At Kivgiq, I miss my anniversary, but love blossoms all about - the kiss I missed, the kisses I captured - stage set for future anniversaries

Thursday, February 14, was Margie and my 39th anniversary, but other than to spend maybe five minutes talking to each other on the phone, we didn't get to celebrate it because I was here in Barrow photographining Kivgiq and she was babysitting grandchildren at their parents' home in Anchorage.

On that same Valentine's day, during the Nuvukmiut performance, I was very surprised to see young dancer Alex Kaleak drop to one knee and propose to Deidra Thomas. What would her answer be?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

She said "Yes!"

And just like that, there was a ring on her finger.

The newly betrothed couple then stood up and embraced. Deidra looked around at the crowd that rained applause down upon them as if she could not believe she was living this moment in front of such a large audience.

Then they kissed - and that large crowd just sort of blurred out and faded off into the background. 

And yes, if the wedding happens on a day when I am able, I will photograph it. It will part of Kivgiq, after all.

The next day, a Kivgiq wedding did take place. Woodrow Oyagak, who still whales out of Cross Island with his home village of Nuiqsut but lives in Atqasuk, joined his beloved Sherlene Kagak at the altar in Barrow's Utqiagvik Presbyterian Church to be wed by Reverend Duke Morrow. When the time came, their son Sunny Boy delivered the rings.

Woodrow placed his ring upon Sherlene's finger, and then she placed hers' on his finger.

Momentarily, the groom would kiss the bride. I wanted to be in just the right spot to capture the kiss - but the question was, where would that spot be? A simple guess would be right in front of them. However, the couple was being watched in adoration by Aaka Jane Brower and also by Sunny Boy.

That's what I wanted - the aaka and the son watching as the couple kissed. Yet, there was at best a 50 percent chance the shot would work. When couples kiss, they most often tilt their heads one way or the other. If they tilted their heads to the left, then the shot would work, as the camera would be be able to see both of their faces.

If they tilted their heads to the right, then both of their faces would be hidden from the camera.

In the hope they would tilt left, I decided to go for the shot. If they tilted right, well, then, I would simply take about three quick steps to my right and that would put me in position to shoot a straight-on shot and still get their faces as their lips pressed into each other.

Oh no! They tilted their heads to the right! Both of their faces disappeared! Not only that, but rather than gazing in awe and wonder upon the newlyweds as I had he envisioned he would, the ringbearer directed his gaze towards something at the back of the chapel.

Still, I could see the kiss would linger long enough to allow me to move into my alternate position and shoot the straight-on shot that would include both of their faces.

I turned to make that move but just as I was about to, I glanced to my right...

There, I saw a small phalanx of smiling faces pointing phones and an iPad right at the newlywed couple, eager to shoot the image of the first kiss. If I stepped to where I wanted to be, I would step right in front of them and block them off. Instead, I circled off to my left, hoping to find another angle.

I could not find it. I stepped back and shot the happy followup embrace instead.

I know the couple will receive - probably have received - copies of the kiss shot by those whose position blocked me off, so it should all be good.

Within an hour, Woodrow and Sherlene joined the Atqasuk dancers on Kivgiq dance floor. Maybe they would kiss again. Maybe I would get another chance.

They did!

Woodrow and Sherlene, may you carry the kisses of your wedding day through all the remaining days of your lives, and may those kisses echo forever into the future through the kisses of your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren - and so on and on and on and on and on and on...

Comments

[Suji]

Such a cute couple... couples... Bless them!