Dating website Sentimente wanted to see the effect that love has on us. Visually. So they invited a few folks for a photo session. But there was a catch. The only thing the participants knew was that they'd get their portrait taken. However, each time someone was in front of the lens, the organizers of the experiment surprised them with a video message from their loved one: a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a best friend, kids, even their pet. The changes in their whole demeanor were impossible to miss. Everyone started laughing with joy. At the end of the photo session, the models said that the message they received had made their day.
More info: sentimente.com | Mihnea Ratte
The effects of love on people
Image credits: Mihnea Ratte
"The aim of the project was to show that love is a feeling that makes us better," Mihnea Ratte, the photographer who took the photos, told Bored Panda.
"Everyone was invited for a photoshoot and after they got their first portrait taken, we asked them to look at the table above my camera," he explained. "On the tablet, we played a video of their loved ones who said 'I love you.' If it was a video of a pet, it was doing something nice."
"[The models] had no clue what was going to happen," Mihnea added. "That's what got the reactions." The main thing the photographer took away from the project was the realization that love is evident in people's entire bodies.
For the photos, Mihnea chose a warmer color temperature, to highlight how cozy and loved everyone was feeling.
"At first, I didn't believe it can be done with a camera pointed at them. However, after shooting the first two models I understood that it's possible. And not because of me or my gear. It was all about what they felt."