When I first announced that I wanted to try a few couples shoots, my friend Crista from Crista Acosta Photography down in CT contacted me about a session for her and her husband, Charles.  At first it started off jokingly, but then when I responded that I would LOVE to shoot them, she got serious 😉  Thank GOODNESS for that because not only did I finally get to meet Charles after hearing about him for, oh, about two years but I got to photograph a truly beautiful couple in one of the most gorgeous locations I have ever shot in.  (Though I freely admit, all three of my couples are gorgeous!)  Crista and Charles had just celebrated ten years of being together a few days earlier and have been married for three of those years with two incredibly gorgeous little boys to show for it as well as one beautiful little girl.

We met this past week at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT for a beauuuutiful evening light session.  I want to only shoot in the evening.  And at this park!  Hahaha.  Okay, seriously, though – I could have spent all evening shooting there.  And the light?  Well, the light just gets SO gorgeous if you are willing to wait it out and stay a little longer.  We did gardens, buildings and then finished on the beach.  And thank goodness Crista is also a photographer because we shared a brain.  She knew exactly what I was talking about, she saw places the same way I did, they were down for anything (including laying in the sand and posing outside of a bathroom) and she had ideas of her own that were just brought to life beautifully.  I had a DELICIOUSLY wonderful time with them (minus the bug in my salad at the restaurant with them – not so delicious).

And if you want chemistry?  These two have got it.  In spades.  They embody everything I was hoping for when I started doing this.  Two people with no real special reason other than to celebrate in photographs how much they love each other and what an absolutely AMAZING life they have made together. 🙂

Ahhhh love.  One of my favorite CDs (and where the title comes from) is called Love, Love, Love by a pretty unknown artist named Jess Penner.  (Soon I’ll be using one of her songs on my website yippee!)  One of the lyrics in the title song says

what I have for you is love love love
all I have for you is love
there’s nothing I can do
no, I can’t go back
to anything less than that

I couldn’t help but think of those lyrics when I was shooting Jane and Brian’s session last weekend.  I first met Jane through Twitter and a mutual friend.  She was this tiny cute little thing who was going through a not so happy divorce.  Though we were not close, I continued to follow her and read her writing (she is one of the three ladies on momgenerations.com and her writing is beautiful).  I read as she got more and more involved in running and as she met this great guy name Brian.  I followed as she moved to NYC to start a new chapter of her life, only to move back a few months later because she realized her home was here – with her family and with her Brian.  And Brian?  Well he waited for her, the entire time.

Sometimes, you never know where or when you are going to find love.  I am so, so happy that Jane found hers 🙂  So when I was looking for a couple to shoot, I chose to ask Jane if they would like to do it because I loved their story.

You don’t have to be married.  You don’t have to be engaged (and NO they are not engaged to any of Jane’s friends who saw this, it was not a secret thing that they weren’t telling anyone!).  You just have to have someone who lights up your life and makes you smile the way these two make each other smile.  I am so happy that they agreed to shoot with me because I had SO MUCH FUN.  I neeeed more people to sign up for these.  While I do love my itty bitty babies, there is something about this that just *gets* me.  Maybe it is my harlequin-romance-reading inner 13 year old.  The emotion is just wonderful.  Hmmm maybe I should look into weddings more, after all 😉  So Brian and Jane, thank you for indulging me.  For climbing into reeds, standing in weeds, sitting on rocks and leaning on walls.  For being willing to show everyone YOUR love, love, love.

From tonight.  Love it.  Love everything about it 🙂  Love my love shoots!!!!!  Many, many, many more to come.

Remember how you looked at your spouse when you were first dating?  Or engaged or newly married?  When was the last time that you really stopped and looked at them like that?  For most of us, the answer is “I have no idea!”  I know it’s that way in our marriage – we are two busy professionals with two loud, demanding children!!  Romance?  What is that?  I first got the idea to do a couples shoot in my business when we were discussing going to Austin for vacation last year.  My friend Lyndsay of Life In Motion photography (fabulous photographer, check her out!) suggested we trade sessions with just our spouses and I loved the idea.  Sadly we didn’t get to go on the trip so I never got to do the sessions with her.  But it had piqued my interest and I wanted to try it on my own.  So I thought about it and even tried to recruit a couple but it fell through due to my busy schedule.  So when the new year came, I was determined to do it – a love session that focused on people who never focus on themselves anymore.  Something to remind a couple about why they got married in the first place – how gorgeous and special their spouse is, something to rekindle romance even if just for a few hours.

Thankfully when I put out some feelers again recently, Lauren emailed me within a few hours of my posting on the Fan Page.  So after several emails, they got a sitter and I met her and her husband Jay on Brown’s campus for some gorgeous evening light photos of the two of them.  I have to say that honestly, I don’t think I have ever had that much fun shooting a session.  I love my work, don’t get me wrong, I love love love working with kids.  But this session, shooting the way that I wanted, shooting the emotion that I love capturing with these two – it was just about photographer Heaven.  The scenery was to die for, the light was magical and Lauren and Jay have this chemistry still after almost six years of marriage and one child that I think we can all be envious of and that shone through repeatedly in their photos.

Engagements are great and fun.  But there is something about working with a couple who has been together.  It is a different kind of love that you are documenting.  And it is truly, truly wonderful.  I have two more couples lined up for these shoots so there will be more like these to come in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, enjoy Lauren and Jay.  And think about doing photos like these for yourselves at some point!!  I wish I could 🙂

So I am WELL overdue for posting on here – it’s been a week already I think!  But I needed some time off to recover.  🙂  SO this week we have lots of things ready to go.  Shots from North Carolina.  Some awesome, adorable animals from my zoo shoots (and some not so adorable but amazing nonetheless).  And photos from my first couple shoot last night at Brown.  Sweeeeet.  In fact I am trying really hard to NOT edit Lauren and Jay’s session.  I am.  I swear.  I have other things ahead of them to edit…but it’s hard to resist the pull, especially when I have photos like this:

So stay tuned, there are lots of pictures to come this week!!