Jennifer Kathryn Photography Blog

Tonya & Matt | Chicago River North | Engagement Session

There are two types of people when it comes to a certain haunted October holiday: those that pour their creative energies into coming up with the funniest, sexiest, or most innovative costumes…and those that just don’t care. Matt and Tonya are definitely the costume type. All the way. Which makes their meeting even more ironic. Tonya’s friends invited her out to a party a few days before Halloween. And so she came straight from work and showed up sans costume to the midweek party. Turns out she was the only one who wasn’t decked out that night. Well…except for Matt and the handful of friends he arrived with.  So when he spotted the beautiful blonde across the room, he had the perfect opening.  Soon they were laughing over drinks at their humorous faux pas, and the flames of a new relationship were sparked.  The thing I love most about Matt and Tonya is that, while incredibly polished and completely gorgeous (Tonya actually models part-time), they truly know how to have fun….and above all, laugh at themselves.  It’s this spunk and light-heartedness that will undoubtedly continue to keep their love fresh and alive for many years to come.  We spent the afternoon a couple of weeks ago in River North and downtown photographing the joy of their engagement.

I kind of have this thing for bridges. I’m borderline obsessed with them.  I get this euphoric kid-in-a-candy-store type of excitement, whether a structure as humble as my beloved Rochester bridge or as majestic as the Golden Gate bridge. And photographing such rugged aged beauty…..mmmm.   Throw in a gorgeous, fun couple, and I am in photo heaven.  Chicago certainly has no shortage of unique bridges. So when we made out way towards Wacker Drive after shooting various places on Chicago Avenue, I could hardly contain myself.  Tonya and Matt were fabulous! As a model, Tonya has a bit of flair for the dramatic…and she knew how to work it. Always the perfect balance, Matt played along, and we were also able to catch some more candid moments between them.

Along the riverwalk, we caught one of the boat tours passing by in front of Merchandise Mart.

Another thing I just LOVE about Chicago is that in the midst of magnificent architecture, one can always find a pretty park and some greenery!

I feel so fortunate to have spent the afternoon in River North with Matt and Tonya, walking around the streets of Chicago, reveling in how wrapped up they were in one another.  Thank you for allowing me a small glimpse into your lives for the day. Here’s to many more years of love, playfulness, and Halloween costumes!

Tags: Chicago, Chicago Engagement Session, Chicago Lifestyle Photography, Chicago Photographer, Chicago Photography, Chicago Wedding Photographers, Franklin Street Bridge, Jennifer Kathryn Photography, Merchandise Mart, River North, River Place on the Park, Wells Street Bridge
Posted in Engagement | 8 Comments »

Angel & Achint | Chicago Bucktown & Wicker Park | Engagement Session

Angel smiled shyly as Achint gently put his hand on the small of her back and led her to the rear of Ipsento Coffee.  Suzy and I greeted them enthusiastically, and they introduced us to Angel’s mother and sisters who had made the trip with them from Champaign to Chicago to take advantage of some city shopping. It had actually been Angel’s sister, Sarah, that first got in touch with me about the engagement session in Wicker Park, and we chatted excitedly while waiting for our coffee. Talent runs deep in the Scarbrough family, and I was thrilled to meet three of the five girls in their indie eclectic rock band, Seventeen Sisters.

We sipped coffee with Angel and Achint in the back of Ipsento getting to know them better and listening to the story of how they met. Every time I hear the events that conspired to bring a couple together I am moved, and their version of how a Mississippi girl and an Indian boy found love in Champaign, Illinois was no exception. In fact, it was beautiful. It is always my desire to reflect the authenticity of a couple’s relationship in my images, and the better I get to know them, the more intuitive this becomes. As we prepared for our shoot, Angel shared that while fun and adventurous, she and Achint are a private couple, conservative with public affection. It meant so much that they were trusting Suzy and me to capture such precious moments between them in light of this. There was a purity and simplicity to their strong, quiet love, and it was very moving.

As we were getting ready to leave Ipsento, I grabbed this shot of Angel and Achint. I just ADORE the decor here, especially the antique windows on the walls and doors as accents.

Armed with warm coffee and pastries, we ventured out into an unexpected blustery Chicago day to capture Angel and Achint’s celebration of their engagement.

Suzy captured some fantastic moments between them here in the alley too!

There is something about the grittiness and vibrant colors of the blue line stop at Damen that I just love! We spent some time shooting outside and then went up on the platform. While I was photographing this,

Suzy captured this view:

I really enjoy shooting as a team, not only because it makes the session more fun, but because there are two creative minds working together who see the same scene with such different eyes and catch details the other didn’t.

Here’s a shot directed and captured by Suzy, that so very well expresses the sweet, quiet affection between Angel and Achint:

While walking down the street to our next destination, I caught this, but no matter how hard we tried, we COULD NOT lose that guy next to them! So alas, here is his moment of fame.

Nancy, owner of Una Mae’s in Chicago was so gracious to allow us to spend some time in her boutique on Milwaukee. I have a weakness for this place and have already made several purchases here, including a pair of red fingerless gloves the day of the shoot after losing mine on the El!!

The warmth inside Una Mae’s after braving the elements lent us to more playfulness!

In spite of the cold, we had such a blast with Angel and Achint, and I’m so thankful to have gotten a small peak into their world. Huge thanks also goes to Suzy Rohan of Lily Red Design who was a fabulous second shooter and also played the roles of driver, mitten chaser, Starbucks scout and keeping me sane.

Tags: Chicago, Chicago Engagement Session, Chicago Lifestyle Photography, Chicago Photographer, Chicago Photography, Ipsento Coffee, Lily Red Design, Seventeen Sisters, Suzy Rohan, Una Mae's, Wicker Park
Posted in Engagement | 11 Comments »