When I met up with Chanel and Sam at Iona Beach in Richmond for their portrait session, I went in with one word in mind: CONNECTION.

Lately I’ve been craving something ‘more’ when I shoot. I’ve been wanting to show real emotion, real intimacy, real love. I’ve been craving tangled limbs, quiet nuzzles, and wind swept hair. I’ve been craving… connection.

So when we met up at Iona Beach I just kept repeating this to myself over and over again. I brought a shot list (which I haven’t done in over a year), and talked the plan out with Chanel and Sam… and we just went for it. They held hands, knotted legs, tangled arms, laced fingers. Some of it felt natural, some of it felt awkward, some of it happened without any direction at all. We just kept shooting through it, and I loved every second of it… loved what we created together.

It’s just so easy to get too comfortable. To give the same direction, shoot the same, edit the same. You can get trapped in these rhythms for so long without even realizing it and suddenly you wake up and feel stale. I don’t want to get stuck going through the same motions over and over again. I want to keep moving further and develop as an artist. I want to go new places with my clients and capture real and honest moments. I want to tell stories, document genuine emotion, capture real connections.

Because without connection, what’s the point?

(Side note, if you haven’t check out Iona Beach you definitely should. View their site HERE)