We’ve been planning on doing this Beloved session with Kat and Gareth ever since I attended Life {as an artform} in Manchester last year, and I asked Kat to be my guinea pig while still on the train back home. It took us a while to synchronise our busy calendars, but finally, nearly a year later, we made it happen!

Since Kat & Gareth have been together for nine years, of which they’ve been married for 3, they were the perfect couple to explore the Beloved experience with. Beloved sessions consist of different exercises, called invites, which have a way of bringing the couple into the present moment and into a state where they are not afraid to show their true selves and explore the connection they have. I’ve used some of the more physical invites in my engagement sessions to break the ice, but this was the first session where it was 99% Beloved techniques as opposed to traditional posing, so it definitely felt like a big step.

The weather was grey and a bit damp when we headed out to Richmond Park, but that didn’t bother us much, the energy between Kat & Gareth would be enough to keep a small village warm! I had such an amazing time, and it was so nice to see how even the more serious invites work beautifully. I’ve always been most interested in capturing the genuine emotion and the authentic dynamics between a couple, and I love the way I can really explore those with these techniques.

Do watch the slideshow of this Beloved session if you have a minute. Be sure to have your speakers on if you do. :)

P.S. If you are a photographer reading this, and interested in the concept of Beloved and in encouraging genuine emotions and interactions in both your work and in your life, do join me and others at this year’s Life {as an artform} in London.