Kevin & Jenn – An In‑Home Portrait Session Rooted in Real Life

07 Jan Kevin & Jenn – An In‑Home Portrait Session Rooted in Real Life

Some photo sessions stay with you long after the camera is packed away. This one with Jenn and Kevin was deeply special to me, both creatively and personally.

Every once in a while, I like to step away from traditional studio structure and create something more intimate: portraits that capture a couple in their own environment, where their love actually lives. The quiet moments, the laughter, the ease between them. This shoot was exactly that.

When I started thinking about doing more emotionally driven, real‑life sessions, Jenn was the first person who came to mind. She has trusted me with my photography since the very beginning, right from my first year behind the camera. Over the years, that trust has meant more to me than she probably knows. This session felt like a way to return some of that love and create something meaningful just for them.

After the shoot, Jenn wrote to me saying the photos were “so beautiful” and that they felt incredibly lucky to have done the session together. She shared that everyone’s favourite image so far was the playful moment I featured in my post, the now-famous “octopus” photo.

One of the ways I work with couples is by giving very visual, quirky prompts rather than stiff posing instructions. I’ll often use very visual, playful prompts. In this case, I asked Jenn to act like an octopus, using her arms and legs like tentacles and wrapping them around Kevin’s body in a full, playful hug. In this case, I asked Jenn to become an octopus, which immediately shifted the energy. Those kinds of prompts tend to dissolve self-consciousness, invite laughter, and pull people fully into the moment. That’s where authentic expression lives, and that’s how images like that one come to life.

Friends and family told them the photo felt authentic, sweet, and unmistakably them. Hearing that is everything I hope for when I photograph couples.

Jenn herself is such a powerful presence: warm, stunning, and deeply grounded. She was a perfect subject for this shift in my work toward emotion and honesty. Kevin, who I met for the first time during this shoot, was equally wonderful. He was loving, open, and completely at ease, with such a great attitude toward the process. Together, they were incredibly welcoming, and their connection felt natural from the very first frame.

A very important part of this session was their cat, Peanut. At 18 years old, Peanut is family, and capturing her alongside Jenn and Kevin was a priority for them. Jenn shared how meaningful it was to finally have professional photos of the three of them together, something they had never successfully managed before. Photographing Peanut at this stage of her life, preserving her presence and personality, added another layer of tenderness to the session.

We photographed throughout their one-bedroom apartment, moving between the living room and kitchen areas. It’s a cozy one-bedroom apartment filled with beautiful natural light pouring in through a large window, which created the softest, most flattering glow. Tight, lived-in spaces like this can actually bring people closer together, both literally and emotionally, and it worked perfectly for this kind of storytelling.

We also went for a walk outside near their apartment. I wanted to photograph them in a place that already held their history. That path has seen countless versions of their relationship over time, everyday walks, conversations, shared moments. Capturing them there felt important. It adds context and meaning that you simply can’t recreate on a blank studio backdrop.

While studio portraits allow us to focus purely on expression and light, photographing people in their real environments tells a fuller story. It gives the viewer a glimpse into who they are, how they live, and how their love shows up in the world.

This shoot marked the beginning of a new chapter in my photography: a deeper focus on authentic emotion, whether that happens in studio or out in the world. I can’t imagine a better way to begin that journey than with two people who have shown me so much trust over the years.

Jenn and Kevin, thank you for opening your home, your lives, and your hearts to this experience. It was truly an honour to photograph you.