Part of what makes photography so precious an art is its ability to stop time. Author W. Somerset Maugham once said, “Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it.” Photography is that delight, pausing in a moment and resolving that it is important enough to preserve. It’s much the reason wedding photography carries such weight, for when else would you re-live that moment with precisely those people? Images have a way of transporting you, through time and space, and it’s as if you are there once more on the mountainside or else standing next to the one you love on your wedding day. Suddenly a piece of paper or wad of pixels is so much more than that: they are feeling and memory materialized before you—and none can make these so precious as when they have gone.
When photographer Silvius James and florist Liz Rusnac ventured out into the Columbia Gorge to capture the images in our next feature, they were unaware that much of the natural beauty they would be enjoying that day would soon come to pass. It’s a lesson in fragility, reverence, and preservation: to create and rejoice in the bright and beautiful “now” we so often pass in the name of “getting things done.”
And so, to all of our hustling brides, I say “delight.” Take time, slow down, and look around. There is much to be done, but there is far more to be treasured!
A word from photographer, Silvius James:
“A local florist and friend found out I moved to the area and really wanted to work together so we decided to head to one of the many beautiful waterfalls here in Portland, OR. I got this gorgeous green dress from Free People and Liz Rusnac Floral created some stunning florals to create a gorgeous color palette for any season. So glad we got out there because shortly after the shoot, the Columbia Gorge caught on fire and so much of our beautiful scenery was lost.
I really love the rich tones of the photos, and the morning beams of light coming through the trees made this shoot so magical.”
photographer & art direction: Silvius James / location: Latourell Falls in Oregon / floral designer: Liz Rusnac Florals / dress boutique: Free People / film lab: PhotoVision
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