last month, i made a trip up to chicago to meet aekta and jimit (whose wedding i’ll be shooting in november) for their engagement session. this was the first time i was meeting either of them, and from our first introduction, i knew they were going to be really easy and fun to work with! we started off the day at osaka gardens, a beautiful japanese styled garden tucked away in the jackson park area of chicago. i was amazed at how very few people were here and how tranquil it was. having lived in chicago years ago, i left wondering why i had never known about this place before. once we finished up at the gardens, we made our way north into the city and spent time in and around millennium park. it was here we spent most of our day and did a lot of walking…oh, we walked! despite the heat and all the walking, aekta and jimit were up to the task, ready and willing to do whatever i asked of them while maintaining the same level of enthusiasm and energy throughout. continuing north, we wrapped up the day at montrose harbor with beautiful views of lake michigan and the chicago skyline. aekta and jimit, thanks for a wonderful day and i’m looking forward to seeing you both again in november!

this past weekend i made a trip up to charleston, sc to meet with emily and shawn (whose wedding i’ll be shooting next month) for their engagement session. this was our first meeting, but within just a few minutes of being with them, it felt like i had known them for years

i have to say that working with emily and shawn was so much fun! a full day of shooting is never easy, especially for the couple, but they handled it with great ease. from each location to the next, these guys were up for anything. oh, and they even took it upon themselves to climb a tree!

we began the day at folly beach and found a great spot under the pier to get the session started. from there, we headed back to their place for a short break and on the way, i saw this boat on the side of the highway made of what looked like concrete. apparently, this structure is used by locals as a billboard of sorts. it’s a popular spot for people to paint messages on for special occasions like birthdays, graduations, etc. i thought it might be a cool spot for some quick shots, and without hesitation, emily turned the car around to accommodate my request. after a brief lunch, we headed to battery park, and surrounding historic charleston, to continue our session. after some time there, i asked them about some places where they like to hang out when shawn visits. this lead us to pearlz, an oyster bar  (clever, right?). now, i’m not big on oysters, but according to emily, if you are in charleston and want great oysters this is the place to go. we wrapped up the day at the james island county park, no better place to end the session (and this is where they climbed the tree).

emily and shawn, thank you so much for an amazing day! i’m really looking forward to your wedding next month. and thanks, too, for the food you sent me off with…really hit the spot on the drive home

below are images from their session…lots of them! with a full day of shooting, and so many images, i found it hard to pick the ones i wanted to post, but had to eventually draw the line somewhere!

enjoy!

sarat and i go way back, back to a time when wham! and madonna ruled the airwaves,  and miami vice was the hottest show on television. in fact, miami vice was so cool, he was crockett and i was tubbs!

last week, my friend who said he would ‘never get married’, made the first step towards married life – he and ruby got engaged!

with this announcement came the roka which took place at sarat’s parent’s house.  in punjabi wedding traditions, the roka is a ceremony which takes place after a couple has agreed to marry and the families have consented to the ensuing union.

they’ll be returning here in september for a visit,  so i look forward to doing an engagement session with them at that time.

congratulations, ruby and sarat! and sarat, here’s to ‘never getting married’ ]]> http://sakamathphotography.com/2009/07/ruby-sarat-roka/feed/ 2