I have known Stephanie since she was a little girl and from the time she was in her late teens, whenever I would bump into her, she would tell me all about her life plan. She would always have the next 5 or more years scheduled with law school, articles, and the places she planned to live. And always, in these meticulous plans, I would hear about her amazing Swedish boyfriend, who worked out on the North Sea oil platforms. It sounded so totally impossible that her dreams could pan out as perfectly as she hoped, for life didn't unfold that way. (At least my life never had. I always went where the tide took me, and that is even how I ended up photographing, rather than writing or in reinsurance, and meeting dreamy Ben while floating down an unexpected tidal stream.) But for Stephanie, she intended to follow her own special path, from becoming a successful lawyer to marrying the love of her life. And amazingly enough, when she rang me the other day, and I asked her to fill me in on the last few years and how it had all panned out, it was just as she had predicted -it had all gone exactly as she had always known it would. In fact, that was why she was ringing - she wanted to ask if I would capture her pregnant belly, and then her newborn baby, as I had captured her sister, Gillian, several months earlier.
Since I last saw Stephanie, she and Johan have married and are expecting their baby boy in the middle of July. Despite still being on track with their fabulous life plans, the pair still describe themselves as modern day nomads. Stephanie was originally based in London and then transferred for a year to Sweden. After the baby is born, she plans to spend the first part of her maternity leave in Gothenburg, Sweden, before moving back to London and returning to work there next year. Luckily, Johan can live anywhere in western Europe as he works in shifts of 2 - 3 weeks, for which he has to fly from wherever he is living to Norway to take a helicopter out to the rigs and he then has 3 - 4 weeks off. So the couple are hoping the baby isn't too late since Johan must go back to work on 3rd August.
My favourite shot. I love the rainbow sunstreaks across the image and how she is almost meditating on her baby boy.
They said "shall we do it?" and "do you think we can?" and then, "but we haven't tried it since you were pregnant..." I started getting curious, and then as I watched what unfolded before me, rather worried....
I had to include this one in black and white as well!
And at the end of the shoot, we found this old cruise ship rope washed ashore and they decided to have some fun.
Stephanie and Johan - I am so happy to have had a chance to hear about your amazing life and dreams over the years. I can't wait to meet your baby boy later this month.
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