The Love Project, Revisited

Breaking away from food photography for a minute, to revisit a huge part of my life.

When I first started The Love Project, I had no idea what impact it would have on people.  Phase I was dedicated to a couple's love.  Phase II to single people and their dogs and the bond they share.  Because of my never ending quest to document what real Love looks like, I found this project so very meaningful and a breath of fresh air.  It also taught me a lot about loss.  In the middle of Phase II, my beautiful Elmo passed away, and there are no words that can console a broken heart, especially when that heart is broken in a million pieces by the loss of the only little creature that put it back together when it entered my life.  

Forward a few years, and some of the people who so kindly participated in the project are also feeling that pain.  I never shared Elmo passed in the middle of the project because I didn't want to ruin the energy that simply flowed in each session - it was so happy, real, lovely... But these people have also become my friends through the years, and all I can say is I'm sorry.  I know what you feel, and how your heart seems to break a little more each day.  I only hope you find comfort in the memories and in these silly photos.  I know I wasn't able to look at this photo, his eyes, for a long time, but now I look at it and feel so much love.  How can such a small soul bring Love to life is a mystery... but these photos remind me that Love is real and oh, so worth it.  

So, here's to your broken heart, full of Love.  Because Love, my friends, is the gift that they gave to you, and it's the gift that never dies.