Akrotiri, Cyprus Engagement Session: Jelena + Gleb

Dark, smokey eyes stare deeply into his own cobalt orbs. There's a whisper of hair strands brushing his cheeks in the soft wind of the Akrotiri beach in beautiful Cyprus. It is difficult to keep his balance next to her, not only because of the smooth, slanted rocks of the beach, but because he is overwhelmed when he looks at her. Standing so close, they don't even realize I am here as the quiet click of the camera's shutter captures their moment. 

Jelena and Gleb are soon to be married on the glistening sands of Limassol, Cyprus. Today I am taking their engagement photos. Other than their clearly burning passion, the two are a mystery to me. Gleb is soft-spoken and shy, while Jelena is brief and to the point. She doesn't waste her words on frivolities; she speaks with dark eyes behind fanned lashes. 
Jelena's career as a photographer began after her father gave her a camera as a present. As soon as she got behind the lens and saw the world through its crystal eye, she knew she wanted to be a photographer. She fell in love with every picture and pixel that she captured, and she's never looked back. Neither Jelena or Gleb revealed how they met, but I have to wonder if it wasn't through the medium of photography.

I imagine Jelena walking through the streets of Cyprus with camera in hand, snapping pictures of shining white buildings and interesting people she meets. Perhaps she stopped off at a cafe for a coffee. As she pores over the photos she's taken, she fails to look where she's going and bumps into a young man exiting the cafe. Rather than be irritated, he starts to apologize, but he stops when he makes eye contact.

He is dumbstruck by this beautiful woman, and all guilt is gone as he realizes that he's happy the accident happened. Jelena, being a woman of few words, simply smiles at him. Gleb introduces himself and invites Jelena to have coffee with him. For the first time, she finds that she wants the words to flow out of her. She feels she can open up to this mysterious man with the shy gaze.​

This true blue connection has held on to this day, and the two have finally decided to get married and spend a life together. Well, I shouldn't say “finally.” The two didn't take long to realize they were soulmates from the beginning. A happy accident (or so I imagine) brought them together, and nothing can tear them away from each other. Their bursting smiles and affection can be seen in every photo. I can't wait to take their wedding photos when they tie the knot.