Alex and Jeff: Downtown New Haven and Yale Couple’s Session

Alex and Jeff were some of the first people we met when we moved to New Haven in 2018. Friends of a friend, they immediately welcomed us to town and gave us the low-down on some vital information: parts of town to look for a house if we chose to buy; beaches to visit and ones to avoid; and easy-to-miss restaurants in surrounding towns that we needed to try out.

They are married already but were looking to do a photo shoot together that was a little different than anything they already had, so we decided to do a winter shoot in downtown New Haven and on the Yale campus, where they both work.

It was an undeniably chilly morning. But these two seem to be impeccably dressed for any weather, and this was no exception. They managed to look classically chic and put together, while on the other side of the camera I was red-nosed and questionably dressed in long underwear and holey jeans.

These two have that shorthand wordless language all long-time couples have. They communicate volumes with a single look; you can read their common values, their respect for each other, and their closeness in every subtle movement or nod. That’s what was so fun for me about this session—they are not a showy pair. Jeff is on the introverted side, sweet and maybe a bit shy, and Alex is reserved with a wonderful sarcastic streak that comes out of nowhere when you least expect it. (Also, it’s hard to get crazy romantic on a busy, freezing Saturday morning downtown anywhere.) So this shoot was about capturing the tiny moments that happen between an established couple on a normal day in a place where they often find themselves.

I love how these turned out. I love the story they tell, about the couple and the place where they live and work. And I appreciate them trusting me with this shoot. It means a lot to me.