While most of social media is obsessed with weddings and young love, I want to celebrate old enduring love.  Photographing families is my passion, but when it comes to creating portraits for people who have been married for 50 years my passion changes to humble ah. These amazing humans, who have managed to stay married despite the ups and downs of life, are the heros I truly admire and want to emulate. My husband and I have 24 years of marriage in our belt and we are pretty proud of that accomplishment.  But when I get to bask in the company of those who have survived and thrived together for 50 years, I start taking notes because I hope to be them one day.  

50 years of marriage is beautiful in the most difficult of ways, it's probably comparable to summiting Denali in Alaska. It's an accomplishment that takes a ton of training, commitment to the goal, and a little luck and patience for the right conditions to make a summit possible.  Above all, 50 years of marriage can not be rushed it just has to build one year at a time.  Just like those who make it to the summit of the mountain and take that celebratory snapshot photo to capture the breath taking view from the top of the climb, we need to capture that view of 50 years of life well loved.

I've notice that after 50 years of marriage couples aren't focused on their outward appearance as much and accept that creating a life and family together takes a toll on our bodies.  Nobody gets to 50 years of marriage without some scars, both visible and unseen.  Couples who have made it to that 50 year milestone have a gentile way of being each others safe place.  Couples seem to quietly watching out for each other because the years have given them some health challenges.  They have played more than a few hands at the poker table of life, but the fact that they are still together proves they have won.  

I love it when I get to photograph a 50th anniversary celebration!  It's my chance to observe and take notes about how to grow old because no one really knows how to do it until they have succeeded. So to those wonderful clients that have let me celebrate their golden anniversary with them, thank you! You have left a lasting impression on my heart.  To those making plans for a 50th anniversary, don't forget to take the photo from the summit because it quite a view.

This fabulous couple celebrated 50 years right in the middle of the covid pandemic but they didn't let that stop them from gathering their family together.  After living in yoga pants for a year everyone was excited for a reason to get dressed up.  Going all out on the dresses and tuxes made for great portraits and everyone felt the specialness of the gathering.  Besides the whole family together and grandma and grandpa with the grandkids we did individuals of each grandchild and each family separately.  After 50 years, this grandma and grandpa have a lot to be proud of.