Sarah and Seth’s Engagement Session: From the Train Station to the Harbor

It was a quarter till 8, just past dawn. I sat waiting for the couple on a wooden bench in the middle of Union Station in downtown Chicago. The grand marble staircase where federal agents had their bloody shoot-out with Al Capone in The Untouchables was to my right. In front of me morning light streamed through the two-story high windows, cutting sharp angles through the shadows.

I checked my gear one-more time, replayed Dwight and Nicole’s “Move Right”.  Just as the two lovers’ musical tones rose from a soft coo to a strong call in my headphones, I spotted Sarah and Seth walking in the distance. Seth wore dark denim with chacos and a plain gray cotton t-shirt, and Sarah wore a black pencil skirt and red top, classic and elegant,  recalling my memory of her from our first introduction.

We hugged, talked of our journeys here, and quickly found the place of ease between the three of us that would last throughout the engagement session.

“The light’s great over there. Do you mind if we get started before it shifts?” I asked.

“No, we’re ready.”

They moved to the point where the sun’s beams outlined their reaching embrace. From there they continued to move, to the streets of downtown Chicago, to the metra tracks, to Montrose Harbor, and the prairie near the water.

Here are the images from the morning.