Sarah & James | Beloved Engagement Session

Wow.  That's all I can say.  This shoot was fantastic.  Sarah and James are so open and so appreciative of each other and the relationship they have built together... it's inspiring.  It's clear that they have something really special.  Something deep, something meaningful.  They're in it to win it.

I took some artistic liberties with these photos for Sarah and James and found it to be a rather wonderful processing experience, which was a pleasant change from being so obsessive about the white balance that all joy is lost.  I've been doing a lot of self-education recently about the direction that I want to take my photography in and my most recent sources of inspiration are Samm Blake and Dan O'Day.  These two Aussie photographers are truly groundbreaking.  They create art, something unexpected, something that doesn't look like every other photograph of a couple.  If I could even get one step closer to that, I'd be a happy camper.

Without further ado, the amazing Sarah and James:

Adam & Michele's Beloved Session

Last month I had the pleasure of having a Beloved session with two friends I don't see often enough - they live in Rochester, NY and I'm only there two or three times a year to see my family.

Beloved is a fairly new genre of photography.  It has caused a pretty big rift in the wedding/engagement photography industry, but I feel that it is right in line with what my goals are as a photographer and I'm wholeheartedly for it.  In a Beloved session, the photographer sets the stage for the couple by giving them verbal cues.  I may ask the couple to play a game or imagine themselves in a particular situation.  Once I give them the cues, they begin to interact with each other and I take on the role of a photojournalist, snapping away in the background.

The thing is that the cues allow the couple to create magic.  What I ask the couple to do is to take time out of their lives to play together, to laugh together, to share memories and future plans, and just remember why they they are together in the first place.  The result is that I document love, laughter, and sometimes tears... but always true, honest emotion.  THAT is beautiful.  Nothing posed, nothing artificial.  Watching a couple interact and seeing the love just pour out of them is absolutely gorgeous.  I love it.  I just love it.  A big thank you to Adam and Michele for being open and holding nothing back - you guys are amazing. :)

  

Sarah & James | Gainesville Portrait Photography

This is Sarah and James.  I just met them the other day... it was only about an hour or so, but I think I love them. :)  They are the type of folks that you know from the get-go are open and genuine... just friendly, relaxed, and easy to talk to.  What more could you ask for?