Britney + J’Son | Intimate Couples Session in Joshua Tree, California
An Intimate Couples Session in Joshua Tree, California
I met Britney and J’Son in February in Joshua Tree, California, during the Funk You Workshop, hosted by the incredibly talented Chuy of The Art of Chuy.
It was our first day of the workshop. Four other creatives and I had arrived only a few hours earlier, and I remember feeling so nervous.
I was still settling in after the long journey from Toronto, getting comfortable with a group of people I had only just met, and anticipating learning—and photographing—in a way I hadn't experienced before, alongside a photographer whose work I deeply admired.
Then we were introduced to Britney and J’Son, the first couple we would photograph.
Within a few minutes of sharing space with them, my nervousness melted away.
They brought an energy that was warm, respectful, curious and engaging. Before we even started photographing, I had a feeling we were going to create something special together.
Creating Space for Vulnerability, Connection + Play
During our four hours together, I got to know Britney and J’Son a little more: how they met, their hopes and concerns for the session, their relationships with their own bodies, and their relationship with one another.
What has stayed with me about this intimate session—more than the photographs themselves—is the embodied memory of what it felt like to co-create a space for safety, exploration, playfulness and vulnerability.
I witnessed two people embrace their bodies and each other's bodies while allowing themselves to be vulnerable enough to confront some of their fears.
That experience shifted something in the way I thought about photographing people.
I realized that the experience of being photographed can be just as important as the photographs themselves.
As a photographer, I'm not simply there to observe or create beautiful images. I also have a role in facilitating an experience in which people can feel safe enough to explore, connect, play and be seen.
Britney and J’Son, thank you for trusting us to photograph you in this way, and for everything the experience taught me about bodies, relationships, vulnerability and the human experience.
Britney + J’Son’s Story
Britney and J’Son met in 2019, with a little help from the universe, at a house party neither of them was really supposed to be at.
J’Son was visiting Los Angeles from New York for business, while Britney had snuck into the party during a night out with a friend.
They both described feeling instantly drawn to one another. After a night of flirting and dancing, J’Son extended his “business trip” in Los Angeles by three months so they could spend more time together. Eventually, he moved to LA to be with Britney.
They now live together in Santa Monica.
Why They Chose an Intimate Couples Session
When we asked Britney and J’Son what motivated them to volunteer to model for the workshop—and put themselves in front of six photographers—I was surprised and deeply moved by their responses.
I expected something along the lines of “We thought it would be fun,” or perhaps that they had followed Chuy's work and jumped at the opportunity to be photographed by him.
Instead, what we heard was:
“We want to learn to love our bodies.”
And:
“We are practicing embracing the uncomfortable.”
J’Son spoke vulnerably about being on a journey toward body acceptance and his experiences with body dysmorphia after growing up in a larger body.
He also reflected on how his relationship with Britney had helped him connect more deeply with himself and learn to be vulnerable. For him, the photoshoot became an opportunity to lean into that vulnerability and move through some of his fears.
He shared that growing up in New York City as a Black child and young person had taught him to protect himself by keeping his guard up so that he wouldn't be harmed or taken advantage of. He also hadn't been taught or encouraged to ask for help.
Being with Britney, he explained, had become part of learning to be vulnerable—and discovering that vulnerability allowed him to love more deeply. (Paraphrased from J’Son.)
Britney's Reflections on the Experience
A few weeks after the Funk You Workshop, Britney generously answered some reflection questions about the experience.
When I asked why she had decided to participate in the steamy session, she spoke about never having felt comfortable in her body and wanting to use the experience as an opportunity to accept herself as she was in that moment—to move beyond her comfort zone, grow and stretch.
She was also understandably nervous beforehand.
Britney worried that the experience might feel awkward, that the discomfort would show in the photographs, that she or J’Son might become too nervous, and about what it would feel like to be so physically exposed in front of a group of people—something she had never experienced before.
But once she entered the space, that changed.
She described the environment as authentic, genuine, relaxing and reassuring, and said she quickly felt that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
And this is the part of Britney's reflection that has always stayed with me:
“I decided to do the steamy shoot because I have never been comfortable in my body, and there has never been a time in my life that I like what I see, no matter how skinny or fit I am. I did the photo shoot in an attempt to accept and love my body as it is, right now. I did it to step outside of my comfort zone, to grow, to stretch”
When asked about what worries she had coming into the shoot, Britney shared that she was “worried that it would feel extremely weird and awkward, and that it would show on camera. That I would get too nervous, and my partner would get too nervous, I was worried about how I would feel being naked in front of so many people, which is something I have never done before”.
I followed up with asking how she ended up feeling through the experience, and Britney said:
“It felt really good! As soon as I stepped into the space, I no longer had any worries; I felt like I was home. Everyone was really authentic and genuine, the energy was relaxing and calming and reassuring, without anyone having to say anything — And that’s why I knew I was in the right place”.
“This experience exceeded my expectations. I had so much fun! It was so much fun connecting with my partner. It brought us closer together by doing something that we were both afraid of. We grew in love during this photo shoot. Afterwards we were high off of the love in the room. I felt very present, like I was in an alternate universe. It was very psychedelic for me. It felt like me and my partner were in our own world. We were locked in to each other ”
Britney's Advice for Couples Considering a Steamy Session:
“I would definitely recommend that every couple do a steamy shoot. It will bring you closer together, and allow yourselves to be in the moment.
If I had to give any advice it would be, just let go and be present. Have fun! Bring your favourite cocktail, favourite plant medicine, and just vibe. Enjoy the experience, enjoy your partner, and just vibe with each other”
Intimate Couples Photography as an Experience
Looking back at this session, I'm proud of the photographs we created.
But what I remember most isn't a particular image.
It's what happened in the process of making them.
The vulnerability. The trust. The playfulness. The discomfort that gradually gave way to connection. The experience of watching two people become increasingly present with themselves and one another.
Britney and J’Son helped shape the way I think about intimate couples photography: not as a performance of sexuality or intimacy for the camera, but as an opportunity to explore connection, embodiment, vulnerability and being seen.
The photographs are a record of that experience.
But the experience matters, too.
Looking for an intimate couples photographer in Toronto or planning a session somewhere beyond the city? I photograph couples with a candid, documentary-inspired approach centred on connection, embodiment, vulnerability and creating space for you to show up as yourselves.
If an intimate or steamy couples session is something you've been curious about—even if the idea makes you a little nervous—get in touch and tell me what you're imagining.