It's uncommon for us to meet a couple for the very first time at their engagement session. The situation leaves everyone a little on edge because we are hoping the couple will be fun and relaxed in front of the camera, and the couple is hoping that we will make them feel at ease and get some really great photos of them. Thankfully, with Megan and Guy the initial uncertainty melted away almost immediately. It felt like we had known them for a while because they were easy to get along with, casual, and fun!

One of the first things we noticed was that Megan wore a bright colored dress with some awesome 3-inch heels -- and then proceeded to hike 2 miles from Millennium Park to Adler Planetarium in those heels with ease. Color us impressed! Guy had a great sense of humor and was incredibly sweet to Megan. His down-to-earth personality and their go-with-the-flow attitudes made their e-session a piece of cake.

The cute moments came very naturally to them. We hardly ever prompted them to hold hands or kiss for a photo because they were already doing that candidly, which made our jobs really easy. They clearly make each other very happy. :]

Megan and Guy -- it was so great getting to know you. Thanks for being such troopers with all the walking and unexpectedly frigid winds. (Perhaps it was good practice for your upcoming winter wedding?) ;] We can't wait to be part of your special day in December.

They're back! Do you recognize Chayal and Emil without the Holi powder all over them? ;]

For this more "conventional" second half of their e-session we headed downtown to their favorite spots around the DuSable Bridge on Michigan Ave. It was quite a contrast to running around a park throwing colorful powder, but their fun-loving natures still shone through as they made each other smile and laugh. (We're not sure how Chayal kept smiling while braving the cold Chicago winds and near-freezing temps in a skirt without a jacket!) o_O

Emil & Chayal -- we had a great time working with you again and can't wait to celebrate and photograph your wedding this spring! Enjoy these images in the meanwhile!

Alicia and I had the pleasure of getting to know Justin and Rachel on a service trip to West Virginia a couple years back. Rachel is a nurse, and Justin is a med school classmate of Alicia's at Stritch -- so I'm sure you can imagine that among the four of us, it was quite a challenge to find a time to do their e-session! Thankfully we were able to find just over an hour to squeeze in some shots around Millennium Park and Michigan Ave.

Having less time than usual was no trouble for these two -- their positive attitudes, laid back natures, and comfort with each other after years of friendship had them looking natural and casual in front of the camera right away. (If you've followed our blog in the past, you can probably see a pattern of these traits that make our clients so fun to work with.)  :]  They know just how to make each other laugh and smile and are obviously excited to get married.

Rachel and Justin -- you make such an awesome couple, and we can't wait for your wedding this spring!

Allayne and Mike are great -- for proof, just see their awesome Wrigley Field e-session. We were really looking forward to capturing their wedding day at Garfield Park Conservatory, and it didn't disappoint!

After covering Allayne and her bridesmaids getting ready at the Paul Mitchell salon, we met up with Mike and his groomsmen for the couple's "first look" at Pritzker Pavilion before heading to their ceremony and reception at the conservatory. The weather was perfect, and the guests were pumped to see these two to tie the knot. Allayne and Mike couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear all day. Have you ever smiled so much that your cheeks hurt the next day? Well that's the kind of day they were having. ;] Their ceremony was beautiful, the toasts heartwarming, and the dance floor was packed all night.

Allayne and Mike -- thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your big day. It was truly a joy working with you, and we wish you all the best in your marriage and future! :]

Emil is one of Alicia's med school classmates, and he and his fiancée, Chayal, decided they wanted to throw Holi powder for part of their e-session. Colorful, whimsical, and fun -- it fit their personalities perfectly, so we enthusiastically agreed!

Emil & Chayal -- this was an awesome idea for your e-session. Thank you so much for choosing us to shoot it! We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to the more "conventional" second half of your e-session later this fall!

Julie and Tim's wedding was a beautiful affair from start to finish, beginning at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lombard where Julie has been a member her whole life, and ending at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge -- a lush and beautiful venue for a wedding reception. Both of their awesome families were present in full force, clearly very excited to be present for this occasion!

Remarkably, everyone remained positive and upbeat all day despite a heat index of 104°F, letting their excitement for Julie and Tim overcome any personal discomfort they may have been feeling. For afternoon photos we brought a few umbrellas for portable shade, and they just happened to make for great colorful props as well -- what a coincidence! ;] Seriously -- a big thanks to the bridal party for putting up with the weather for our outdoor photos with smiling faces! And as always, special props to my beautiful and talented wife, Alicia, for second shooting with grace and charm. :D

Julie & Tim -- you two were clearly meant for each other. Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day and for being so flexible and fun to work with. And enjoy your images!

Our third photo session with the McCarthy family was the most fun yet. :] They now have two adorable daughters, and we had a great time photographing the girls playing at a local park followed by some bubble fun back at the McCarthy home.

Cate is currently a huge fan of Disney's Tangled with the long locks to prove it. Libby is the spitting image of a younger Cate and definitely in a curiosity/exploration phase. She seemed perplexed when Cate started blowing bubbles -- but after trying to eat them for a few minutes, she got the idea. ;]

Ginny & Michael -- thanks so much for working with us again, and enjoy your images. :]

The Transit of Venus is a rare event that happened last in 2004 and, after today, won't happen again until 2117. Thankfully today's transit was visible from Chicago, on a cloudless day, and I had a great setup to be able to capture it right at sunset.

To top it all off, the flight path of O'Hare International Airport passes between the roof deck of our apartment building and the sunset at this time of year. Plenty of people will have photos of Venus crossing the sun, but I was lucky enough to get a few that included landing planes -- and here are the best two. Enjoy!

Captured with a Nikon D800 (1.5x 18MP DX crop) + Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens + Nikon TC-20E III 2x Teleconverter -- total effective focal length: 900mm

UPDATE: The second photo has been picked up by a couple of my favorite blogs (Wired Science | PetaPixel)! :]

If you found this post through a news link and are interested in a license to publish one of these images or would like to know if/when I make prints available for sale, please email me.

UPDATE 2: Here are some close-ups!

After Kayla and John's wedding festivities, we had a few days to experience the beauty of Maui and take some photos. My brother (and second photographer), Lawson, was accompanied by his girlfriend, Wendy -- and my cousin, Travis, and his girlfriend, Emmy, also came along. (Whew -- that was a lot of commas!) Emmy is an aerial dance instructor and runs Iluminar Aerial with Travis in Colorado. They were great sports and did some awesome poses in some of the most beautiful spots on the island!

Unfortunately, this trip ended somewhat tragically for me... While touring the Road to Hana, I took a nasty slip down a hill, breaking my ankle in three places. After a 90 minute drive to the ER and two loooong flights home in a splint, I had an ORIF surgery (thanks, Dr. Summers!) followed by several months of rehabilitation. Thankfully it happened towards the end of our trip, and I am pretty much back to normal now. :]

I hope you enjoy these glimpses of Maui!

Here's a recap in case you missed Kaitlyn and Amilcar's engagement photos... Amilcar is from Peru, and his visa was recently approved to come to the U.S. so he and Kaitlyn could get married.

Unfortunately, I broke my ankle only a month before their wedding, requiring surgery. I thought I would have to find a substitute photographer to take my place, but Kaitlyn was extremely flexible and kind and told me they would do whatever it took to make it work. I was humbled by her confidence in me, so I decided to give it a try! I rented a knee scooter to get around with my cast, and it worked quite well. I'll let you judge the results for yourself. :]

We started the day taking portraits downtown. It was raining that day, but Kaitlyn's maid of honor, Meghan, was able to hook us up with access to a very nice office building where her father works. (Thanks, Meghan!) We also ducked into the Field Museum after dark to stay out of the rain. A lot of other people had the same idea, but we still had a fun time shooting there.

Their wedding ceremony and reception were at Rios D'Sudamerica, a Peruvian restaurant downtown. (If you're ever there, try the Arroz con Mariscos -- delicious!!) Amilcar's family was back home in Peru, but they were able to watch the ceremony via Skype. Meghan gave one of the most touching toasts I have ever heard -- first in Spanish (so Amilcar could understand), then in English. The wedding guests were in high spirits -- it was clear that everyone was happy that this day had finally arrived for Kaitlyn and Amilcar. Many of them were dancing until the last song, and at the very end of the night, I couldn't resist joining in myself on my knee scooter. ;]

Kaitlyn and Amilcar -- felicidades! Congratulations on your marriage, and enjoy your life together! :]

Special thanks to my lovely wife and second photographer, Alicia, who was indispensable in helping me shoot this wedding with a broken leg!