About Love, Photography
A while back, if memory serves, my Dad told me a story about love. It was understated in the way that true stories tend to be, and of course the details elude my fuddled memory, but the idea of it always stuck in my head. Something like this: my Dad said that the closest he ever came to seeing love at first sight was in college, orientation, I believe. Two people locked eyes and right then, in that moment, the spark of attraction ignited their love. As far as we know, they were together after that.
And now, since May of this year, something similar has been unfolding in front of me. You see, for inspiration I regularly log on to the photosharing site Flickr; one day I ran across a picture of this fellow. Quite a good example of street photography! I clicked around to find out more. Turns out the photo was taken by a young British woman by the name of Rosie Hardy; and it turns out she had met someone through Flickr. Accidentally, I had tuned in to the beginning of a romance, unfolding in the form of daily photographs.
You see, Rosie had met (via Flickr) and fallen for an American fellow by the name of Aaron Nace. Aaron shoots Strobist style, which was introduced to me by Mykala. And this guy can put a heckuva well-lit shot together. He felt the same as she.
How to bridge the gap in their time apart? Photoshopping pictures together. Here’s the first, composed of two frames taken thousands of miles apart and lovingly stitched together:
Since then, when I get to work, I can pull up Aaron and Rosie’s photos of the day, and watch things grow. Then the other day, Aaron hopped on a plane to visit. Suddenly, no Photoshop necessary:
A comment from one of the many watching this all unfold summed it up:
you two make me believe it.
Certainly, without the internet Rosie and Aaron could have met. But would they have? It’s sad to think they could’ve spent the balance of their years living their lives, never knowing the other existed. But through some chance, they were brought together… and they seized the opportunity. Poetic, beautiful, amazing — all of the usual adjectives apply, but it’s also real… and I think it’s one of the best stories I’ll ever have the privilege of sharing in this humble space.
All the best, you two.
Comments
Nils
Rosie is HOT!
Vanessa
That comment made me literally laugh out loud! I was expecting some inquisitive quip filled with wonderfully loaded words and instead it was this. Much easier for my simple little pea brain to comprehend!