see you in the mourning
Creative Portrait Photography in Columbus, Ohio
Embracing grief and Honoring love
A Mourning-Inspired Portrait Session in Columbus, Ohio
Ashleigh has been in front of my camera more times than I can count—but this session was different. She had recently lost a beloved pet, and the grief was still fresh. When we sat down to talk through what this shoot could be, it wasn’t about poses or aesthetics. It was about love, loss, and how to hold space for the people—or souls—we’ve lost. We talked about mourning as something sacred, about remembrance as an act of love. And I couldn’t help but think about my own heritage—how in Mexican culture, we don’t mourn in silence. We remember loudly, colorfully, beautifully. With that in mind, I pulled visual inspiration from La Llorona, the weeping woman of Mexican folklore, and shaped a portrait session that sits somewhere between sorrow and celebration.
The Setting:
The Riverbanks of Friendship Park
Friendship Park gave us something beautifully contradictory—a peaceful view of the river, flooded in sunlight, and packed with the chaos of weekend hikers and families. It wasn’t the ideal quiet backdrop we’d imagined, but maybe that was the point. Mourning doesn’t happen in isolation. It lives in the world, it walks alongside strangers. The cloudless sky was unrelenting, a challenge for both lighting and emotion—but we found our moments. In corners shaded by trees, in frames interrupted by flares of light, we found space to let Ashleigh’s story unfold.
Inspired co-creation
Before the camera ever came out, we talked. For hours. About grief. About memory. About how mourning is not just about saying goodbye—but about making room for the love that stays. Ashleigh was open, vulnerable, and brave. We looked at old photos. We cried a little. And we started imagining how to turn all of that into something visual. I kept thinking about La Llorona—not as a warning, but as a symbol. A woman so full of grief she became myth. There was something poetic in that. Not just the pain, but the transformation.
This wasn’t about re-creating folklore or performing sadness—it was about truth. Ashleigh gave me that truth. Through quiet poses and raw expression, she let herself be seen in a way I’ll never forget.
Shot on the Sony A7IV, this session came to life through the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GMaster and Sigma 85mm f1.4. I leaned heavily into experimental glass, layering emotion with visual texture using Prism FX’s Starburst, Kaleidoscope, and Rose filters. We worked with harsh light, unpredictable movement, and very little space—chasing softness where we could find it, and letting the harder light hit where it needed to.
Technical Aspects of the Shoot
Why Choose Me as Your Portrait Photographer in Columbus, Ohio?
My job is to tell your story—not the one people expect, but the one that sits deep in your chest. My approach to portraiture blends bold creative direction with emotional fluency, crafting sessions that feel like more than just a photoshoot. Whether you're navigating celebration, grief, rebirth, or self-expression, I’m here to help you translate that into something visual and lasting. Let’s make something that matters.
