Photographing husbands makes me nervous.
Not because men make me nervous.
I love men! I love photographing them when they come to me for headshots or body and form creations. But husbands tend to be different from other men that come to me for portraits. See, husbands are usually coming with their wife. She brings him in at the end of her photoshoot and he does it because he loves her THAT much.
But sometimes husbands aren't that jazzed about sitting in front of a camera. It's awkward and smells feminine and theres flowers and tulle and makeup and glitter. It's a lot for a man to step into.
Sometimes they can be a bit hesitant and cautious.
Don't get me wrong. I've never had a husband, or any man, be anything less than respectful and supportive. But that doesn't mean they are going to pretend to be comfortable when clearly they aren't.
I get nervous when I have to convince a husband that while his wife looks feminine and beautiful I'll make him look masculine and strong. I have to convince him to relax, to just trust me, and maybe, just maybe, laugh and have fun with it.
When Hollie brought in her husband, Anthoney, it took less than a minute for me to realize we might have a problem. See, Anthoney just makes you laugh!
Let me give you a little insight as to how our conversations went: "Anthoney, I want you to put your arm around Hollie and really snug her into you," I said.
"Oh yes! Mhhhmmm!" Anthoney said with a grin as he eagerly wrapped his arms around his wife. "Right like this." Every time he touched Hollie it was accompanied by some sort of enthusiastic sound.
Every.
Single.
Time.
He was happy to be there and it was so obvious! Not because he was happy to be taking pictures but because he was happy to be with his wife.
He was happy to be near her, to be touching her, to be close to her. He was just happy to share space with her and be surrounded by her joy and light. And because of that, because he leaned into the love of his wife, we all had a blast! And we created beautiful pictures. We saw a genuine connection between two people who've shared a life for over 15 years.
We saw love and connection because Anthoney was focused on what mattered most- Hollie.
So husbands, when it's time for me to photograph you because you agreed to show up for your beautiful wife, focus on her. Just breathe into all that love and goodness you feel for the woman who's next to you. Don't worry about you or where your hand needs to go or where to look- I've got that covered. You just look at her, enjoy being near her, and love on her.
After all, she is what you love most.
Love, Melinda
Photography Studio in Athens PA. Serving Athens, Sayre Pennsylvania, Towanda Pennsylvania, Corning New York, and Twin Tiers area.
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