I’m so happy and honored to take pictures for Tina and Duane.  Tina is the cousin of my photography mentor, Scott Robert Lim, and she lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I met her last year in August during Scott Robert Lim’s workshop and she had told me about her amazing boyfriend, Duane.

Tina has two little boys and Duane treats them as their own.  They go camping every weekend, and he takes the family out with them.  Duane loves to fish too, so he either takes Tina and the boys, or goes with his friends.  Tina used to work for MAC and she does makeup on the side – she helped do makeup and hair for our workshop in August.

When I arrived in Oahu, Tina and I caught up over some really great (and cheap!) Korean soondubu/tofu, and she told me some exciting news – they’re engaged!  It was great timing, getting together with her and spending more time to get to know Duane was great.  I love hearing and seeing when two people find love and watching their stories combine and create their own.

A few days later during my trip, we met up again, this time for Tina and Duane to be in front of the camera.  It was fun, we had a blast.  I’d ask Duane to tell her a joke, they would look at each other and immediately crack up – it was great.

Just about a week and a half ago, I posted up some teasers on my Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/michelle.nicole.photography) and sent them to Tina.  She wrote me back, and it was heartwarming.  I wanted to share with you what she wrote to me:

Thank you again for the wonderful pictures. Looking at those pictures makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am. They are most than just beautfiul pictures to me – I feel like when I look at those pictures, I’ve finally found peace.

If you had asked me 3 years ago about my future, I wouldn’t have known what to tell you. I just remember being so unhappy, with a crappy job, and felt stuck in a very unhealthy relationship that wasn’t good for the kids or myself. I felt like I had lost faith that I would not be happy ever again.Somehow god has taken me down a path, and given me a wonderful second chance. I am blessed with two wonderful little boys, a great job, and now a soul mate who not only loves me, but loves also my boys. He calls them his very own. He is a great dad to my boys, and the boys also love him to pieces.

 

…Thanks again for everything, and for making us un-model like subjects look good !

 

Happy Easter!
xoxoxxo Tina (and family )