For thousands of years artists have been trying to capture or create images that portray romance. Photographers and painters and sculptors alike all struggle with the same question, “What does romance look like?” For that matter, what is romance? We have romance novels, romance languages, romantic music, and even romantic places.

You can have a childhood romance, you can have a romantic encounter, and an old car can even have a certain romance about it. None of that really tells us much about what romance is. Like beauty, romance is an elusive trait that can only be judged in the eyes of the beholder. Every person knows it when they see it, yet no two viewers will see it in the same place. This chapter describes a few of the techniques and thought processes that go into creating a type of image that contains such elusive qualities that no words can fully describe what it is or how it should look. According to the definitions, a romantic image is romantic wedding photographyidealized, not based on fact, and remote from everyday life. It displays, expresses or is conducive to love. It is imaginary! Perhaps not completely imaginary, but certainly a romantic image does get much of its appeal and expression of love, from the fact that it leaves a lot to the imagination.

The part not shown allows the viewer to imagine all sorts of things. Upon seeing a romantic image, one person may imagine, and even actually feel, just a bit of the deep feelings of love that every bride is supposed to have for her new husband. Another may imagine that there is more going on in the scene than what is shown.

Another may imagine what it would be like if she were actually there – if she was the one in the picture, “What would that dress feel like? How would the sand feel between my toes? What would my man be like? No … I know what he would be like … he’s all the things I’ve ever dreamed of.” A romantic image sets the viewer’s mind free to imagine the love and emotion that they themselves want to experience. If you can create images that inspire romantic feelings in a woman, you can bet she will remember your name when she finds “Mr. Right”.

Glen Johnson. Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories (Kindle Locations 2278-2285). Kindle Edition.

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