You know how there are people you meet in your life and you know it was God deliberately giving you a gift; like, giving you someone you really needed in your life, someone who gets you, who you can talk to without censoring and know you’re always loved and accepted? Cindy is one of those people to me. It’s funny but our lives, not the actual situations but circumstances have, in a very odd, similar but different way, paralleled each other over the last few years. We both somewhat unexpectedly found ourselves single moms (her with older children, me with younger children) with relatively new businesses and all the challenges, sorrows, joys and triumphs that follow both. She recalls late night phone conversations that pulled her through a hard time and I recall the sanctuary of her home and kids and her readily available voice over the phone for whatever, whenever (even when she’s sleeping - the girl sleeps with the phone by her head I think. Am I the only one who leaves my cell phone in my purse downstairs at night? Talked to someone just last week who sleeps with their phone too - I think this is so funny).

So, needless to say, to be along for the ride when she fell in love with Robert has been a pretty awesome experience - one of those I’m so unbelievably happy for you that your happiness is my happiness experiences. And even better was meeting and loving him and thinking he is genuinely one of the nicest, considerate, down-to-earth and coolest musicians I’ve met. And even better than better was being in the room when he proposed to her. And better than better than better was doing their engagement shoot.

Now, Cindy knows how to do romance. Her couples pictures are hot - as in love hot, beautiful, sensual and sweet. I wanted to capture that for her so I encouraged lots of kissing and cuddling but I really didn’t need to - I’d say one word and she knew exactly what i meant and moved into position and bam! There was the picture (and I think even if I didn’t ask them to kiss and cuddle there would have been lots of kissing and cuddling. I sort of felt like we were all teenagers again with all the giggling and kisses.  pretty freaking cute. :)) That’s one very cool aspect of photographing another photographer, especially one you know well - they get what you want without you needing explain or demonstrate what you want. The other is being able to collaborate with them while you’re shooting. I was a bit bummed though - the weather did NOT play along with us that day and what I wanted to be a long, sweet engagement session turned into a very quick engagement session shut out by dark clouds, very dim light and cold, cold, cold! BUT it was fun regardless. All I have to say to the weather though is - you better play along nicer on the day of their wedding or else we’re going to have words!

okay, I can tell you exactly what’s happening here by the tell-tale look on Cindy’s face - she is saying “oh, raObert” in this soft, lyrical up and down way she has of saying it that sounds more like a ring tone than an actual statement. In fact, I told Robert he should record her saying that and make it his ring tone. It’s adorable.

this is a boarded up waffling house where they shared their first kiss. so sweet!

This one i edited more for fun than anything - this was one of Cindy’s favorites that she edited beautifully. I always think it’s interesting to see how two photographers will edit the same image. It just goes to prove that editing is as much a part of the artistic process as taking the actual image.