Clear Bright Light: Ella and Ethan

9/15/23

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

I arrived at Sunrise Studio about two hours early, with plenty of time to sit in my rusty beige mini-van, drink a coffee, envision the session, and read some C.S. Lewis. The tranquil moments I spent in the quiet stillness of my vehicle, a sensation of isolation I seldom encounter since the birth of my now 2.5-year-old daughter, enveloped me. Sometimes after time alone, it’s hard to gear up to meet people, especially when you don’t know them too well - but this encounter was different.

Ella and Ethan, the sweethearts in these photos, felt like kindred spirits. It was evident that they were imbued with a profound sense of affinity, the kind perhaps born out of true reflection. Their ease with each other put me at ease, and I was brought back to the C.S. Lewis quote about how solitude is a prerequisite to true friendship. I don’t know if these two are avid meditators, as Lewis suggests, but I could tell that both of them were completely in tune with their respective inner-selves. It was as if their souls had been interacting for milenea before they met.

Anam Cara - Soul friend

The term Anam Cara pertains to the Celtic notion of a spiritual confidant known as a "soul friend." It is derived from the Irish anamchara, which translates as a combination of "soul" and "friend" in English.

Ella and Ethan - soul friends.

“Love is also a force of light and nurture that liberates you to inhabit to the full your own difference. There should be no imitation of each other; no need to be defensive or protective in each other’s presence. Love should encourage and free you fully into your full potential.”

― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

As an artist, it’s a lovely thing to encounter two people so free within their own potential, as John O’Donohue puts it, especially in front of a camera, where it’s easy to become guarded. Ella has a tattoo on her arm that reads “clear bright light.” I don’t know what this means to her- I should have asked. But it became my mantra for the rest of the session.

What was I hoping to capture in Ethan and Ella? I asked myself this consciously because I used to think “what kind of photos are they going to want, and how can I deliver that.” It’s a subtle difference, but the former keeps the artistic part of the exploration alive, I believe.

For me, a photograph is like peeking through a window at something that beckons back from far away. It’s a paradox, because capturing a photo essentially freezes time… But it’s not just nostalgia for a dusty scrapbook- Like a piece of artwork, a photograph can actually be a way forward into the transcendent. It’s alive and gives life all at once. A photo peaks into the divine, the God in each of us, and calls something out of the onlooker - a clear bright light that helps us see from the frontier of what is known and what has yet to be known.

I always come into a session with prompts and a vision for how I might like it to go- This I believe is true for most artists, no matter the medium. I bring a trusty orange notepad with a mess of squiggles and suggestions. However, I believe the real art comes when I let the initial vision go… not because it’s no longer useful, but because I allow the subject to extend me beyond the familiar…to let the poses fall apart and witness the magic in between the moments.

This is what I loved most about my time with Ethan and Ella- there was so much magic in between the moments. So much unfamiliar divinity shining forth, beckoning at the window of the frame. The authenticity with which they operated was halting and moving, funny and sincere, earnest and grounded.

Their wedding is in 15 days- It will be an intimate gathering with the most thoughtful details, including their personally crafted cake composed of soft Italian wheat and freshly pressed wildflowers hand-picked from their own garden.

“The deepest things that you need are not elsewhere. They are here and now in that circle of your own soul. Real friendship and holiness enable a person to frequently visit the hearth of his solitude;”

― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

I know these two have a special destiny. I feel grateful to have been a small part of it.

That’s what Ella and Ethan are.