Downtown Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session | Kylie + Carson
Kylie and Carson’s little family is so supremely sweet, and I’m beyond stoked to have the privilege of covering photo and video for their wedding in 2022. Their morning engagement session was a last-minute addition that I’m so happy we were able to fit in!
Kylie and Carson’s little family is so supremely sweet, and I’m beyond stoked to have the privilege of covering photo and video for their wedding in 2022. Their morning downtown Peoria engagement session was a last-minute addition that I’m so happy we were able to fit in!
The light and the humans in my camera were absolute magic. Peep some of my favorites!
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Becky + Michael - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
What a lovely St. Louis engagement session with a lovely couple! Becky, Michael, and I ran around City Garden and the Mural Mile in St. Louis for a while and made some straight-up magic.
What a lovely St. Louis engagement session with a lovely couple! Becky, Michael, and I ran around City Garden and the Mural Mile in St. Louis for a while and made some straight-up magic. We dodged a rowdy car show, chatted podcast, and swapped photos of our dogs.
Overall, a 10/10 evening! Check out some of my faves below!
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Macie + Blaine - Pere Marquette State Park Engagement Session
I’m obsessed with these beautiful people! Their Pere Marquette engagement session was all I wanted out of my Saturday evening. After a rainy weekend, the sun came out to play for Macie and Blaine’s photos.
I’m obsessed with these beautiful people! Their Pere Marquette engagement session was all I wanted out of my Saturday evening. After a rainy weekend, the sun came out to play for Macie and Blaine’s photos. Needless to say, I’m very excited to get them in front of my lens on their wedding day!
They also have a dog named Pesci. How cute is that???
Pesci 2024. Scroll on down for some of my favorites from Macie and Blaine’s engagement session at Pere Marquette State Park!
Brianne + Loren - Southern Illinois Engagement Session
Brianne and Loren are such sweet folks with, obviously, the cutest pups! I’m a sucker for a good hunting dog… We spent some time on their family’s farm land, and hopped around to another couple of cool spots around Gillespie for some late-evening photos. It was a blast!
I’m overjoyed to share some of my favorite images from Brianne and Loren’s engagement session!
I’m really excited for their wedding coming up soon in August at The Hangar, so this engagement session was perfectly timed for them to get some photos before their big day and for us as photographer+couple to get to know each other!
Brianne and Loren are such sweet folks with, obviously, the cutest pups! I’m a sucker for a good hunting dog… We spent some time on their family’s farm land, and hopped around to another couple of cool spots around Gillespie for some late-evening photos. It was a blast!
Eric + Megan (and Rex) - St. Louis, Missouri Couple's Session
Thanks for the hangs, Eric and Megan! Thanks for letting me pet you, Rex. Check out some of my favorites from this Carondelet Park couple’s shoot!
How can I describe the first time I met him? When I first locked eyes with this man, I knew he’d be the kindest, most gentle soul that I’d ever encountered. He’s got the biggest heart, the longest tongue, and the maximum amount of legs that he can have. Four legs, that is. Oh, you thought I was talking about Eric? No, I’m talking about Rex, the King of Dogs™.
But also Eric and Megan are super rad, extremely kind, and a ton of fun to photograph. It was amazing to see them open up throughout the session and really get into the flow of having their photos taken. Eric has been a good friend of mine since college but, thanks to a stubborn little virus, I’ve only been able to chat with Megan virtually. So, when Eric told me he wanted to book a couple’s session for Megan’s birthday, of course I was a billion percent for it!
Thanks for the hangs, Eric and Megan! Thanks for letting me pet you, Rex.
Check out some of my favorites from this Carondelet Park couple’s shoot!
It’s true, they are extremely cute. Need some photos with you and your significant other in them?
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Akia + Darren - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
This was, by far the coldest engagement session that I’ve ever done, but of some of the warmest souls that I’ve ever photographed! While their wedding is at another venue entirely, I have to give a shoutout to the kind folks at Boo Cat Club for giving us an indoor venue in which to take some beautiful photos and keep out of the frigid temps for a little while!
This was, by far the coldest engagement session that I’ve ever done, but of some of the warmest souls that I’ve ever photographed!
Darren and Akia’s recent engagement session was 6 months before their wedding in August, which I’m super excited for, of course! While their wedding is at another venue entirely, I have to give a shoutout to the kind folks at Boo Cat Club for giving us an indoor venue in which to take some beautiful photos and keep out of the frigid temps for a little while!
Since their little girl was tagging along with us for the first part of the session, we wanted to make sure she was part of the indoor photos so she wouldn’t freeze her little toes off. After we were done there, we went to Art Hill in Forest Park to snag a few outdoor images! Here's where things got…. numb.
It was a -4° wind chill that evening. For most cold sessions, I like to provide my couples with a set of hand warmers to help the extremities stay at least a little toasty but, seriously, NOTHING was going to keep us comfortable when it’s -4 and windy.
At the end of the day, Darren and Akia absolutely crushed it and we came away with some photos that really capture their joyful souls in some really beautiful settings. Check it out below!
Akia’s Makeup was done by the amazing Damund Omar.
Hair was done by the astounding Sherry Daggs.
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Amanda + Alex - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
This St. Louis engagement session was an insane amount of fun! Amanda and Alex are fantastic people. Check out this blog if you want to see some cool photos of a great couple and get some tips on how to plan a zoo engagement session!
St. Louis Forest Park and Delmar Loop Engagement Photography
This St. Louis engagement session was an insane amount of fun! Amanda and Alex are fantastic people. If you’ve been keeping your eye on the St. Louis culinary scene, you may have seen this feature that Sauce Magazine did on Alex’s work and career. So sick!
We took engagement photos in the St. Louis Zoo, the Steinberg Skating Rink, and finished the evening off with a lap around the Loop. If you’re wanting to do engagement photos at the St. Louis Zoo, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, because of COVID guidelines, the zoo is operating at a limited capacity so you need to make reservations in advance of your visit. I went ahead and did this in a few minutes for all 3 of us!
Second, keep away from busy paths and high-traffic areas. To take the photo, the photographer will likely want you two to take off your masks. Stay off the beaten path and respect your distance from others, and you’ll still make some great images.
Finally, make sure you call to clear the commercial shoot with management. Make your reservation, stay socially distanced, and call ahead to make sure you’re good to go!
If you’re looking to get some engagement photos done at the St. Louis Zoo, I hope this helped you a little bit. Other than that, keep scrolling and bask in the awesomeness of Amanda and Alex! BONUS if you can guess what their nicknames for each other are…
Stephanie + Zach - Highland, Illinois Engagement Session
Stephanie and Zach’s late-fall engagement session in Highland, Illinois at Silver Lake Park was gorgeous! We did this session during a week where I had about 6 other shoots and, let me tell you what, every single one had this amazing, warm light.
Stephanie and Zach’s late-fall engagement session in Highland, Illinois at Silver Lake Park was gorgeous! We did this session during a week where I had about 6 other shoots and, let me tell you what, every single one had this amazing, warm light. Throw in an awesome couple and a handsome German Shorthaired Pointer, and you’ve got a recipe for beautiful photos!
We spent about an hour and a half taking a lap around the park, hiding behind bushes and trees, and dodging errant frisbees sailing through the air. Some of our talking points were as follows:
Dogs, obviously.
Law school…… obviously?
Puppies, which is dogs.
RuneScape. Yep.
Hope you dig these photos. I’m really lucky to get to know folks like this through my work. I’m a big fan of Stephanie and Zach, and I think you’ll be too!
Does the thought of having boring wedding photos make you sad like in one of those lame infomercials? I can make you not sad (about the photos, specifically)!
Moses and Emily - Greenville, Illinois Engagement Photography
I’m so excited to share a bit of Moses and Emily’s engagement session with you! I think we were met with probably the best light I’ve ever seen in my whole dang life. That, paired with these two awesome humans made for a session for the books! I shot, like, DOUBLE the amount that I normally shoot for a session like this. They were that good.
Engagement Session Photography in Southern Illinois
I’m so excited to share a bit of Moses and Emily’s engagement session with you! I think we were met with probably the best light I’ve ever seen in my whole dang life. That, paired with these two awesome humans made for a session for the books! I shot, like, DOUBLE the amount that I normally shoot for a session like this. They were that good.
Emily and Moses are such a sweet couple with a great sense of adventure and joy. They were down for anything! Stare into the sun for a second? You got it. Lay down in the leaves and trust that I won’t drop my camera on their faces? Done. Moses is also a kick-butt blacksmith. I know, cool, right? Check out his work here.
Take a sec and look through all this warm, vibrant goodness. Emily and Moses, you are rockstars!
Recently engaged? Need a dude with a camera? I’m a dude and have, like, FIVE cameras
Kaitlyn + Trey - Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session
Check out Kaitlyn and Trey’s chilly Peoria, IL engagement session at Laura Bradley Park! Also, read within for a secret, bonus blog post about how to survive these wintry engagement sessions…
Engagement Session at Laura Bradley Park in Peoria, Illinois
We had a blast running around Bradley Park in Peoria, and I couldn’t be happier for Kaitlyn and Trey! I went to high school with Kaitlyn and we sang in our school’s Madrigal choir together, so we go way back! Currently, Kaitlyn and Trey own and run a totally awesome pizza restaurant called 460 Pizza. If you’re in the Peoria area, check them out!
As if they couldn’t get any cooler, they were troopers throughout this entire session. It was 25°F, after all! This leads us right into the sub-blog, or, the blog within the blog, if you will. How to survive a sub-freezing engagement session!
Tips For Surviving Your Chilly Engagement Session
Hot Hands! You know, those little bags of mobile hand, saving heat? Use them, love them, keep them on your person. I picked up about 20 packs of them the morning of this session, and they were a WELCOME addition to those moments when we were walking from place to place. To all my future clients, I got you covered!!!
Donuts! They don’t keep you warm, and they may freeze by the end of the session, but they still taste good and I got a dozen for the three of us as treats after the shoot. We had leftovers, and I ate so many!
Easy-on, easy-off jackets! Dress warm enough under the jacket that you won’t freeze to death, but choose a jacket with a zipper rather than buttons. Throw some hot hands in the interior pockets, and with a quick zip, you’ll be on a train to warm-town in seconds. We laugh in the face of hypothermia!
Coffee. Useful for your sanity on any normal day, useful for keeping yourself warm during a sub-freezing engagement session. This one is a no-brainer.
And there you have it! Scroll on down and enjoy a few of my favorites from Kaitlyn and Trey’s session!
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Josie + Cole - Alton, Illinois Engagement Session
I’m elated that I get to photograph such an amazing couple like Josie and Cole! They’re a blast to photograph, and take my weird and wonky instructions like TOTAL champs. We spent the evening taking their engagement photos in Alton, IL: both in downtown Alton and at Gordon Moore Park.
I’m elated that I get to photograph such an amazing couple like Josie and Cole! They’re a blast to photograph, and take my weird and wonky instructions like TOTAL champs. We spent the evening taking their engagement photos in Alton, IL: both in downtown Alton and at Gordon Moore Park. I took way more photos than I usually do at engagement sessions, but I had to! These two looked so good!
I’m loving the amount of blogging I’m doing lately. Though I often struggle to hit Google’s SEO word count recommendations (and may not even hit it here), I find so much value in showing shorter visual stories for each couple as opposed to the one or two photos they may get featured in my portfolio section. I feel like this is such a more accurate depiction of the couple and how they interact with each other.
For photographers: I used my Nikon 45mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens pretty frequently in this shoot. It still was only on maybe 10% of the overall session, but that’s significant for a specialty lens like this one. It’s super sharp when you nail the plane of focus, and the color renditioning is top-notch. It’s definitely one of the pricer lenses in my bag, so I kinda need it to be as sharp as it is. The rest of the session was done with my 58mm 1.4G and my 24mm 1.4G lenses. These are what I shoot 98% of all my photos on. They get me in the action, they’re sharp, they’re reliable, and they render perfectly. Take a look, if you dare.
Getting engaged? Already engaged? Not engaged yet but thinking about it? I’m your photo guy!
Andrew + Kristen - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
Kristen and Andrew’s St. Louis engagement session in Downtown and Lafayette park!
Just another gorgeous evening spent with gorgeous people. I had so much fun hanging out with Kristen and Andrew during their session as we took advantage of the fantastic light and quoted movies that Rotten Tomatoes definitely rated too low. Check out some of my favorites below!
Lauri + Matt - Peoria, Illinois Creative Engagement Session
Lauri and Matt’s Peoria, Illinois engagement session! Check out some of my favorites!
I had such a blast hanging out with Matt and Lauri for their Peoria, Illinois engagement session! We started the session in Donovan Park, and eventually worked our way over to Peoria Heights for the rest of the session.
Pro tip: If there is a seemingly abandoned yet cute-looking couch in the middle of a park that is popular with photographers, do not approach said couch. It is a trap and you will be asked by another photographer to leave the immediate vicinity.
Chelsea + Mason - Peoria, Illinois Creative Engagement Session
A gorgeous sunrise joined Chelsea and Mason during their engagement session in Peoria, Illiniois.
Chelsea and Mason’s sunrise engagement session in Peoria is a story. A story of trials, a story of challenges, a story of redemption…
Which really means we couldn’t find the trailhead to the park we wanted to visit so we spent some time at a random playground in a trailer park.
In all seriousness, I’ve been wanting to do a sunrise session for a VERY long time. We started on the Peoria riverfront, and made our way over to Rocky Glen park! Some last-minute weather issues made this possible, and it turned out fantastic! Here are a few of my favorites from that morning.
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Michalah + Zach - Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session
I love the pictures I made with Michalah and Zach. Checkout out some highlights from their Peoria, IL engagement session.
We had to push the day of this shoot twice. I’m very very glad that happened. The conditions for this shoot were just perfect!
It was also just great to do a shoot on my home turf. There is something very special about couples from my home town. I love it.
Heather + Coleman - Springfield, Illinois Engagement Session
Heather and Coleman’s Springfield, Illinois Engagement Session. EPIC.
What a fantastic couple, and an EPIC set of photos we made together. Heather and Coleman are an absolute hoot to hang out with (they love music, and puppies, and DnD!!! ❤️).
Their joyful natures shine through these photos, I believe, and I cannot wait to shoot their big day!
Check out some of my favorites from their session below!
If you or someone you love needs cool pics… Hit me up!
Elizabeth + Scott - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
Elizabeth and Scott’s Forest Park engagement session!
From my first meeting with Elizabeth and Scott, I knew they were gonna be tons of fun! Scott is a super talented potter, and Elizabeth is a painter and raises German Shepherds! Art and puppies: an obvious match made in heaven.
I can’t wait to see what we make on their wedding day! See some of my favorites from their engagement session below. ❤️
Makeup By Ashley Boren
Hair By Katie Evers
Max + Abigail - Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session
Max and Abigail’s Peoria, Illinois engagement session!
I can’t get enough of the deep greens and golden light from Max and Abigail’s engagement session. Please enjoy some of my favorites!
PSA: If you or someone you know is in need of some photos, contact me today!
Emma + Kurt - Hillsboro, Illinois Engagement Session
Emma and Kurt’s Hillsboro, Illinois engagement session!
Summary of my evening with Emma and Kurt:
Saw some puppies. They barked at me.
Saw some goats. The did NOT bark at me.
Made some really beautiful photographs with the people below.
I met Emma at this wedding that I recently shot. Turns out, it was a great connection because she and Kurt are two really fantastic and kind people, and that just shines through in the photos below. Scroll to see some of my favorites!
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Mary + Austin - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
Beautiful people and a gorgeous city in bloom make Austin and Mary’s engagement session one for the books. Click to see more!
Austin and Mary were absolutely stunning! They last-minute wanted to do an engagement session (their wedding is in less than a month) and I couldn't have been more excited, even more so when I saw the cool stuff we made.
We took Lafayette Square by storm and made some art that is as beautifully unique as they are. Some of my favorites can be found below.
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