A
few years back, I had a 'word of the year' for myself. It was a word I chose that I wanted to authenticate in my life, and that word was
REAL. My goal was to bring it into the forefront of my life and filter all my experiences through it. I wanted to be
real, and I wanted to invite others to feel comfortable in being
real around me. I am a crafter by nature and so I created a vintage looking board with large letters, added some decor and hung it on the wall in my office. I see this word every day and while there are still times I struggle with being
real, I know I've grown and the plaque serves to remind me of that goal.
When we photograph couples in love, it often takes time for them to break down the barriers in order to be comfortable and
real around us. Why is that important? Well, because the images we capture for their session are to be a
real moment in their lives. Not what we think they look like, but what they are
really like together. Every couple is beautiful, and every couple shows beauty differently.
Visually, we want them to answer the question: What does your love look like?
Emily and Daniel showed up for their session with all kinds of creative ideas about their session together. We were giddy with excitement over the bags of green apples, flowers and their cool outfits splashed in color. But as our time together grew, Grant and I became even more excited over the fact that they began to melt together and be
real. It was as if our cameras looked right through them and saw what their love
REALLY looked like.
That's our goal with every session... it's a tall order; and it's beautiful when it happens.
