As a young girl growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, photographer Laura Turbow would often go on hospital rounds with her father, a doctor. To establish rapport, he would frequently sit on the side of the bed and say, " 'You've been married a long time. What's the secret?' " Turbow said. "I distinctly remember that line and have been fascinated by the answers ever since." Now, years later, at the age of 41, the mother of two toddlers and married for 12 years to writer Jason Turbow, she gets to ask that very same question as part of her latest project, Loveseat Lessons.

"The Kardashians get all this attention for being married for, like, seven minutes. What about paying more attention to those who have been married for 50 or more years," she said. "Those who have been through all the ups and downs that life has to offer - now that is an accomplishment."

So in December, after receiving a Tiffany blue loveseat from her parents, as a gift for her new Albany studio, Turbow, who specializes in portraits, set out to find couples in long marriages. In exchange for their portrait, she'd ask them for advice - for herself and for followers of her blog. The answers were surprising, reassuring and "recipes for a good marriage." "My friends and I are in good marriages, but we also talk honestly about how it's also really hard," Turbow said. "It's my hope that these lessons are helpful."

She says the project is also a way to thank her parents, married for 49 years, both for the couch and for their modeling. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, I want each one to count," she said.

Violet "Vi" Trunk,

87, homemaker and secretary

Louis "Lou" Trunk, 91,

retired, Department of Defense

Neighborhood: Walnut Creek

Family: 5 children, 4 grandchildren

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Tying the knot on longevity - advice from couples