Thoughts of Valentine’s Day conjure up certain stock images: boxes of candy and cards with sweet messages lining store shelves and racks, someone making a frantic, last-minute phone call to a florist, total cynics (or just plain victims of a corporate holiday) sticking their fingers in their open mouths and fake-retching.
But, come on, there are other ways of approaching the holiday. To mangle the famous Beatles line, one day celebrating love may be far less than all we need, but at least it’s a complete contrast to our nation’s two current wars. Plus, as Sarah Cramer’s photographs prove, Valentine’s Day can hold as many original images as there are forms of love: parent for child, sibling for sibling, person for dog (not to mention dog for person), as well as reflect love through the ages—it’s not just a playground for the young and innocent, that’s for sure.
Cramer, a Northern Virginia native and UVA graduate, founded Cramer Photography in Charlottesville in 2005. These selections from her work capture intimate people in intimate moments without a hint of artificiality or mush. And they’re the sort of images that aren’t confined in any way—Valentine’s Day happens every week of the year, doesn’t it? Judging by these photographs, the answer appears to be a resounding yes. “I spend each day telling stories through my photographs,” Cramer says, “and I witness love constantly.”
Oh, and there’s one more form of love we need to add to the list: Cramer declares, “I enjoy photographing people because I get to observe and connect with another human being.”