Today I’m proud to announce the recent engagement of Jeff Cowherd + Anna Kirsch. Jeff’s a long time friend since High School (Class of ‘97, Nitro, WV – Wildcats) and it was an honor to create this piece for he and Anna. They’re currently livin’ it up in the Lower Haight section of San Francisco and you’ll often find him peddling delicious scones at the local bus stops there. If you ever stumble upon him, say hello (and congrats), as you’ll be hard pressed to find better conversation.

After Jeff first booked the day and contacted me about the announcement ideas, I knew right off it was going to be a challenge to interpret this day. We began discussing themes and various symbols in their relationship in order to bring meaning to the piece. He informed me that he proposed to Anna during the holidays as they were on a boat trip. He also wanted to incorporate the Grand Canyon into the theme as this was the spot he became settled with the idea that he would spend the rest of his life with Anna. He was by himself on this trip and from gazing into the canyon with its stacked layers of sedimentary rock, a visible timeline of growth and progress, the enlightenment of the symbolism between life + relationship was revealed.

Sailboats, Grand Canyon, Engagment and eventual marriage. How in the hell was I going to pull this off, I thought. I tried a couple different things before settling on this idea. I printed one of my photos from this summers trip to the Grand Canyon and folded it into an origami sail boat. I found an image of Jeff + Anna from his facebook page, which coincidentally was taken at a friends wedding, and printed it out. I cut them out of the picture with scissors and placed them in the boat. I wanted to represent their journey and path towards tying the knot (a date still to be determined), so I placed the boat on a river of rope, heading towards the knot. Setup the scene in a lightbox and began shooting. (special thanks goes to my lovlely assistant and girlfriend, Ami Boslaugh, on helping me create this)

Everyone wish Jeff + Anna a big congratulations in the comments. I wish them health, happiness, and longevity. Hope to see you both soon.