Our feature on Redfin… Not long ago, the editing team at Redfin reached out and asked what was my favorite spot to photograph. While I had to pick just one, […] The post Top Scenic Locations In Chicago appeared first on Chicago Wedding Photographer Michael Novo ..read more

Fulton Market Engagement If there’s a couple that’s a perfect fit for the Fulton Market area, it’s Kim and Ashton.  They were pretty open in their concept and simply requested that I “do my thing”.  So unlike some themed sessions that I’ve done previously, we went in with the idea of just wandering.  My personal belief is that any location can be made photogenic with the right subjects, lighting, and direction.  The first images were a happy accident in where we met because we didn’t plan shooting under the ‘L’ originally.  After shooting both on and below the Chi ..read more

Old Orchard Country Club – A Step Away From Chicago Samantha and Bobby are your classic Chicago couple. They fit the city as well as it does them. What do I mean by that? Here’s a glimpse of their Lincoln Park engagement session to give you an idea. And while their engagement was all Chicago, for the wedding they opted for something a bit more remote, but close to the city. That’s where the Old Orchard Country club in Mount Prospect comes into the picture. The club actually has a special meaning for me in that this was the location of my first wedding shoot. Years ago when I was first getting ..read more

St. Peter’s – Big City Wedding With An Intimate Feeling Mandy and Joe have opted to do one shoot per year from 2020-2022 (not by choice). First, we did their engagement session last year, then they had a family wedding this year and the really big wedding is next year. Now that’s what I call, spreading out the fun. While it was a full ceremony, the wedding day itself was short and sweet with the couple heading straight to St. Peter’s for the ceremony, followed by the reception immediately across the street at Roanoke. St. Peter’s might be smack in the loop, but inside you’re instantly removed ..read more

Unique Images at the Nature Boardwalk The Nature Boardwalk located just south of Lincoln Park Zoo is iconically known for an art piece by Studio Gang. But during this engagement session, we decided to use the other elements of this exquisite Chicago environment. To kick off, we began on the bridge that crosses over South Pond to the rear entrance of the zoo. This spot gives you two things that are very unique…a bit of nature and a bit of Chicago skyline. The one downer is that because this location is so popular, you may have to wait to capture “the shot”. Just off the bridge you’ll see lush r ..read more

Caitlin and Ben’s Story Long before the big day at Salvage One arrived, we rewind to get a bit of backstory. Caitlin and Ben have a not-so-typical love story in that they were rarely in the same city. For our meetings, all three of us would be dialing in from some remote location in the country. But distance alone was no match for these two. What’s the reason for all of this separation? School and work of course! Caitlin and Ben decided to have their wedding in Chicago partly because it’s a great central location at which to gather. The day began at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago. Most of th ..read more

Coyote in Chicago It wasn’t until I captured this shot that I even realized Chicago had a large coyote population.  Mostly out of sight and out of mind, as the lockdown began in the city, so did the wandering of wildlife. But let’s back up a bit and get into the details of how this shot came to be, what made it take off and what happened since.  It was a crisp spring morning and I decided to head out and test my new camera, a Sony a7rIV.  That’s right folks, for those that care, I have officially switched from Nikon to Sony.  I have no real brand loyalty so I use the gear t ..read more

Getting married in the Netherlands Before we set off for Jean-Pierre and Ellen’s wedding, we had their engagement session in Chicago.  To celebrate their engagement, the couple did a trip around the world with Chicago being one of the stops. A few weeks after their engagement, Ellen and Jean-Pierre reached out to ask if I could capture their destination wedding.  Their wedding was in the Netherlands, starting with them both getting ready at their home in Middelburg.  There was no planned first look and no crowd awaiting them at this time.  The entire group consisted of the ..read more

Boutique Home Loft The Boutique Home Loft is owned and operated by the lovely Shari Cornes.  She’s created a photographers dream world of floors and rooms with unique backdrops to suit your style.  Most of the rooms have a different look which is semi-permanent but within each room Shari will often create a temporary display or backdrop to photograph on.  Her studio used to be in the city near Armitage but is now out in Antioch.  It’s a bit of a drive from Chicago but well worth it.  The last time I shot at the loft was with Kenny in this “dudoir” session. Lorna J The ..read more

El Matador Beach Malibu Normally I try to keep travel minimal and quick but in the dead of winter, Malibu is pretty appealing.  Right before the holidays, I set out to Los Angeles for several shoots with the first stop being Tess and Claudio!  We met in North Malibu and then set out towards El Matador Beach for their engagement shoot. Arriving in Malibu was pretty eye-opening as there was massive damage from the fires just one month prior.  Instead of seeing shades of green in the mountains, much of the landscape was dark and charred. But aside from the massive devastation ..read more