On the other side of the camera with my love J-Nice

I wanted to tell you about doing my own Valentine's mini session with my girlfriend, Janis. So recently, we decided to do Valentine's mini-sessions here at the studio in Claremont. Usually, we do more fine art portraits at my studio. For Valentine's day, we decided to do something a little more on the cheesy romantic side. And I didn't even calculate this, but, of course, my girlfriend, Janis, or as we like to call her "J-Nice," wanted to do mini-session portraits with me. To be honest, I hate being in front of the camera. I like being behind the camera. I like getting people's reactions, smiles, all that kind of stuff. One of the things that I am proud of is that I can get people to feel comfortable in front of the camera. But, of course, being human, I have my own insecurities, and that's precisely why I hate being in front of the camera.

Janis is my long-time love, we've been together for a long time, and basically, I'll do whatever she wants. So we decided to do Valentine's portraits together before the mini-session rush. We did our own session last week with her hairstylist Janet Larick and makeup artist Jasmine Kovarik. Janet and Jasmine did a great job of giving Janis a soft, natural, and romantic look. The photos came out phenomenal, but most important, it was what Janis and I needed. It was a chance for us to reconnect

Everyone knows this but, it's been a crazy last year for everybody with what's been going on in the world, and to be honest, it affects everything. It affects our relationships with everyone, even with ourselves. I have a great life, yet it's just been really challenging lately. So many days, I just don't feel like myself; it's as if we're living in the Twilight Zone. I know everyone that reads this can relate.

During our portrait session, we got to look into each other's eyes, be silly, loving, goofy, romantic, and reconnect in a new way. Even though I'm a photographer, we tend to not take photos of our family members that much. We just let that one slide. So we definitely needed this. We needed the time to be silly and take portraits together. We ended up coming out with some great images, as you can see here. But the main thing is, it was a chance to reconnect, so it helps keep our relationship healthy during these trying times.

I urge you to come in with your loved one or your family or furry friend/pet and take 20-30 minutes to reconnect and be present with each other. Come be silly on an adorable Valentine's set. Let the world's worries melt away for a minute, reconnect with each other, and just get present to how much you really love one another. It's easy when you're in front of the camera to let the distractions of life melt away. It's hard to be distracted by everything going on when you're with someone you love in front of the camera. So I really encourage you to book yourself a session, because I didn't realize it, but I needed this!

I also know that you need this. So book yourself a session, encourage your friends and family to book a session. It's only $75. It's perfect for you to get reconnected and just get present to what you do have in your life that's awesome right here, right now. So share the love, book yourself a session, and I'll see you on the other side of the camera.