It’s not secret that Lincoln Park in Chicago is one of my favorite places to photograph engagement sessions. The park provides what I love the most about this part of the city. An easy access to nature with an urban feel when it’s needed. The crown jewel of the Lincoln Park is the North Pond. The waterway is an attraction not only to humans but many species of birds and animals. I truly believe that being close to nature helps calm our couples during their portrait sessions and one of the main reasons why I love so much to photograph close to nature.

North Pond is also the name of a cool restaurant, within the park, and where I met Amanda and Alex on the day of this shoot. Before we started taking pictures we chatted a bit while they enjoyed a glass of wine at the restaurant’s bar. Connecting with the couple prior to photographing them is pretty important to me so it was nice to find a place where we could sit, relax, learn more about their history and wedding plans and not only be there to “take pictures.” The session started with the walks on the trails up to the small pier at North Pond. Afterwards we explored the trails near Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which has a pretty mesmerizing architecture in my opinion. Our last stop was the North Avenue beach where we caught a sunset and created some pretty rad portraits with Chicago’s famous skyline. I think the evening was very special for all of us and the session felt as an exploration of the place that feels familiar but offers something new every time I photograph there.