Last Friday, I had the honor of photographing our fellow church members Kevin and Katina to celebrate their engagement.

We wandered around the Millenium Park/Grant Park area for about 2 hours. The grass was green, the flowers in bloom, and the light was just perfect.

By the end of it, my dress was soaked through with sweat and my hair was clinging to my scalp in damp wads, but you’d never guess that they were uncomfortable at all. They looked fresh as flowers, I tell you. Sigh. I guess that’s what young love will do for you.

I was a little nervous since the only ‘official’ photo shoot I’ve done was for the Barretts last year, and that was at the height of my inexperience. Harsh shadows, overexposure, underexposure–it was certainly at the low end of my learning curve.

But I had no reason to fear this occasion–they were so photogenic.

So willing to comply as I put on my Bossy Pants and shouted “Now kiss her! Now look into his eyes like you’re seeing him for the first time!”

“Now lift her! Tilt your chin a little more to the left! Now do a pirouette on your head and dive into that fountain!”

I love telling people to do pirouettes on their heads.

One of my favorite things was finding ways to interact with the city itself. Like the beautiful curve of these columns . . .

. . . or the infamous metallic bean.

The busy city streets . . .

. . . or this empty paved lot:

Where else in the world are you going to come across a big empty stage graced with some abandoned and rusty chairs?

Capturing the beauty of our city along with the beauty of these lovebirds was a blast. I’d do it again any day.

At least any day that wasn’t 90 degrees.

Here’s a lil’ slideshow of some of my favorite shots. Enjoy!