I was in no creative mood that day. My ex-girlfriend told me she was pregnant. As if that was not enough, the pool was not heated, and the water was freezing. I could have called the shoot off but not this time. The model was my Facebook buddy for years and it was our first face to face.

If it were not for me, Aaron would have called it off too. A motorcycle accident nearly took his life that weekend. He was swimming in freezing water with the bouquet he brought hiding his bandages from the camera. This pain on his face – it was real.

Two years later, this photo won an international competition and was displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris.