— The Image Is Found - Heartcrafted Images Since 2002

THE LEGACY PROJECT

After photographing hundreds of weddings over the past thirteen years, we found ourselves with a deep curiosity about the role our photographs play once our job is finished. Once the wedding day is relocated to memory, and marriage in all of it’s better and worse-s becomes ever-present, do the images we made still resonate? This curiosity led to a collaborative project in which we asked the couples we’ve photographed to write about the one photo from their wedding day that reminds them of what really matters. Which singular photograph has transformed from an image of something into the very memory of something? This is a collection of those images as chosen by the couples as well as their words about why they consider it the one.

Our intention for the project was to gather the insight from our couples to see if the images that we loved and meant the most to us, were the same ones they loved then, and still loved now. We were curious to see if any of them would choose the images that were “so creative” and on trend when they were taken and were humbled to find that none of them made the cut. What we discovered instead, is that the simple, un-coerced, authentic moments are the ones that time and time again resonate 1 year, 5 years, even 13 years later. Many of the photos these couples selected are not images we would have blogged, Instagrammed, or even put in our portfolio, but they perfectly encompass the honor of why we do what we do. The stories behind them, what the photos mean to them now, and why they chose it, started us down a path of shifting how we photograph today and moving forward. This realization and introspection has resulted in two truths we repeat before any wedding day:

LESS US, MORE YOU.

It is not about us or our ego. It’s about you and the images that we need to find, rather than create.

LESS LIKES, MORE LEGACY.

If an image doesn’t matter later, it doesn’t matter now.

This project has opened our eyes to the fact that everyone will have the one photo that perfectly reflects how they feel about their relationship, their love, and their wedding day. It’s the one they’ll show their grandchildren someday and go back for if the house is burning down. It’s the one that remains and the beauty of it all is that more often than not, it won’t be particularly noteworthy to anyone else but them. After reading these stories, these photographs mean more to us than any other photographs we have taken simply because their meaning extends far beyond what they mean to us to what truly matters.

BRADY AND I LOVE TO MAKE EACH OTHER LAUGH.

When we first met, we made each other laugh right away, even though we were sitting at a table with a bunch of other people we didn't know well. We have this picture framed on the fireplace in our family room and it still makes us so happy. We were 24, the light was golden, we were by the ocean and had just said "I do". It was so exciting and we couldn't wait to share our joy with our families and friends.

FOUR KIDS AND NEARLY 10 YEARS LATER, THIS PHOTO IS SUCH A GREAT REMINDER OF THE FUN BEGINNING TO OUR JOURNEY.

- Michelle and Brady -