For Grayson Taylor Photography, capturing authentic Black LGBTQ+ love was all the inspiration they needed to bring to life this vibrant, powerful session.
Tell us the inspiration behind the shoot.
The inspiration behind the shoot was to capture Black LGBTQ+ love in its most pure form. To capture its strength, tenderness, energy and all facets within its dynamic. I wanted to shoot Black LGBTQ+ couples because of a lack of positive representation within the wedding industry, and I wanted to see more of these stores and help capture them. Through photographing Aleah and Jess, I have learned more about how to express love. I have found that couples being photographed are either really good at expressing their emotions or have a different way of showing them. I wanted to capture all types of bonds people share in their relationships. Through this shoot, I have learned how powerful and special Black LGBTQ+ love is.
Why was creating this shoot important you?
For all reasons stated above and to show that all Black love should be celebrated and uplifted, especially the more marginalized kinds we don’t see enough of. When we scroll through our social media feeds, we see the same pretty pictures with the same color schemes and the same couples that we forget to see anything other than appreciation. When someone sees my photos, I want them to feel compelled, warm, inspired, and less alone. While photographing Aleah and Jess, the biggest compliment I received was how comfortable I made them feel. And I could not be more grateful to be able to capture them.
Tell us about the plant power theme of this shoot?
The vision for this shoot started with scouting the perfect location. However, on this quest to find the perfect spot, it became clear that the couple themselves were perfect, and any place I captured them in would embody their raw and powerful essence. The key elements were capturing this beautiful couple’s most unapologetically authentic form and to create something beautiful that I was honored to be a part of.
Photography & Planning Grayson Taylor Photography
