Margarita Monday | Capturing their love

I haveto be honest I am biased to the feeling of Love, the true raw emotions of being in love really move me. That may be because I am completely IN LOVE, and truly believe the value of eternity and soul mates. I capture people in love and it is my favorite part of my business. Loving someone with all of your being and having that person love you right back is such an amazing feeling and to capture that through my lens is a true honor.

I feel that capturing true emotion is forgotten by some Photographers, I know take it from me, it is easy to get distracted by the “job” of it and pulling out the more traditional road of “hey look at me and smile!” It has taken me a few years to break that habit and remember to capture what is most important about these sessions between a couple… True Raw Emotions and Love.

I was going to make this week’s Margarita Monday a Q&A post for Photographers and decided to base this is on one particular question I received |

Sara asked ” how do you capture the couple’s essence in your Bliss sessions? and how to overcome getting stuck taking the more traditional poses?”

When I get asked to shoot a Bliss session for a couple, I want to get to know that couple more before the shoot. We will have an initial consultation via phone or in person, I get to know them, I ask them questions and really listen to their interaction with one another. We find a location or two that really mean something to the couple, whether that is the place you have walked several times holding each other and laughing with one another, or the spot where he proposed to you, it needs to be somewhere that means alot to both of you. If they absolutely want to shoot in a new fabulous location, I can certainly help them with that as well.

On to the shoot itself, It takes a little bit just to warm up with the couple, ofcourse Im not going to say “ok now go!” and expect them to just know what to do. For some of the session, I will ask that you walk somewhere or sit somewhere and place a scenario in your minds while holding one another, and see where it leads you.  A scenario such as placing their heads together closing your eyes and take a deep breath, imagine the first time you first fell in love, the first time you kissed, your son holding your pinky finger when he is first born. Sometimes I will have one of them whispering something in their ear standing behind them or off to the side as I pull way back so it is a private moment for them while capturing what is the result of sweet whispers and laughter. I sway away from the traditional posing of having them stand there, face me and smile, rather if they are going to stand there next to one another, I will have her place her head on his arm as she is holding his arm with both of her hands wrapped around like she never wants to let go.

You are in a beautiful gorgeous open field that you both have walked your dogs together many times and planned your entire future on those walks. Sit down in the field  just holding one another and share those dreams with eachother again.

Its 6am, the world is still sleeping, you walk around in the alleys, stealing a kiss or two, walk the streets of downtown, wondering if anyone else is in love with eachother as much as you are. Heres a shot of a couple I shot at sunrise, letting them be in the moment asking them to hold eachother and take in this time to really be. So a soft dance broke out from it and it was amazing.

Its a cold but crisp beautiful evening, They just found out they were having a new life entering the world, and wanted to capture that joy as much as possible. They are overjoyed, In Love, Thankful…

They have two children, they were married in Vegas, their lives have been a bit crazy and wanted to stop and reflect on eachother, Love one another, just be. I asked him to grab her, place his head on hers, whisper something in her ear as I stand back and watch what unfolds.

You are my hero, the breath I take, you are going to be my wife. I had this couple sit inside of a dry Fountain and just curl up together as much as possible and imagine her walking down the aisle towards you at your wedding.

Holding you is what I want to do for the rest of my life…

My advice to you as a Photographer, let go of those insecurities of playing it safe, try thinking outside of the box in getting them to just be. My advice to couples wanting a session like this, have fun with it, and think of this as the first time you fell in love and I promise you beautiful photos will be captured.

Love,