Love beyond borders
Photography is a magical thing. Photos have the power to stop time, to capture life's fleeting moments that we wish to replay over and over again. We incessantly trap moments in images, and store them in a few megabytes of digital memory (or maybe still, in strips of film). In photos, we get to look at the world in its truest form. We catch sight of little details, hidden emotions, and things that usually go unnoticed.
I am talking about real photography here, not those taken by people who only care about how good they looked in front of the camera, taking self-portraits of themselves one shot after the next, even though they all look pretty much the same anyway.
I have always been fascinated with photography at its best - done by people who take pictures in the name of art, to portray reality without its deceiving mask, and to display the greatest emotions of man - love, laughter, sadness, fright, selflessness, lust, misery, and much more.
Thanks to Flickr and Deviantart, I have had so many glimpses of the extraordinary, simple, creative, and passionate lives that ordinary people led - and were brave enough to share them to the world.
As I read today's issue of the Inquirer this afternoon, an article in the Super! section caught my eye. The title was "A Modern Day Flickr Fairytale". There was a large stunning picture of a beautiful girl in black leaning on a wall with her hand touching it, and on the opposite side was a man, also leaning, longing for the touch of the girl beyond his part of the world. Their eyes conveyed the same emotion, a deep sense of loneliness that can only be captured by a skillful shutterbug. What completely threw me away was that both of them are living thousands of miles apart, and they found a way to be together - through emotive self-portraits and a little bit of Photoshop.
"Be it an ocean, be it a wall, nothing will keep me away from you."
I have tingles through my body as I am typing this. That photo has touched me so much. I think this photo willl forever haunt me (in a pleasant way), as well as Rosie's and Aaron's other stunning photos. I have stopped everything I'm doing - homework, doing my Filipino take home midterms - and browsed through the other beautiful pictures they took.
Real love
Aaron Nace is 24, a photographer and designer, and lives in North Carolina, USA. Rosie Hardy is 17, a student and a part-time waitress, and lives in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. One fateful day, Rosie's friend showed her Aaron's collection of self-portraits on Flickr. It turns out that both of them are doing the same photo project, the 365 Days Project - in which one has to take a self-portrait of oneself every day for the next 365 days.
Rosie was just about to add Aaron as her contact, but then it turned out that he had already found her then! Everything was like a fairytale for Rosie and Aaron ever since. They started sending each other Flickrmails, sending messages through Gmail, and talking for hours on Skype. They continue to post self-portraits that they made together on Flickr that has attracted and inspired thousands of people from all over the world.
For three months they connected through their art and love for photography. They wait for the day that they will soon meet and gaze through each other's eyes, and experience real love for the first time. Then, like a true-to-life fairytale, Aaron bought a ticket to England to meet Rosie.
"When I arrived here in England and saw my Rosie for the first time, half expecting everything to be totally weird, I walked right up to her and kissed her hard, and since that moment it has been just like we have been around each other for years! All the fear of meeting someone over the internet dissipated at first glance. It was obvious that everything is perfect." - a caption in one of Aaron's pictures.
He stayed for 17 days, doing everything together that they could as a young couple. I think that Rosie and Aaron's story is the most romantic thing created through one of today's most powerful inventions: the Internet. They disproved so many notions about love and inspired others to be unafraid, to believe that love truly surpasses all boundaries.
"It is easy to follow, but it is uninteresting to do easy things. We find out about ourselves only when we take risks, when we challenge and question." - Magdalena Abakanowicz
There is still much more about Rosie and Aaron's love story, but then, I am in no position to report the story completely. I am merely a 17-year-old girl, touched two extraordinary people, having witnessed a part of their life which will evermore become a part of mine. It is astounding to think that by simply living your own life, you have the ability to affect another's.
I have made a comment on Rosie's latest picture she posted just last night:
Amazing. Your photos and Aaron's have touched me so much. You two have been featured in our Philippine newspaper, that's how i heard about you and your magical love story. I'm 17 too, just like you. You two have reminded me that love can cross all paths and through brick walls.. no boundaries.
I wish you and your guy all the best. Without loneliness, one cannot feel happiness. Without hard times, one cannot experience the wonderful moments. Stay strong and have faith. I hope you get to be with him again soon..
I apologize for the overlong post, I just can't help but express my awe. :)
What astonished me is that she replied!! Almost less than half an hour after I posted my comment, she left me a Flickrmail:
Thankyou so much for your comment, I can't even begin to explain how much I needed to hear those words right now!!! I'm so glad you liked the article - I haven't seen it yet, but by the sounds of it, it came out good!! I'll be seeing aaron again in 2months and 19 days, so seeing as I need something to keep me from bursting into tears every 5minutes, i think i might set to work making a countdown calendar!! thanks you so much for the support, its incredible, it really is!! xxx
My heart was beating really fast. I was deeply touched by what she has written. I immediately sent her my reply:
You're very welcome! I'm so surprised by your quick reply. The article was wonderful! Reading it made my day, for I felt rather gloomy today. Your love story captured my heart.
Making a countdown calendar is a great idea! Keep yourself busy for the next two months :)
Missing someone may hurt, but it means having something to look forward to, trusting that one day he would be back..
By the way, my name's Desiree. I'm so grateful to have met you. :)
I sounded like a die-hard fan, but then again, she has become my inspiration, a role model. She deserves to be loved unconditionally. Aaron and Rosie are both so lucky to have found one another.
I am still having tingles all over.
The hardest thing I ever had to do
is to walk away and not be able to run after you.
Fairy lights
Eskimo Kisses
Seven Deadly Sins (a series of photos), Sloth
I am talking about real photography here, not those taken by people who only care about how good they looked in front of the camera, taking self-portraits of themselves one shot after the next, even though they all look pretty much the same anyway.
I have always been fascinated with photography at its best - done by people who take pictures in the name of art, to portray reality without its deceiving mask, and to display the greatest emotions of man - love, laughter, sadness, fright, selflessness, lust, misery, and much more.
Thanks to Flickr and Deviantart, I have had so many glimpses of the extraordinary, simple, creative, and passionate lives that ordinary people led - and were brave enough to share them to the world.
As I read today's issue of the Inquirer this afternoon, an article in the Super! section caught my eye. The title was "A Modern Day Flickr Fairytale". There was a large stunning picture of a beautiful girl in black leaning on a wall with her hand touching it, and on the opposite side was a man, also leaning, longing for the touch of the girl beyond his part of the world. Their eyes conveyed the same emotion, a deep sense of loneliness that can only be captured by a skillful shutterbug. What completely threw me away was that both of them are living thousands of miles apart, and they found a way to be together - through emotive self-portraits and a little bit of Photoshop.
"Be it an ocean, be it a wall, nothing will keep me away from you."
I have tingles through my body as I am typing this. That photo has touched me so much. I think this photo willl forever haunt me (in a pleasant way), as well as Rosie's and Aaron's other stunning photos. I have stopped everything I'm doing - homework, doing my Filipino take home midterms - and browsed through the other beautiful pictures they took.
Real love
Aaron Nace is 24, a photographer and designer, and lives in North Carolina, USA. Rosie Hardy is 17, a student and a part-time waitress, and lives in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. One fateful day, Rosie's friend showed her Aaron's collection of self-portraits on Flickr. It turns out that both of them are doing the same photo project, the 365 Days Project - in which one has to take a self-portrait of oneself every day for the next 365 days.
Rosie was just about to add Aaron as her contact, but then it turned out that he had already found her then! Everything was like a fairytale for Rosie and Aaron ever since. They started sending each other Flickrmails, sending messages through Gmail, and talking for hours on Skype. They continue to post self-portraits that they made together on Flickr that has attracted and inspired thousands of people from all over the world.
For three months they connected through their art and love for photography. They wait for the day that they will soon meet and gaze through each other's eyes, and experience real love for the first time. Then, like a true-to-life fairytale, Aaron bought a ticket to England to meet Rosie.
"When I arrived here in England and saw my Rosie for the first time, half expecting everything to be totally weird, I walked right up to her and kissed her hard, and since that moment it has been just like we have been around each other for years! All the fear of meeting someone over the internet dissipated at first glance. It was obvious that everything is perfect." - a caption in one of Aaron's pictures.
He stayed for 17 days, doing everything together that they could as a young couple. I think that Rosie and Aaron's story is the most romantic thing created through one of today's most powerful inventions: the Internet. They disproved so many notions about love and inspired others to be unafraid, to believe that love truly surpasses all boundaries.
"It is easy to follow, but it is uninteresting to do easy things. We find out about ourselves only when we take risks, when we challenge and question." - Magdalena Abakanowicz
There is still much more about Rosie and Aaron's love story, but then, I am in no position to report the story completely. I am merely a 17-year-old girl, touched two extraordinary people, having witnessed a part of their life which will evermore become a part of mine. It is astounding to think that by simply living your own life, you have the ability to affect another's.
I have made a comment on Rosie's latest picture she posted just last night:
Amazing. Your photos and Aaron's have touched me so much. You two have been featured in our Philippine newspaper, that's how i heard about you and your magical love story. I'm 17 too, just like you. You two have reminded me that love can cross all paths and through brick walls.. no boundaries.
I wish you and your guy all the best. Without loneliness, one cannot feel happiness. Without hard times, one cannot experience the wonderful moments. Stay strong and have faith. I hope you get to be with him again soon..
I apologize for the overlong post, I just can't help but express my awe. :)
What astonished me is that she replied!! Almost less than half an hour after I posted my comment, she left me a Flickrmail:
Thankyou so much for your comment, I can't even begin to explain how much I needed to hear those words right now!!! I'm so glad you liked the article - I haven't seen it yet, but by the sounds of it, it came out good!! I'll be seeing aaron again in 2months and 19 days, so seeing as I need something to keep me from bursting into tears every 5minutes, i think i might set to work making a countdown calendar!! thanks you so much for the support, its incredible, it really is!! xxx
My heart was beating really fast. I was deeply touched by what she has written. I immediately sent her my reply:
You're very welcome! I'm so surprised by your quick reply. The article was wonderful! Reading it made my day, for I felt rather gloomy today. Your love story captured my heart.
Making a countdown calendar is a great idea! Keep yourself busy for the next two months :)
Missing someone may hurt, but it means having something to look forward to, trusting that one day he would be back..
By the way, my name's Desiree. I'm so grateful to have met you. :)
I sounded like a die-hard fan, but then again, she has become my inspiration, a role model. She deserves to be loved unconditionally. Aaron and Rosie are both so lucky to have found one another.
I am still having tingles all over.
The hardest thing I ever had to do
is to walk away and not be able to run after you.
Fairy lights
Eskimo Kisses
Seven Deadly Sins (a series of photos), Sloth