Running Photography Issue 001

Taking what is presented to you.

The fall in Chicago comes and goes fast. It feels like the leaves change in a blink of an eye. This next weekend, I’m getting married in Arizona and going on my honeymoon in Hawaii the week after so I knew this may be my last chance to capture the beauty of the Midwest fall.

I love combining my passions. Photography has been a passion of mine for about 10 years and over the last couple of years, I decided to combine my love of running and photography.

Running with a pack isn’t new to me and I realized that as long as my camera is secure in my pack, I can cover some distance while also taking some great photos. I’ll carve out about 2-3 hours on a weekend day, cover some distance, and get some good time on my feet.

When I started this shoot, I found some beautiful trees but as I ventured into the parks, I became increasingly disappointed in what was presented to me.

The leaves haven’t changed everywhere. The maples weren’t red and the elms weren’t yellow. It looked like it was going to be another week before the leaves were at their peak in beauty.

Fall and spring always have the most scenic photos.

I didn’t let that stop me though and kept venturing around. I had to pivot on this shoot and keep my eyes open to whatever was presented to me.

When doing street photography, you have to keep your eyes open to whatever is presented to you. If you go out with a rigid mindset of what you want your goal to be, you may come back disappointed. Some of the best shoots you’ll find can come from moments by accident. You may find yourself in the right place at the right time.

That’s what happened to me when I stumbled upon this wedding ceremony.

Sam & Anna had what looked like a beautiful wedding.

I saw this wedding ceremony starting in Lincoln Park in Chicago by the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a beautiful and sunny day in the 70s. As soon as I saw the bride out, waiting to walk down the aisle, I knew I had to pause to take the moment in.

In a week, I’m going to be standing where the groom is right now and watching my bride walk down the aisle.

It’s not every day you get to witness a wedding you were not invited to. Especially the week before your own.

You could feel the excitement in the air.

Everyone looked so happy for these two who met at a pub in Chicago. By the looks of it, they probably got a dog together as it seems like the dog is one of the groomsmen.

One thing that photography has taught me is to stay in the moment. A photo can capture a moment but it will never be the same as experiencing it.

When I go out to shoot, I look for different points of view and vantage points to see what others are seeing.

You’ll never be able to capture exactly what another person sees, but the best you can do is try to convey what they see through your eyes.

It looked like Sam and Anna had a wonderful wedding on a beautiful day. Witnessing something like this makes me wish that I could take a peak behind the scenes to see how things went for them.

Although, I will be living behind the scenes myself in just 4 short days.