New Orleans, cats, whiskey, pulled pork, and a vinyl record dance party.

All of those keywords were included in Ariel’s initial email. I fell in love instantly. I can’t put into words the amount of energy I get when a couple like these guys give me as much creative freedom as they have. I mean we took a photo in front of an old store front with mannequins. And they LOVED it.

It’s not an aesthetic I’m looking for. I am so discouraged when a client comes to me in doubt, saying that they “hope they’re cool enough for me”. I’m not searching for the coolest couples out there. Heck, I’m not that cool at all. I’m searching and seeking for an attitude. A way of life. An outlook that shines on a day that society says should look a certain way. You have to wear white. You have to have flowers. You have to have a huge wedding. Throw that in the trash and be your own.

It’s an outlook that pushes against that societal voice and fuels you to do whatever the heck you want. It’s a self-confidence that I am drawn to. A self-confidence that shines with all it’s quirk and laughter. I don’t photograph model couples. I photograph real souls with real problems and real joys. They come to me in full trust and that’s why their beauty shines so bright. It also helps that they just happen to be totally baller.

Let me just mention that it also didn’t hurt that during our initial meeting Ariel gifted me with Greg’s famous family cookies. NOM.

 

For you photographers: This session was shot on a Canon Mark III using primarily a Sigma 35mm. Every once in a while I popped my 50mm 1.2 on for some of the more traditional portraits.