After marriage…

This is my friend Lester. I photographed his wedding in Deep Creek Lake, MD last year, and now he’s up to some pretty special work in Latin America. I’d love to share some of that with you…

Lester and his partner Eric got married on Aug 27, 2011. Since then, Lester and Eric have taken off for Latin America, where he’s exploring After Marriage: How Gay Marriage is Changing the Globe.

Of course a gay marriage is just like any other… with photogenic family…

… the occasional messy eaters…

… maybe a gathering the night before…

… and good spirits despite ominous storm clouds from a nearby hurricane.

This particular celebration was really a little bit over-the-top with the cute kid photo ops…

… and everyone had a good time…

… enjoying their antics.

In some ways, gay marriage is a complicated thing… recognized in different ways in different states, with varying degrees of legal protections and recognition or lack thereof… We often can feel fear when we encounter things that are unfamiliar, or seem to run counter to what we may have been taught…

… and as is often the case, the kids are full of wisdom and know that there’s nothing to fear here… it’s plain and simple fun to share in love and community.

As Lester and Eric celebrated…

… with lovely details…

… and a crazy photographer climbing under the barn to get the shot…

… sprits were high…

… and a good time was had by all.

But now the big question is: What’s next?

How is our world changing? How can we be more compassionate and supportive of our queer brothers and sisters around the globe?

From Lesters’ dispatches at AfterMarriage, I’ve learned a bit about why Argenitna became the first Latin American country to legalize same sex marriage. Lester’s now reporting from Peru, and could use a little bit of extra backing in the last few days of his fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo. Why don’t you chip in now, and then share his blog around?

www.AfterMarriage.org

If you enjoyed the smattering of images from Lester & Eric’s wedding, you can check out the entire event as a high speed animated recap below – just make sure to watch in HD!

PS While we’re on the topic. I’d love for you to check out the brave letter that my friend Lisa just published at letusgetmarried.wordpress.com. Lisa’s an intensely private person, so her making such a public statement for National Coming Out Day is something that I hope that you will honor with a few moments of attention and support.