The Clevelands | Chicago, IL

Jeff and I were standing in Millennium Park in Chicago nearly a year ago on a cold June afternoon. It was our first time in the big, bustling midwest city, and we warmed our hands in our jackets, sipped our lattes, and studied the brick and stone buildings around us. It was rainy, gloomy, and dark underneath the cloudy sky that day, but the shadowed skyline still seemed so happy to us. I'm pretty sure that happiness was just a precursor for the day, because we met Jeff and Jan that afternoon for the first time. Well, I should actually say that we met some lifelong friends that afternoon, who just so happened to be named The Clevelands.

To say that the friendship between us and Jeff and Jan Cleveland was instant on that day would be a total understatement. "Instant" is too slow of a word. It was instant times 1,000. To the 3rd degree. We clicked immediately with Jeff and Jan, and we've been getting to know them ever since that day of deep dish pizza and shared love stories way back in June. When Jeff and I made it back to Chicago a few weeks ago, we made it a point to hang out with these two again, and this time we got to show these guys some true Youngren love with a mini-headshot session for their new branding. So once again we found ourselves standing in Millennium Park, warming our hands in our jackets, and meeting up with some lifelong friends who just so happened to be named The Clevelands.

It was like a big 'ol moment of deja vu, but so much better.

Jeff and Jan are fantastic photographers out of Milwaukee (check our their work here), and these guys ooze the kind of love that our cameras live for. We were so excited to get them some head shots for their new branding, but we were also excited to capture their soft, steady love for each other. Aren't they just so cute?

This one is totally my favorite! I feel like there should be a bubble above Jan's head that says, "I know you're a complete dork, Jeff, but I love you to pieces anyways."

You can't see it in these images, but the temperature was frigid that day! Only Jeff and Jan can make a bitterly cold Chicago day so warm and fuzzy!

Not to persuade you guys or anything, but you soooooo need to use this one on your website!

After a bunch of head shots, we walked around the park for some fun lifestyle images. Every photographer needs some pictures of themselves too, right?

I love that these guys still look so stinkin' good even when its freezing outside! At this point, all of our hands were pretty much numb, and Jeff and I were having a hard time using our fingers!

Jeff and Jan: You guys simply rock. We treasure our friendship with you two so much, and we feel so honored that we get to be a part of your success! Until we see you again, keep on rockin' the photography world!

Hugs,

Erin