A Country Wedding
I first met Jesse and Kathleen years ago, but I would say that I first really got to know them was the day I met my future wife. I know, I know-what a cheesey thing to say. But, it’s true. 4 years ago, I got to spend an amazing weekend on the Oregon coast. Up until that point, Jesse and Kathleen were really just friends of friends, but it was that weekend when I really formed a close relationship with the duo as a couple. It was also during that time that I really had time to see them interact as a couple. Quiet at times, reflective often, humorous, and also a riot. Jesse and Kathleen are a perfect match. Their personalities compliment each other in such a unique but powerful way. Jesse is more of the strong, silent type-very attentive and hardworking. Kathleen shares many of these characteristics, but while Jesse is more quiet and a bit shy, Kathleen will just jump right in introduce herself, Jesse, their dog (Maple), their neighbor, and anyone else standing by. Neither one are afraid to speak their mind and they are usually correct, no matter the situation.
So, when they asked me to take their photos, I couldn’t help but say YES! At the same time, I did have some internal struggle. Mostly, I wanted to be 100% present on their wedding day for my own selfish reasons, but in the end. I mean, most people go to weddings to have fun and celebrate and show their love for their friends. Well, I was worried that my personal bias, my relationship with their/my friends, and a number of other issues might crop up and make the shoot a struggle. After all, it can be easier to talk to strangers than to friends at times and, frankly,as their photographer, we would be getting much more intimate than I was used to.
In the end, it all played out wonderfully. Since I had always been a bit of the unofficial photographer in our circle of friends, I was quickly accepted as the photographer and allowed to make the requests I needed to get the desired images I wanted. But it is a challenge at times, when we are with friends, we are so casual. While I may feel very close to Jesse and Kathleen, I’ve never met their parents and, certainly, never taken their photo. It is easy to focus on that which makes you comfortable, but the best photos are of those that we don’t know, when we can step aside and capture what feels like a truly authentic moment. With friends, it is easy to recognize that which we always see and try to capture moments “outside of character” but what any photographer is ever truly striving for is to capture that true character. I feel that when it comes to Jesse and Kathleen, as a couple, I think I finally got to see some of their true character revealed only for each other. These above photos are my very favorite images. That stand-out memory for me (the featured image) is when Kathleen, having just finished an intimate couples session and on her way to dinner, grabs a jug of moonshine and says, “No, see, this is how you have to hold it…” She then proceeded to take a tall drink of clear, concentrated alcohol. A little sip had me coughing, but she tossed it back like water, gave a little shiver, and continues on her day like nothing happened. Meanwhile, Jesse is just dying of laughter.
Such a good day with so many memories. Feel free to browse more images from this special day below.