SO THAT IS THE SHORT STORY.

SPEND FIVE MINUTES WITH ME AND YOU WILL LEARN I DON’T HAVE MANY OF THOSE; SO HERE IS THE REST FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED. IT SOUNDS CLICHE, BUT, I PICKED UP A CAMERA WHEN I WAS SEVEN AND JUST NEVER PUT IT DOWN. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PEOPLE PERSON, EVERY JOB I HAVE HAD WAS CENTERED AROUND HUMAN INTERACTION AND I CANT GET ENOUGH OF TALKING TO NEW PEOPLE. I BOUNCED AROUND JOBS TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE, I MAJORED IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND EVEN AFTER I GRADUATED I WASN’T CONVINCED THAT I HAD FOUND WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR ME. I HAD BEEN OUT OUT OF SCHOOL FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, I HAD A JOB IN THE CORPORATE WORLD AND WAS JUST TRUCKING ALONG. ODDLY ENOUGH, A VERY MEDIOCRE EXPERIENCE WITH ENGAGEMENT PICTURES LEAD ME DOWN THIS TRAIL. THEY SAY ALL THAT IS BITTER ENDS SWEET, AND THIS ONE IT REALLY DID. MY HUSBAND AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO TAKE OUR ENGAGEMENT PICTURES WHILE VACATIONING IN MALTA. I STARTED LOOKING AT PHOTOGRAPHER, AND IT WAS A PRETTY QUICK SEARCH. AT THIS TIME, FOR WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHERS, THERE WERE ALL OF TWELVE. AFTER CHECKING OUT PORTFOLIOS AND A FEW CONVERSATIONS WE HAD A TIME AND DATE.WE SHOWED UP AND SPENT HOURS SHOOTING, HOURS OF “OKAY, YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND YOU LOOK AT HER, NOW HE’S GOING TO CLOSE HIS EYES AND YOU LOOK AT AT HIM, NOW BOTH OF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LOOK AWAY.” WHEN I GOT THEM BACK I LOOKED AT A BODY OF IMAGES THAT WERE FORCED AND CONTRIVED. I WAS SO SAD, I LOOKED AT THEM AND JUST FELT LIKE, THIS IS SO NOT US. FAST FOWARD A YEAR AND A HALF WE TRIED IT AGAIN. WE FOUND AN AMAZING ARTIST AND A GEM OF A HUMAN WHOS GOAL WAS TO CAPTURE US. IT IS SO SPECIAL LOOKING BACK ON OUR DAY AND SEEING US, SEEING OUR FRIENDS AND FEELING THE LOVE AND LAUGHTER THAT FILLED THE ROOM. I FOUND MYSELF LOOKING AT THOSE PICTURES AND SAYING THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. I WANT THE WEIRDOS LIKE ME. THE ONES WHO WANT TO LAUGH RIDICULOUSLY AND LOVE THEMSELVES FOR IT. WE ARE TAKING THE JOY, THE SMILES AND ALL OF THE QUIRKS THAT MAKES US, US AND KEEPING THEM FOREVER. MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD IS WHEN MY COUPLES LOOKING AT ME LAUGHING AND SAY THINGS LIKE “THEY’RE NOT LIKE ANYONE ELSE, THEY ARE JUST SO US”