Jaketa & Aushanada // Crescent City Park Couples Photography Session

Jaketa and Aushanada in love, shining brighter than the Louisiana sun, in Crescent City Park. This shoot was a first for me. Jaketa decided to surprise her partner with a photoshoot. Aushanada didn’t know about the shoot until the moment they walked up, hand in hand, to where I was waiting at the bottom of the rusty rainbow. For those of you who haven’t been to this side of the Bywater it’s what we call the giant, rusty, bridge that leads you over the train tracks and to the beautiful park that runs along the Mississippi.

Laughter and hugs ensued as they explained the events leading up to our session together. All of a sudden it made sense why Jaketa had encouraged Aushanada to do her hair and wear certain clothes. Regardless of all of this it was clear that not only did Aushanada have no clue about the surprise but that it was one that was appreciated.

One thing that Jaketa shared with me was that she searched for ages for a photographer that she could feel comfortable and safe with. She specifically searched for queer photographers or photographers with experience photographing lesbian couples. It’s so important to feel comfortable with your photographer and this isn’t always an easy thing to do especially in the LGBTQ community.

I strive to create a safe place for couples of any race or sexual orientation regardless of if they’re binary, non-binary, traditional or non-traditional. Love is love is love. It felt so special that Jaketa chose me to photograph their session.