“You're like a grey sky.
You're beautiful,
even though you don't want to be.”
- Jasmine Warga
I actually struggled to find the right words to describe my experience with Ji & Ridley. For one thing, I quickly presumed that their unassuming dispositions would make this shoot a challenge for them. In that, what I mean is they are both soft-spoken and timid that for awhile, I wondered if they are going to be able to pull off the things that I might ask them to do during the shoot. Which means I would have to keep the poses simple. But I’m glad that they were able to prove my assumptions wrong. And I am happy that I was able to capture the images that I had envisioned. And it’s during this realization that I wished I had more time with them. Even though this session was shot in August, in the middle of summer, with the sun not setting until way past seven, I couldn’t and didn’t want to stop photographing them. They were just so tolerant and accommodating that there was nothing that I asked that they said ‘No’ to. I read somewhere that couples that are not posting photos of themselves every minute are the most secure in their relationship and are the happiest. This might or might not be true for everyone. But for Ji & Ridley it is. They’re a couple that are truly secure in knowing that they feel the prettiest or the most handsome as long as they have their significant other next to them. Even Ji, who was taken aback when I showed her an image of herself posing with Ridley. Her hands covering her mouth, obviously shocked by the outcome of the image. She whispered: “You’re a genius” as she smiled ear to ear. But in my head, I just pressed the shutter. It was their inner beauty that was materializing in front of them.
And these are the couples that just leave a lasting impression on me long way after their session is done. Ji & Ridley are definitely one of them. Unassuming. Understated. But it’s those same qualities that they have that make them such genuine and beautiful people.
