As seen on Dancing With Her
I met Emma and Jo through the Rainbow Love initiative. They were one of the very first people to contact me when I announced that I was offering free shoots to LGBTQI+ couples to support them during the public vote on same-sex marriage. Their passion and excitement was contagious from the beginning. This wasn’t just a free shoot to them. It was a chance to let their guard down and show the world how incredible their love is and how important equality is, not just for them, but for thousands of young Australians.
We arranged to meet at a National Park where we would take a few photos and then they would have a quiet picnic together. My heart sank as I drove to the shoot in the pouring – not light drizzle – but torrential rain. I knew we couldn’t reschedule and I was so worried that I wouldn’t get a single good shot in the rain. When I arrived, they were equally concerned, so I put on my bravest face and told them that rain was AWESOME and that my camera gear almost certainly wouldn’t break (but to be honest, I was pretty worried it would!)
We set out with umbrellas, but after 10 minutes decided they were holding us back, and ran into the rain like fools. We laughed and danced in the rain and they completely opened themselves up to me. It is so refreshing to meet such a relaxed, affectionate and loving couple. They didn’t roll their eyes or groan when I asked them to talk about special memories together – instead their eyes welled up with tears as they unfurled all their deepest, most intimate feelings in front of my camera. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and photograph them.
All these moments are real, and I hope you can feel them.
