Lisa had contacted me a few times about a portrait session before actually booking. I didn’t mind. It’s one thing to say, “I’d love to have beautiful photos of myself,” and it’s quite another to say, “Yes, here’s my money, let’s do it.” Why? Well, first, we tend to feel pretty vulnerable saying, “I’m missing something in the way I feel about myself, the way I take care of myself,” which is often how women start these conversations with me. And, it takes trust (which means being vulnerable again) in looking at another person (me) and saying CAN YOU HELP? I never take this question lightly, and my immediate response is almost always, “You just watch.” Haha!

I truly can look at every women and see beauty. And it has to be up to that woman to be WILLING to see it in herself. They need to want to see it. I could take a physically stunning woman, get her done up and looking even more stunning, take amazing photos and, if she’s not willing, then it’ll fall flat.

BUT, I don’t need someone to see it NOW…just, a dusting of possibility.

Now, I don’t want you to think that everyone who comes to me thinks they’re ugly! haha! NOT. AT. ALL. It’s usually women who, like many of us, have pushed aside self-care in favor of all kinds of things - family, work, friends - until one day we go, “hey. HEY! I forgot about me!” And we need to turn around and call loudly to our feeling of womanness, cupping our hands to our mouths saying, “Hey! Sorry! I forgot you were back there! I’m gonna grab a smoothie and sit on this rock here while you catch up!” Some of us might just turn around and run, full-speed, arms outstretched to that woman we left behind us. We might not even recognize her face anymore, but we know she is ours for we know her heart.

Lisa was one of those women, telling me, “I want to see something different than what I see in the mirror.” I can’t type the sound I make when I hear that sentence. It’s a deep drop into my gut that kind of sound like a sigh meets a WHOA. So many of us have been there.

So, we took Lisa, Brittany and I did, and Brittany made her look on the outside as all those who love her see her. And I took photos and we showed Lisa her beauty. And she was able to look at the photos and go, “THAT’S ME. That’s my power. My womanness.”

Lisa knew she needed to turn around, as do all the women who seek portraits with me. So, what do I do? I turn them around and help them start calling.

I have been shooting this stunning mama's older two children for a couple years now.  She's always ready capture those two in photos, but it took a little convincing get her in front of my lens!  She did a portrait session, which meant is was in my studio and I had my amazing hair & makeup gal, Brittany, there to take her elegantly from look-to-look.  

Like a lot of women, my pregnant mommy felt a little awkward and wasn't sure how the maternity photos would turn out, but she was totally game and did all the things I asked!  When she finally saw her photos, she said, "Oh, wow!"  I LOVE when that happens!

Personally, I think she puts Beyonce to shame in that last black and white shot!

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