Wrigley Building Engagement Photos at Sunset | Joanna & Anthony

Joanna and Anthony came to me through a bride whose wedding I photographed last year. I always take that kind of introduction to heart. It means someone trusted me with their own wedding and thought of me when someone they cared about was planning theirs. After spending an evening with these two, I was especially glad she put us in touch. They’re both so sweet, and I had the best time with them.

We started their autumn engagement session at the Wrigley Building, made our way along the Chicago Riverwalk, and ended at North Avenue Beach as the sun went down. Some of my favorite photographs from the evening are the portraits we made with Chicago’s architecture. Others are the moments that happened in between, when Joanna and Anthony were just enjoying being together.

Starting at the Wrigley Building

The Wrigley Building gives me so much to work with as a photographer. The pale facade, the arches, and the scale of the building can all change how a portrait feels depending on where I stand and how much of the architecture I bring into the frame. With Joanna and Anthony, I wanted a few wider portraits that gave the building its due, alongside closer frames that let their expressions carry the photograph.

I loved having room for both. I could take a moment to compose a portrait around the architecture, then keep shooting as the two of them relaxed back into their conversation. When I look through their gallery, those little shifts are part of what makes it feel like an evening I spent with Joanna and Anthony.

Along the Chicago Riverwalk

Once we moved down to the Riverwalk, there was more room to photograph them in motion. I could give them a little direction, then let them walk together while I paid attention to what happened on the way. Those are often the photographs I’m most excited to see when I get home and pull up a gallery. A few seconds between portraits can tell you so much about how two people are together.

The Riverwalk also gave us a different view of downtown. After working so closely with the lines of the Wrigley Building, I could pull back and let the river and the buildings across it set the scene.

The last light at North Avenue Beach

By the time we got to North Avenue Beach, the sun was going down. After spending the first part of the session with buildings all around us, I loved seeing the skyline from a distance and giving Joanna and Anthony more space in the frame. It felt like a natural place to slow down and finish the evening.

I’m looking forward to seeing these two again in December for their wedding at Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont. One of my favorite parts of doing an engagement session is arriving on the wedding day already knowing what it’s like to spend time together. We get to pick up where we left off, this time with all their favorite people there.

If you’re planning your own photos and love the idea of spending part of the evening downtown and ending by the lake, you can explore my Chicago engagement photography experience.