Adelaide Engagement Shoot: Ellyn and Paul

I’ve been studying photographers. And of all the moving and heart-grasping images I have scanned my gaze over so far, of my favourites, the artists behind the lenses talk of the need to somehow be in love with what, or who they are photographing.

You have to find an aspect of a relationship between the people you’re photographing, or of their personality, or their heart, that you kind of fall in love with. And then you hold onto that feeling when you’re photographing them.

How very difficult it would be to photograph somebody you felt nothing but disdain for!

The very act of photographing a person is an entirely intimate one. I am forced to look deep into their eyes, and attempt to extract the parts of them that I find beautiful.

And then, in the fraction of a second before that shutter is pressed, I need to see the finished picture in my mind. Before all the camera settings, and before all the editing, I need to know the voice of that photograph.

It is the feeling of all this that leaves me giddy. It feels like my chest is swirling – and that I might actually burst of happy, or break down and cry – but I usually just stick to the first. For appearance sake.

I adore taking pictures of people. And so far, in my life, I’ve found nothing so completely challenging or satisfying.

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Ellyn and Paul are marrying each other next April. I am honoured that they have chosen me to capture their day. The following shots are from their  engagement shoot about three weeks ago…