Heartfelt couple portrait shoot

Social media is saturated with images of happy families , pregnant couples and newlyweds…but what about the older Couple in love? What about capturing the bonds of love that stand the test of time? When I first met this amazing couple we sat and had a coffee and chatted about their Shoot, and a large portion of the shoot was going to be centered around their grandchildren. Happy smiling photos of grandparents enjoying their grandchildren. I liked this idea, I mean what’s not to like? But what I loved even more was doing a shoot that was centered around them and their story and their love for each other.  A couple portrait shoot……and that is how this shoot blossomed, and I have to say in the most modest and humble way possible, that these photographs have to be some of the most beautiful and heartfelt images that I have had the pleasure of capturing. I loved this Couple Portrait Shoot. Really honestly truly and thoroughly loved the shoot and the resulting photographs.

So, lets begin at the beginning. My couple arrived at the park with their gorgeous grandchildren in tow, and the next half hour yielded lovely fun photos with a little chaos thrown in for good measure. The twin grand kids are very young and as most photographers will tell you, shooting this age group can be a quite a challenge to say the least, but we still got some lovely photos.  I knew however, that after the kids were done I would get some time with my couple on their own and that is what I was looking forward to the most.  I think we can all safely say, that most people we know do not really enjoy having their photos taken and the thought of a photo- shoot can fill some people with a sense of dread and the nerves can set in beforehand. With shooting some fun images of the grand kids first, we had managed to ‘break the ice’ but of course been whisked off on your own with a photographer, can bring all the nerves back.

It’s all about the connection…

The essence of photography, for me, is about capturing connections and emotions, and really, that’s it. Yea, lighting is the most important vehicle for that to happen but without a connection you will have a ‘flat’ photo. How do you entice connections and capture real emotions when people may be feeling self conscious in front of the camera? You talk to them. You get to know them. Ask how they met? What do they love about one another? What do they foresee in their future together? What makes them laugh? And you shoot whilst they talk and laugh and embrace each other. My most favourite photo from the whole entire set is the Black and White one, where he is gently moving a strand of hair away from her face. I love it and this was an ‘in between moment’ that perfectly captures a connection between the two of them.

I do a lot of talking and shooting and I also have a few fun games that I get my clients to play which are aimed at capturing connections. This method , called Playful Heart and developed by a Swedish Photographer, makes for really fun and easy photo shoots and I always walk away feeling like I have made a few friends in the process. I love my work and  I love meeting people.

Please enjoy this beautiful  gallery of this special couple portrait shoot. I’ve read the above paragraphs a few times now, and I know that I can’t adequately put into words how much I enjoyed this shoot and what it meant to me. I’d love to do more of this sort of photography and celebrate a love that has got a rich history behind it. Its awesome photographing couples at the beginning of their journey together, but it’s also really heartwarming to photograph them further down the line. Because that is what ‘real love’ is all about. Its about the journey together and making it with each other long past the wedding day celebrations.

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