As I photograph my clients I try to connect with their hearts and evoke the love that they have for each other.  Then as I edit their images I play music, as it allows me to tap into my artistic side.  Today while editing The Barkers (above), a family of 5, who seem to have this deep routed wholesome best friendship, I played Jason Mraz’s – Lucky. 

The emotions that it evoked in me were so pure that I could relate to it whole-heartedly.  While listening to his song it was as if I entered a time machine and took a journey to 1997.  The year I meet, feel in love with, and married my very best friend. 

Our story is one of those that no one believed in and even thought was doomed from the start, but that was ok with us.  Andre and I meet in Air Force technical training (tech school), and fell instantly in love.  After graduating from tech school we went our separate ways to visit our families.  He to Houston and me to Dallas, from there he would departed for Germany and I would departed for Italy.  I was heartbroken to leave tech school, but had faith that we would be together again soon.  How soon, I did not know. 

After seeing how head over heels in love I was with Andre, my sister Sabrina, secretly arranged for him to visit us in Dallas.  It was an incredible surprise and completely confirmed our love for each other.  After an amazing couple of days together my family no longer questioned our devotion for one another.  He left for Germany and I headed to Italy.  After three storybook romantic months of crossing European countries to see each other, a couple of times a month, we knew we had to be together.  We had months of paperwork and commanders approvals to seek, but all could see our intense Romeo and Juliet (our favorite movie) love for each other.  After all approved, we were married in Germany and in March of 98 he moved to Italy. 

We’ve had a wonderful life together and I’m thrilled to say that after 11 years of marriage I’m still lucky to be deeply in love with my best friend.  We love each other and help each other to be the best that we can.  We don’t tear each other down or apart, but believe in and inspire each other.  He says it often and I believe it’s even true (shhh… don’t tell him), he knows me better than I know myself. 

This video is a great example of our ability to feel each other across the seas and our intense love and our journey to be together.  While others didn’t believe, we knew. (Hop out of your reader to check out the video) 

This is the type of love that I am zealous to photograph.  The love that is so intense that it radiates from your pores. 

Editing, I must do!