? This will be an October wedding!! :)

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.

To inquire about your wedding date, please fill out the Contact Form today.

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

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