Chance Encounter
Chance encounter with Patrick and Lauren at Cascade Falls
I found the spot where they were sitting, and i thought i need someone to sit there for me. As i was going out of the cave, Patrick asked me if anyone was there and I said no, so i though i ask if he would be willing to pose for me in that spot. Lauren followed and i was happy i got another couple to photograph. Pressure came when Patrick mentioned that his mom was also a photographer so i have to make this shot good. And i think i did pretty well. Use an on camera flash for this shot but not directly on them.
Chance encounter with a couple at a state park
Met this nice couple who willing pose for me at the Cascade Falls in Matthiessen State Park, it's quite tricky to get where they were so it was nice for them to do this.
Chance encounter with a lovely couple at an iconic building in Chicago
I've been wanting to photograph this iconic building in Chicago. After covering an engagement proposal i was heading back to my car and lo and behold i was passing by the chicago theater. I have to ask someone to pose for me in front this signage. I think Varun and Anvitha was getting an uber ride and was standing at the corner of E Randolph St. and N State ST just perfect for the iconic signage as a background. They happily agreed to pose for me.
Chance encounter with a young lovers at the park.
I saw them came in as I was going out after my family photo session at Cantigny Park. I noticed them and they were gorgeous so i thought i would come back and hopeful that i would cross path with them and we did. They agreed to be photographed and the sun light is just perfect for a backlit photo.
Andy and Gabby in a kind of golden hour one remembers for a life time...
Chance encounter with a man on top of the mountain.
We were tourist on top of the mountain in Wicklow, Ireland and we were looking over the Guinness Lake. Everyone is taking their picture and so am I, then i saw him isolated with the rest of the group and took a single frame of him. I really like the photo and have to share it with him. He and his wife were sitting in front of me on the bus so i excused myself and share his photo. Turned out it was his birthday that day, and what a great time it was for that photo. According to his wife, it was hard to have a good photo of him and this photo of him will be going up in their new home. Made me really happy indeed.
Chance encounter on Charles Bridge in Praha with a beautiful couple from Germany
First i took the picture of the background along St. Charles bridge in Praha and thought it would be nice to have someone in the picture. Since I am a portrait photographer I always look for people to take a photo of. Come Flo and Michelle again from Germany, maybe things are telling me that it could be my next destination? But anyways they gladly agreed to have their picture taken told them to not move as this will be a long exposure. I use my cellphone flash light to light them up and it worked. Lovely.
Chance encounter with a beautiful couple that lives in Germany
They were about to take their picture and I was the closest one to them so i offer if I could take their picture, i used their phone first and then I ask if I can take a picture of them as well. She was from Kurdistan and he was from Serbia, they were tourist like me in Prague, exploring the city. Lovely.
Chance encounter with an angler
Walking in a park in Chicago found a lake with a deck with a beautiful scenery. When you enter the deck, written on the floor says "NO FISHING" and yet i found this person casting his line. So i just sat there and as i watch him cast his line, I'm amaze how the line was thrown into the air and into the water. So i took his picture and it was great picture that i have to show him. It turned out that this spot is where anglers of Chicago practice their craft of fly fishing. There are circle hoops on the water for anglers to land their cast. Brian, he's really good with fly fishing, after showing this picture, he showed me some of his pictures of the types of fish he caught and those were serious fishes, big ones.
Fly fishing is an art form.
Chance encounter with two lovely ladies from Tennessee
Met them while i was preparing to do my light painting with the beautiful Chicago skyline as my backdrop. They are friends since high school and from Tennessee. Elaine started work here in Chicago few months ago and Anna visited Elaine and will be travelling for work to Wisconsin.
Chance encounter with a beautiful girl with red hair, blue eyes and freckled face
I was at a beautiful park in Chicago and I have to have a person to photograph on a picturesque location. I passed by her and she was taking pictures too. So i brave myself and ask if she could be pose for me. While taking her photographs i realized that she looks like Merlinda from Disney movie Brave with her red curly hair and blue eyes. She mentioned that 1 or 2% of population have red hair and blue eyes. According to simplemost.com I am more likely to get struck by lightning than meet a person with red hair and blue eyes. Well what do you know, I better watch out for those lightning. Oh did i mention that she's an artist too? Check out her works in instagram as hattiehopkins_illustrations.
Thanks for posing Hattie.
Chance encounter with an artist
Met Debbie on her stall at the Distillery in Toronto, she was just arranging her paintings in her stall for the day. She was helped by her daugther Elizabeth who is doing painting as well but said she is not good as her mom. I told her not yet but you'll get there. She helps her mom with her website. Thanks for posing for me.
Chance encounter with a fellow photographer.
Met Alex on his stall at the Distillery in Canada. His photographs are on canvas and they are beautiful. From the streets of Canada and some in Vienna. Thanks for posing for me Alex.
Chance encounter with couple students
They were taking pictures of themselves in front of city hall, so i asked if could take a picture of them and it looks like an engagement photo shoot, no pressure Temir. They mentioned they came from Cyprus a beautiful place they mentioned, so i ask why moved. Because Canada offers the best education. So they were there to study a girl from Iran, Shadi, and a man from Turkmenistan, Temir, a country known for its white marbles. All the best to both of you.
Chance encounter with a pastor
we're both travelers at the airport when i introduce myself to this gentleman. He is the pastor at one of the oldest baptist church in Illinois, Beth Eden Baptist Church in Chicago, Dr. Craig M. Jenkins. It was a pleasure to meet you and your beautiful wife.
Chance encounter with a blue eyed man
Greg was accompanying a model in one of the meetup i attended. Saw him sitting and his blue eyes, I have not photographed anyone with blue eyes before, i may have but not as close as this one. Thanks for posing for me Greg.
Chance encounter with Ana from Russia
Met Ana at Olive Park, Chicago after we were wrapping up our glamour model photo shoot meetup. She posed with some of the models we were taking pictures of. She proudly says that she is 78 years old. She may aged but when you talk to her her spirit lives.. her youthfulness never fade... it still in her... she did modeled when she was young and danced ballet... you will notice it when she moves and when she's in-front of the camera.
Chance encounter with Jordan
He said he came from LA and he is here to visit his mom. He is a tattoo artist but unfortunately he got robbed and took his gear. He sample his work on this small tiles on his left. Now he is trying to get back to LA.
Chance encounter with Cesar
Cesar doing an ollie to get into that rail and do a forward slide. That was a pretty cool move. He's been doing skateboard for six years and this looks easy for him, fun to shoot.
Chance encounter with Miles
Met Miles at Grant Park Skate park, i was watching doing his tricks before i approach to have some photographs taken. He's been doing it for years and then he stopped, and he just got back at it again for the last 6 months and it looks like his skills are still with him... Ride safe Miles...
Chance encounter with a Graduate of class 2018
Congratulations to Grant Community High School students, graduates of class 2018.
Chance encounter with a blacksmith.
Was waiting for my client to arrive for a photo shoot at Spring Valley Nature Center, I heard some metal pounding and saw few people watching something at a small barn. He said to me "I have not seen my self at work" after i showed him his photograph,
Chance encounter with a girl in Chicago
Of course she was with her parents, i just shoot a couple for their engagement and I wanted to have another picture of the beautiful Chicago skyline.
Chance encounter with 2 Victory Riders
Met them at the parking lot, saw them parked before my family and I went into Deny's for breakfast, they had breakfast there too before riding off.
Chance encounter with a family of 5.
Met them at the apple orchard on a lovely day, beautiful family. Love the reaction of their youngest .
Chance encounter with a Stone Mountain lovers
Saw the couple half way down the mountain so i hike down and had their photographs taken. Beautiful couple with a beautiful scenery on a beautiful day in beautiful Georgia.
Chance encounter with Britney from Kansas
Met Britney from Kansas inside the Mammoth Cave, she is the Ranger on duty when we had our tour inside the cave. She was just there for 3 months and very knowledgeable of her work. No flash photography inside the cave so i pushed my ISO way up high and shutter speed very slow, thus the noise and blurry photograph.
chance encounter with a family of 4
Was waiting for that spot so i can pictures of my daughter, while waiting did asked them if i can take a picture of them. We're on top of the Stone Mountain, GA
Chance encounter with His Eminence
Cardinal Blase Cupich was sharing a laughter with the artist Paul C Balan during their conversation. Not the sharpest of my image but seeing His Eminence in a photograph bursting in laughter is happy moment.
Chance encounter with Korean and Vietnamese attendees
Met these beautiful ladies at the Asian Catholic Initiative Archdiocese of Chicago's event, the 1st Asian Community Mass with theme "Mary, the Mother of Cultures".
Chance encounter with folks from CBC Roasters
Initially i thought those were cups for your coffee, they are indeed cups but for making coffee. Your cup of coffee will be from the one below it. The guy was in the mushroom stall and heard him saying 'Nobody is taking picture of me." So when i see him in his stall i asked if i can take a picture and happy to oblige.
Chance encounter with a lady from River Valley Ranch
Took this picture on a farmer's market, she's from the River Valley Ranch & Kitchens. Very knowledgeable of the product she sells, and love that on a seller.
Chance encounter with Juan
I guess we can consider this as his first official photograph with his daughter. He and his wife is expecting their first daughter pretty soon so he told her daughter not to come out yet until he gets back from his meeting here in Chicago. We talked in the plane bound to Chicago from Houston, after 3 hours flight delayed due to maintenance issue on the plane. He is here for a meeting and he is a classical guitar player. I took this picture just before we bid goodbye at 12 midnight.
Chance encounter with Rocco
met Rocco at the shores of Lake Erie, he pulls pieces of wood or tree trunks that are washed ashore.
Chance encounter with bicycle enthusiasts
met them during my family nature walk they asked me to take their photograph so i asked back if i could take their photo as well for my chance encounter... it was a great day for walking and cycling.
chance encounter with James
He's way taller than me, so i asked him to sit so i can take his photograph from my eye level. As I look thru my view finder realized he has a resemblance with one of my favorite actor, Sean Connery.
chance encounter with a girl from Fox Lake
they were watching the 4th of July parade in Fox Lake, the girl with a fox tatoo and Bucky
two ladies from Wisconsin
they asked me to photograph them using their iphone, so i asked if i can photograph them with my camera. Here they are sitting on the anchor displayed at the far end of the Navy Pier, a lot of visitors at the pier have their picture taken here.
chance encounter with a lady bartender
She love pictures, so when i asked her if i can take a photograph of her she did not hesitate, she even showed me some of her photographs on her cell phone and they looked amazing. She's a hard working mom.
chance encounter with a lady and her anime tattoo
I met her at a function i covered lately, I asked about who is that girl on her arm. She said, she finds the girl cool so she had her inked in her arm and i think that reflects her personality, Cool. She's originally from here in Chicago and moved out to Sunshine State. What she missed most here, is the snow on Christmas.
chance encounter with a parking lady
Sitting along the road and waving a flag, she was telling people that they can park on her lawn. People looking for a parking spot to go to the Wisconsin State Fair can actually park on her lawn and that was most of people do around the neighborhood. Good for helping the state and the state helping them to get a little income. She charges 8 bucks while most of the residents charges more than her. Parking on the lawn are prohibited in the city of Wet Allis, only during the 11 days of the fair it is allowed by the city.
chance encounter with a bridesmaid
Was passing by while the official photographer was taking photographs of the bride and groom, asked if i can take a photo of the bridesmaid and she gave me a very warm smile. Taken at Milwaukee Lakefront, there were 3 wedding party in the area.
chance encounter with Raiders fan
Not totally sure if he is a Raiders fan or it was just a hat he is wearing, but did asked him to pose and he gave me a great smile.
chance encounter with BFFs
Two lovely teenagers strolling at the park, their true friendships can be shown through their smiles.
chance encounter with a Russian girl
A hard working Russian girl, she approached me and asked if i can take a survey about my time at the park. Sure why not, and perks of doing a survey is that i will have a coupon for a free scoop of ice scream, sounds good to me. After the survey i took a picture of her, she is from Russia studying Psychology and working at the same time here. Oh yeah did not get my ice scream because by the time i get to the cafeteria it is already closed.
chance encounter with an expectant mom.
Saw her husband taking picture of her, thought she would be another interesting person to take photo of here at the park. Saw this spot and thought maybe i could sit her there and take some photo. Approached them and asked I can take her photos, they agreed, sat her there and me and her husband start taking pictures of her. Congratulations to both of them.
chance encounter with a landscape/nature photographer
She's originally from China, we said hi to each other and start exchanging stories. It's always nice to chat with another enthusiast.
chance encounter with newly engaged couple
Met Jane and Jim at the park while their friends were taking photographs of them. Shared some tips on how i take photographs with their friends and this turned out to be a fun mini engagement session/class session. Best wishes to both of you and good luck to your friends taking your photographs.
chance encounter with four good friends at the park
The laughter of these lovely ladies are real as it gets. During their conversation they all burst into laughter and I was very lucky enough that I had my camera ready for them. "The best and most natural shots I have ever had" according to one of them. I'm fortunate enough to be able to share the moment with them.
chance encounter with a weekend warrior
Another weekend warrior like me, asked him if I could take a picture of him, gave him a wrong business card and when I came back to exchange with the right one, he asked me to show his photo to his boss.
chance encounter with a girl from Japan
My wife and I were the last customers at IZUMI and while she's serving us our sake drinks she told us about how she came to Toronto and starts working there. She misses her family back in Japan specially her grandfather. It was her grandfather's birthday that day and she'll make sure that she will give him a call.
chance encounter with a couple at Winter Wonderfest, Navy Pier
saw the couple taking their photographs and kissing at the fest and so I asked politely to pose for me with that ride at the back full of lights. I don't have a tripod when i took this photograph after an assignment, i love how it turned out.
chance encounter with Hon. Jessica A. O'Brien
my chance encounter with the first Filipino elected judge in the State of Illinois, serving the First Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Next year, she will be the first Asian American to hold the office as president for the Women's Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) which was founded 101 years ago. So how did i get to photograph her? I was invited to attend an award ceremony and she sat on the same table as I was. She was introduce to us by one of the host, so told myself i have to get to have her photograph taken with her permission and was able to shake her hand too. Here she was preparing for her speech.
chance encounter with a friendly couple and their 1960 Corvette Roadster
it was a chance encounter at the Superdawg where we plan to have our dinner with a cousin visiting us from Texas. As we pulled over there were a lot of Corvettes parked and having their meetup. Approached the gentleman and asked if i can take pictures of them and their beautiful corvette. Jim and Peg agreed and here they are with rest of their photographs.
chance encounter of a couple on the bridge #3...
just as i was about to go he approached me and asked to have their picture taken using his phone, i did and so i asked back if i could take their photograph as well. He is a very tall guy (6 ft plus) with a lovely lady by his side and i can't let that opportunity pass by without having their photograph taken, i took their photograph and turned out lovely.
chance encounter of a couple (from Missouri) on the bridge #2...
they asked me if i can take their picture from his cell phone, sure then i ask them if i can take their picture. Took me a while to have the picture properly exposed as i already moved my setup after my first encounter of a couple. After tweaking and scratching my head finally got my exposure that i'm happy with and this one turns out perfectly for me. I was already feeling pressured for he is a fashion stylist who just accepted an offer to work here in Chicago.
chance encounter of a couple on the bridge #1...
i was at the bridge in Lincoln Park and admiring the city lights, they are the first couple whom i saw taking their picture on his phone, so i ask if they would like to have their picture taken with the Chicago city lights. He only got 8% battery charge on his cellphone.
chance encounter a strolling family
lovely family on a stroll, the lady on the left had her wedding photographed here three years ago.
chance encounter with a strolling couple
wanted to have the side of the pavilion as my backdrop, a couple pass by and asked them if they could be my subject, said yes, big thanks.
chance encounter with a DIVVY Riders
they were taking a break from being at the hospital, a family member was recovering so they decided to distress by riding around Lincoln park and they stumble upon me in the pavilion.
chance encounter with four good friends...
four good friends that happily pose in-front of my camera.
chance encounter with Tom
"My mom would love this photograph"
chance encounter with Maasai tribe men
got the chance to photograph these men from Kenya on an event sponsored by the non profit organization My Chosen Vessels (MVC) that provides sustainable clear water.
chance encounter with little miss jr. beauty queens
they were present during the memorial day ceremony at Lindenhurst...
chance encounter with boys playing "Taps"...
after i took these photographs i showed them to the boys and they say "cool", they did play very well the Taps...
chance encounter with a young soldier...
chance encounter with a man with a purple heart...
never did I imagine i was able to capture a photograph of a man who received a purple heart for his service to his country. I even got the chance to shake his hand. After i took this photograph he said, "You owe me a dollar..." i replied back... we owe you more than that... this memorial day.. we honor we remember those who served....
chance encounter with a green and blue eyed couple...
Met them at the millennium park, they were taking their photos with those beautiful tulips as their background.
chance encounter with a polite lovely girl...
I saw her dad taking picture of her, so I asked her dad if i could take her picture too.
chance encounter with a Dad and her daughter...
Here is her Dad, I made him happy capturing her daughter in a photograph.
chance encounter with a model and a friend...
They caught my eyes because of what they are wearing. They were just passing by and I asked if i could take a photograph of them. Christina and Quincy quickly agreed and they pose and they both look great.
chance encounter with Yelena of Troy...
Helen of Troy I called her and she burst into laughter... I actually misheard her name.. it was Yelena.. i'm really bad with names.
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