JOP Feature Event: Leonard Wyatt's Surprise Party

August 27, 2014 • Leave a Comment

JOP Feature Event: Leonard Wyatt's Surprise Party

"Being a photographer for Jenn Ocken has its perks. When she told me that there was an opportunity to help her with a surprise birthday party event at the House of Blues in New Orleans, I was like duh I'd like to help! I was already interested in the occasion because I had helped design the invitations, which fittingly were modeled after old-school Motown show posters. My task was to be the sneaky "paparazzi" hiding on the streets of the French Quarter, waiting for the birthday boy, Leonard, and his wife Jacqui to arrive. After sitting behind a trashcan with my camera and waiting for the opportune moment of their arrival (swatting off the drunk tourists who kept asking me if I could take their picture) I finally saw Leonard and Jacqui walk up. I had my shot of them entering the House of Blues composed, but soon had to abort the mission as another couple approached them, coincidentally "running into them." These people were friends of theirs, just guests to the party that had happened to arrive at the same time. I could tell that the situation was awkward, as everyone knew about the party except for Leonard. Me standing 5 feet away with a camera didn't make matters any more comfortable, so to keep from being noticed as suspicious I awkwardly started taking photos of the sky. Afraid to miss any more of the moment, I stalked them into the party and then realized that Jenn had texted me saying "follow them up the stairs to get some shots of them entering the surprise!" Well, they decided to take an elevator.... which I obviously couldn't infiltrate as the strange girl with the camera. I ran up the stairs to the party and by a few seconds somehow beat them and caught the surprise of Leonard walking in and seeing 50+ of his best friends and family. It was the most heartfelt surprise I had ever seen. Jacqui and Leonard have an amazing love for each other, which was extremely apparent not only in person but also in their photographs. Everything about this party was orchestrated well and I can only wish that someone could throw me a party that awesome in my lifetime." -Jordan Hefler, JOP Photographer

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