Paul and I's Engagement Photo Session

In the days preceding my engagement session I came face to face with the realization of just how uncomfortable I was with the notion of having tons of photos of myself taken. After over seven years of photographing brides and grooms on their wedding day and couple's engagement sessions, I never realized what it truly felt like to be on the 'receiving' end. My passion has always been photographing other people, helping to bring out the best in them, and documenting their love. I have mostly been behind the camera and not frequently the subject of a photo session.I once believed that 'selflessness' meant accepting less than others. I was not so sure I agreed with the messages I'd heard of self-love. Wasn't that self-ish?. It's true, it can get twisted into self indulgence, and self centeredness. Yes, the cultural craze of the "selfie" goes a bit too far even for this photographer.BUT, the more I learn in life, the more I notice that women are at our best the we turn down the volume on the diminishing messages that make up much of our culture. We can begin to realize that martyrdom is overrated, and snuffing out our own light only darkens the room for everyone. When we turn inward to love ourselves, we are then able to turn that same fierce bright light outward toward others without asking them to fill up our self-worth cup with validation. Real self-love, allows us to bring the best of ourselves into relationship with others. And we begin to see that our outter world is a direct reflection to our inner.So love-on dear friends. Get vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and get brave. Love your goofiness, and love your imperfections. Love your hair that never holds a curl, and your chipmunk cheeks. Fill up your heart with love for yourself, and then fill your space with the kind of vibes that give everyone in your path more light. Paul and I chose to do an intimate DIY photo session with my own camera and tripod.  Having done this photo session deepened my appreciation for photography. The best photos by far we felt were the ones that captured us laughing when my foot got stuck in a sink hole and I almost fell but he caught me.... or when we couldn't get the pose quite right and ended up just holding each other tightly and cracking up...or even when Nilla unexpectedly stuck her cold wet nose in my face to sniff me.... It was all the in between moments and the spontaneous little surprises that made the session so fun and special....Paul and I can not be more excited to see how the photos turn out on our wedding day. And NO, we will not try to photograph our own wedding...LOL. I am honored to have a former coworker/ mentor/ friend to photograph Paul and I's big day. I can not wait to celebrate our promise of 'forever love' and to have images that capture the moment for us to look back on and remember. <3 <3 <3