"The Look"

Ok, so I'm not cut out for the visual arts-photography program ehhh I'm over it. I guess I am not the type of artsy they are looking for. I love it, don't get me wrong, but the art they have you produce means you live a pretty poor life. I was pretty bummed for awhile because I didn't get in but I realized that the photography that I like is not the "fine art" they want. My passion and love for photography lies in the taking of engagement pictures/wedding pictures, and just people in general.

I have understood this about me better as I have attained more opportunities. Last weekend, I took pictures for my roommate and her fiance and I was reminded of why I love this kind of photography. It was a lot of fun. I definitely enjoy posing, taking, laughing with the couple, and editing the pictures but it's not my FAVORITE part!

The girl is always beautiful, and the boy is always very handsome (thanks much to the girl choosing his clothes). For me though, it's not what they look like, how they are posed, or even how they are smiling. It's something that you can sort of see in a picture but unless you are there the feeling isn't quite the same. My favorite thing is something I can't direct or instruct to do. It's something I can't fake.

Are you wondering what it is yet? Well I'm not going to tell you quite yet. There is a movie called "27 Dresses" it's probably not the greatest romantic movie out there but in this movie they hit spot on to what my favorite thing is. Both the main characters share this one thing in common. They both love this part of weddings. Listening to the two describe it, in my head I was saying, "Me too! Me too!"

I guess I can tell you now.....

It is the way the boy looks at the girl! (Maybe I built that up too much but I couldn't help it; I'm a big tease I suppose.) The way he looks at her says it all. It's the look of absolute love and adoration. Most often "the look" comes when she doesn't notice or is looking away. It's this longing stare, with a calm face, and accompanied with this cute little half smile. I have come to really appreciate emotion expressed through eyes and I have noticed this as I take my own pictures; their eyes usually say it all.

This look makes me melt behind my camera. It makes me go weak in the knees and produces the sort of "awww" sounds inside my head. It gives me the chills and leaves me in a love daze (if you don't understand, I will explain a "love daze" later).

I'm a hopeless romantic. I don't know if that was a secret to anyone but it's something that most can't probably guess about me. I love almost all chick flicks and in everyone I look for his "look". If I can't find it or see it then I usually pass it off as not a very good chick flick. After a good chick flick, I am usually left in a love daze. I am smiling ear to ear thinking only of the day when a boy will look at me like that. I'm usually unresponsive for a few minutes as I bask in the thought of being in love (corny I know, I guess the chick flicks do their job).

(These two pictures above and the last one are from a recent shoot I did with my engaged roommate Vanessa and her fiancée Aaron.)

I don't profess to know much about love but I have an idea of what it looks like. I see it every time, without fail, when I take pictures of engaged/newly married couples. It's not directed nor could I attempt to verbally convey how to create this "look" to a man. I also know that it cannot be reproduced, copied, or imitated on command. I know I've tried.

One day, hopefully not years and years away, I hope to have a boy give me "the look". To know that this boy is crazy about me and doesn't want to stop looking at me is what I dream for. I can't wait to feel that way about someone. When nothing else in this earthly world matters more than him.

I know one day I will get "the look" I don't know when and I don't know who but for now I will live and experience this "look" through my camera. It's literally one of my favorite things I do.