Raphael Gaulltier
BY RAPHAEL GAULTIER
I started my photo series on young love with the intention to capture friends and friends of friends, as I was trying to investigate what love meant to me as I grew older. Xiao (also goes by Smile) had seen my series and reached out over email, expressing interest to sit for a photo with her partner Stephan at her temporary home for the summer, a church in Harlem.
We spent that afternoon getting to know each other in their kitchen, hearing about how they met and the life they were envisioning together, until I saw the light seeping through the window of their fire escape that they were sitting on, which led to this photo. This is still one of my favorites from the series I’ve taken as I feel like it captures the raw intimate side of their relationship. I’m often trying to remove myself from a scene that I’m photographing and simply capture things as they are. I love that this photo feels that way and showcases such a tender, quiet moment of Xiao and Stephan’s relationship.
