Chemistry makes love simple.

Chemistry isn’t made in a darkroom. The real, honest and raw chemistry is in front of the lens, where two people show the root of their connection, the meaning of their love. It’s like sculpting—you cannot add something that isn’t already there. But in the end, the source is what brings it to life.

Have you heard of smizing? It’s a goofy word that means smiling with your eyes. Try it, open up your phone camera and smile with just your mouth. See how it doesn’t touch your eyes? It’s empty, like the facade of a building.

True love doesn’t have one way of exposing or expressing itself, but it does have a constant: it shows.

True love shows up. It shows up in the negative, it shows up when there is no camera, it shows up in pitch black.

Gilana and Josiah show their love. It’s very romantic, intense, almost cinematic. The way they stand together oozes comfort and security. They stand as two people who belong in the same space. Even better, on a beach they spent so much time on whenever they could steal away from landlocked Ohio.

Getting these two to do anything is a joy. “Roll in the sand.”, I say. “How high?”, they respond. They are fun, laughing with each other, happily orbiting each other in their own little world. Secure enough to be childish, secure enough to be serious. They’ve taught me how to work and direct couples who show love differently. 

Because some don’t want to roll in the sand. They want to sit there, beside each other, staring at the beach. Because that’s so much more their love. Learning how to see, notice and direct that has been everything to me. Because I’m looking for those real moments.