What Love Feels Like

Shana Karn
Shots by Shana Photography
129 North St. Dryden
(607) 345-9697

There are a handful of times in our lives that we will feel love so pure and so deep that it will feel as though our hearts are bursting right out of our chests.

First or Young Love… Sure to be the most innocent love of them all, a first love is the rush of excitement and feeling of breathlessness that truly happens once in a lifetime— partly because first love is innocent and somewhat naive.  Often, when someone falls in love for the first time, they associate their feelings with “walking on air,” or “head in the clouds,” or “butterflies” in their stomach. Unfortunately, first loves rarely last — not to say that they cannot, but the sad truth is that young love is more often a short-lived fairytale of youth and doesn’t “last forever.” Once in awhile though, your first love IS the love of a lifetime…

Walking down the aisle… The decision to get married is a big one and filled with so much energy and excitement that brides and grooms easily are swept into a whirlwind of planning— choosing locations, venues, caterers, dresses/tuxes, bridesmaids and groomsmen— and, of course, a photographer.  The stress that comes with planning a wedding is often like no other and, if not handled with great care can cause more anxiety than necessary. But the big day eventually arrives and, surrounded by friends and family, you walk down the aisle and pledge your love to the man/woman of your dreams. Weddings are by far one of my favorite events to photograph because it is one of only a handful of times when it is so easy to capture pure love, joy and emotions. *Side note: Recruiting members of your tribe to alleviate some of the stress/work is key. Find a planner, a caterer, a floral designer and a photographer who will listen to you and with whom you feel comfortable and confident in— ultimately, these folks can help in more ways than one!

Birth of Your Baby/Newborns… The love you feel when your baby is born is perhaps the most fierce love you will ever feel— ecstatic and excited and protective. You will take one look at your baby and feel every emotion. Photographing the birth of a baby and the raw emotions of everyone at the birth captures the true magic of the moment for new parents. Like wedding photography, births are exciting and emotional— even for me. I haven’t attended a birth session yet that hasn’t resulted in me wiping away my own tears.

Holding Your Grandchild for the First Time… I have heard this repeatedly and am not sure I was invested in it as “truth” until last month, when my first grandchild was born. Much like the fierce love you feel when you have your own baby(s), but accompanied by incredible, heart-bursting  pride— in your now adult child as well as a beautiful new baby!! Photographing my grandson has been nothing short of incredible! I now understand what all of those grandparents were talking about when they shared news of a grandchild and I can assure you it is better than you will ever dream it could be.

As a photographer, it is my goal to not shoot just what love “looks like;” but more so, what it “feels like.”