Peter Lorenz's Photostream is Why I Don't Grade Papers Anymore.

Okay, so this is one of those times when I have to write without being embarrassed what the subjects of whom I speak may think about it. Hero worship of one's friends can be an uncomfortable thing to expose, but I'm going to go ahead and put that discomfort in brackets: [discomfort].

I have a huge crush on Peter's talent. His commercial venture is Blend Photography, which is all about beautifully candid keepsake photographs from weddings. They are gorgeous and I am so happy that he can make money that way, but his range as a photographer is very broad. His sensitivity and cleverness, not to mention sheer technical skill with that machine, keeps my jaw dropping every time he posts something new on facebook. He always makes our awesome friends look as beautiful as they are, too.

Here are a few gems I cherry-picked from his enormous photostream:

This one is from a photo shoot he did in Gary, Indiana. Mmmm.

And here is his gorgeous partner Alona, one of his constant favorite subjects. There must be hundreds of her, and they are some of my favorites. There's love all over that lens.

Here is one of my favorites from his shoot at Bele Chere this past summer. These fuckers are always around at big downtown events, hilariously outnumbered.

I love how beautiful and interesting he makes Asheville life look. It makes me a little nostalgic.

Here's one from the LAAF Festival that happens every summer in Asheville, from the infamous Bicycle Jousting event.

Anyhow, just pop some popcorn and watch his photostream sometime. I plan on spending a couple more hours doing just that later today.