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When friends Bethany and Jarrod first told me about their engagement and asked me to be their wedding photographer, I was thrilled. Over the year that we've known each other, these two have quickly become some of my favorite people and their engagement is definitely something to celebrate. As their photographer, I had visions of romantic couples photos on a bright, summer day in the middle of Acorn Park, home of the original Silver Spring, the waterway for which our community was named -- the community that brought them together.
Unfortunately, the older I get, the more I realize -- and have come to accept -- that life doesn't always go as planned. Due to unfortunate circumstances, those blissful photos never came to fruition. In fact, it quickly became clear that I wouldn't get to photograph Bethany and Jarrod at all before their big day.
For photography purposes, foregoing engagement pictures isn't ideal. Engagement photos are a great way to establish a photographer-client connection. Clients learn how I work, and I learn the best way to communicate with each couple to achieve the best photos. On a friend level, the entire situation just plain sucks. As trivial as it sounds, engagement photos have become a right of passage in our culture. They're right up there with the proposal and wedding prep itself, and, in my mind, Bethany and Jarrod not having any is unacceptable.
So, when the happy couple invited me to their church -- Grace Episcopal -- last Sunday to get a rough sketch of how their ceremony and reception would go down, I took the opportunity to do a mini engagement session with them. The session wasn't planned, but these two were game just the same.
As I watched Bethany and Jarrod through the lens of my camera, it felt as though they set aside all their cares, fears and frustrations and, for a few moments, focused only on each other. The connection they feel for each other shines through even the darkest of days, and, to me, is proof that love conquers all.
Unfortunately, the older I get, the more I realize -- and have come to accept -- that life doesn't always go as planned. Due to unfortunate circumstances, those blissful photos never came to fruition. In fact, it quickly became clear that I wouldn't get to photograph Bethany and Jarrod at all before their big day.
For photography purposes, foregoing engagement pictures isn't ideal. Engagement photos are a great way to establish a photographer-client connection. Clients learn how I work, and I learn the best way to communicate with each couple to achieve the best photos. On a friend level, the entire situation just plain sucks. As trivial as it sounds, engagement photos have become a right of passage in our culture. They're right up there with the proposal and wedding prep itself, and, in my mind, Bethany and Jarrod not having any is unacceptable.
So, when the happy couple invited me to their church -- Grace Episcopal -- last Sunday to get a rough sketch of how their ceremony and reception would go down, I took the opportunity to do a mini engagement session with them. The session wasn't planned, but these two were game just the same.
As I watched Bethany and Jarrod through the lens of my camera, it felt as though they set aside all their cares, fears and frustrations and, for a few moments, focused only on each other. The connection they feel for each other shines through even the darkest of days, and, to me, is proof that love conquers all.
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