Darryl and Julia's Love Story | Maris Ehlers Photography

Everyone has a story.  Let me tell yours. 

Editors Note:  Last night, I posted a teaser on my facebook page about a client who would be receiving a fun Valentine's Day surprise on the MEP blog from her husband.

The person who commented is the wife who is now surprised.  

Happy Valentine's Day, Julia!  

One of the things I love about my clients is getting to know them.  Many of them start out as strangers and over time become friends. 

There is something very personal about photographing people, especially since photographers these days spend so much time with their client’s images.  We learn what makes your children laugh, your wife smile, or your dog behave.  Through the editing process, we learn how many freckles your daughter has on her nose, that mole you hate, and how to best capture his smile. 

In today’s world of social media, we learn even more about our clients, including not only what they may have done this past weekend or what they had at Starbuck’s this morning, but we also get glimpses in to their pasts, their lives today, and the life lessons they’ve learned. 

The Esch family is no exception.  I met Darryl and Julia about a year after they were married.  They signed up to “model” for a staged wedding shoot after being referred by a client of mine (thank you, Kietra!).

When they arrived for the shoot, right away I thought they were super.  While it was obvious that Darryl would rather have sat on the couch watching the football game, it was apparent he really loved his bride.  With a kind and easygoing smile, he said that if standing out in the hot summer sun taking pictures with his wife made her happy, then he was happy to do it.  And he truly was. 

The pictures from that shoot are still some of our most popular, and they get posted and shared online quite a bit.  I think what made these images stand out even more than her gorgeous dress, the hay bales and the sunflowers was the connection between Darryl and Julia that came through the camera that day.  You could just see how much they loved each other. 

Fast forward to this past May, when Darryl and Julia’s world changed with the birth of their gorgeous little daughter, Harper. 

We have had the pleasure of photographing Harper shortly after her birth, at three months and at six months as well (in fact, we’ll be shooting her nine month pictures later this week).  What a little love bug!  Harper has had some severe acid reflux issues that have given them some hurdles to overcome (like feeding), but even with sheer exhaustion and frustration on all of their parts, their little family is filled with love. 

Shortly after our six month session with Harper, Darryl posted a comment on facebook that made me sit back and think about my relationship with them as the person who has been documenting milestones in their lives. 

At first I was shocked when I read Darryl’s comment, but then I realized that over the past year and a half I had heard little bits and pieces that made this not quite so surprising.  I just hadn't connected the dots.  So I contacted Darryl on a whim and asked him if he’d like to share his story, his love story with Julia and Harper, and luckily enough, he did.  

So today is about Darryl’s story, along with a gift to his lovely wife and darling daughter.  

In Part II, Darryl talks about surviving kidney cancer, enjoying life to the fullest and discovering true love with both his daughter and wife.  Coming later today!