Ten years together is no small milestone. It’s an anniversary worth celebrating—and Kim and Sam wanted to do something special to mark the end of their first decade as husband and wife. An intimate portrait session that focused entirely on the two of them was the perfect option.
This was Kim and Sam’s first professional portrait session together since their wedding day, so I knew it needed to be special.
For their anniversary photoshoot in Middletown, Pennsylvania, I wanted to create something that felt completely different from traditional couples portraits. The vision was dark, sexy, intimate, and elegant, with a strong editorial influence. Most importantly, I wanted the photographs to capture the closeness, passion, strength, and familiarity that comes with long-lasting love.
Turning an Anniversary Session Into an Experience
From the beginning, I had a specific vision for how I wanted this session to look and feel—something moodier and elevated to really highlight the strength of their love. With this goal in mind, I went with a monochromatic black concept, incorporating a black wall, black flooring, black furniture, and mostly black clothing. I provided two black faux-leather furniture pieces for the session, along with jewelry and wardrobe pieces from my client closet.
Rather than photographing Kim and Sam in their everyday clothes, I wanted to elevate their usual style into something that felt worthy of a formal anniversary celebration. The client closet currently includes a limited selection of dresses that couples can use during these sessions, with plans to expand the colors, styles, and sizes as the experience grows.
Kim had three outfit changes throughout the shoot: a dramatic black corseted mermaid-style gown covered in beads and sequins, a champagne and rose-gold formal beaded dress, and a minimalist black satin dress with a bold slit.
For Sam, I provided a button-up shirt, suit, and shoes to complete his looks.
Every element was chosen intentionally to create portraits that felt sophisticated and dramatic while still allowing the couple's relationship to remain at the center of the photographs.
The Statement Dress
One of the most memorable pieces from the session was the black formal gown Kim chose for her first look.
The mermaid-style skirt is covered in black beads and sequins, while a tan underlayer creates a nude-skin effect beneath the embellishments. The corseted bodice highlights the intricate design of the dress and gives it a beautiful sculptural quality.
Kim absolutely loved it—and she immediately knew she wanted to wear it. Of course, she rocked it!
It was the perfect dress for the vision I had in mind. The combination of the dramatic silhouette, texture, and monochromatic styling made it feel almost like something from a fashion editorial.
Her other looks brought completely different energy to the session. The champagne and rose-gold dress introduced a softer, more glamorous feel, while the black satin dress allowed her to embrace a bolder, more confident side.
I also did Kim's hair and makeup for the session, which helped me bring the entire vision together when I wasn't able to find an available hair and makeup artist for their weekend date.
Photographing Connection
One of my biggest goals for this session was to photograph what love looks like after ten years together.
There is a natural familiarity that comes with spending a decade with someone. You can feel this energy in the way a couple looks at each other, laughs together, flirts, or moves around each other naturally. I really wanted to preserve that feeling in photographs.
Amidst the carefully guided, posed, and lighted photos, there are organic shots that capture the comfort of their love effortlessly. Those candid moments became some of my favorites.
Playing With Light and Movement
This photoshoot also gave me the opportunity to experiment with some techniques I hadn't used before.
For the first time, I used a studio air blower to create movement in Kim's hair. Similar to a hair dryer but without the heat, it created a windblown effect that gave some of the portraits a fashion-magazine feel.
I also experimented with changing the angle of the light and the way it reflected across Kim and Sam. The more dramatic lighting worked especially well with the darker styling and created additional depth in the portraits.
This was also my first time bringing together a completely monochromatic black set. With the wall, furniture, flooring, and outfits all working within the same dark palette, the focus naturally shifted toward their faces, expressions, movement, and connection.
Making the Studio Feel Like a Date
While I did want the final photographs to have an elevated look, I knew I didn’t want the experience to feel stiff or formal. As I noted before, I felt it was important to capture the comfort and familiarity of Kim and Sam’s relationship—and that wouldn’t be possible if they weren’t comfortable during the shoot.
To make sure they felt at ease, I wanted to create a familiar environment, so I played music that Kim and Sam enjoyed. That way, they felt like they were spending time together on a normal date rather than simply moving from pose to pose for a camera.
By creating a comfortable environment and giving the couple time to interact naturally, I was able to capture genuine moments in between the more directed portraits.
More Than an Anniversary Milestone
What made this session especially meaningful was that Kim and Sam weren't just celebrating a number, but also the people they've helped one another become over the past decade.
Ten years after their wedding, they wanted photographs that represented their relationship now. Life looks different than it did when they first got married, and their portraits should reflect that.
An anniversary session can be a chance to reconnect, get dolled up, have fun together, and create something you wouldn't necessarily make time for in everyday life. For Kim and Sam, it was all of those things.
It was also the beginning of a type of portraiture I've wanted to create for quite some time: intimate, elevated photography experiences for couples who want something more than traditional posed portraits. I can’t wait to do more!
If you want to celebrate the love you have at any stage of your marriage—whether it’s been five years or five decades—I’d love to play a role in your celebration.
Get in touch today, and let’s talk about how we can preserve your one-of-a-kind relationship with some one-of-a-kind photographs.
