Love is scary.

Not only is it a choice, but it’s also a risk.  It’s a gamble.  It’s hard enough to know you who are and hang on to who you are when, as LeAnn Rimes says, all you want to do is lose yourself in someone else.  But sometimes we’re surprised.  Sometimes we learn more about ourselves by just being with another person than we ever could by being alone.

And when the butterflies go away and the hard times fall and you feel like you’ve had enough, that just means you’re in the right place.  It means you’re on to something.  This is when you’re presented with a choice.  One of the greatest choices in this world.  You can choose to love or choose to walk.

Some people pass up that chance.  They pass up the opportunity to be pulled through by faith — to rejoice on the other end of trials.

And that’s just how it is with these two.   You see, because they have chosen to be the each others’ support.  No matter what they stand beside each other when they need it most.  In the easy times, in the hard times, and in the broken times.  In the broken times, you see her near him.  Holding him.  Being ever so patient with him.

Thank God they have someone to hang on to.

Some people don’t ever choose.

They have.

Emma, you are without a doubt amazing.  I love your heart.

This next set is my favorite by far!

So beautiful!

You’d have to be numb to not feel their heat!

So gorgeous!  And Eric, you have got THE LOOK!

Striking, to say the least.

You may have noticed many of these images are pretty basic.  Lots of standing.  Lots of closeups.  Lots of touching.  You may have also noticed Eric isn’t too often standing alone.  In almost every shot he’s supporting himself with either a fence or with Emma.  Poor Eric, just weeks before this shoot, broke one of the largest bones in his body: his femur, or thigh, bone. Easily a great alibi, but knowing how important these images were to Emma he played through the pain.  He can’t do much.  He can’t put any weight on his leg.  He’s pretty much glued to a chair most of his days.  I was amazed at how willing he was to move through fields of tall grass, despite the pain. That is love.

Emma and Eric are caretakers of a ranch in Steamboat Springs.  With Eric out of commission, Emma is it.  She works a full time job for the Steamboat Pilot newspaper, cares for the ranch daily, and cares for her sweet fiancé.  That is love.

You guys, I adore you.  You have no idea how your chemistry and your shoot filled up my creative soul.  Thank you.  I cannot wait for September!  I hope you’re walking by then Eric!

With love and joy,
René

Eric lent me one of his sweet flannels as the mosquitoes were OUTRAGEOUS!  Some of the biggest I’ve ever seen and the MOST I’ve ever seen.  If you look closely at these images, you’ll see a few mosquitoes on Emma and Eric’s faces.