:: celebrating women :: (continued)

My next amazing woman is Megan. She's a fellow photographer, business owner and mama. One of the things I love about her, is how she uses her business to empower women...to show them their beauty and worth. Whether you're a size 2 or 22, she will make you feel beautiful and make you believe in your beauty. There's so much power in that. As photographers, we tend to be MUCH more comfortable behind the camera. We have our own insecurities and as much as we can tell others (and truly believe it) how beautiful and worthy they are, it's difficult to be that kind to ourselves. I wanted to give Megan what she gives to so many others. I asked her a few questions about her business philosophy (and a bunch of other things 🙂) “I am a portrait photographer and what I really love doing is empowering women and self-love through photography. I really wanted to start shooting boudoir sessions after hearing so many women (myself included) speak about themselves in such a negative light. We start hating our bodies at such a young age. I wanted to be able to showcase a woman’s beauty and individuality through these intimate sessions. I want them to see their beauty, BELIEVE in it, and fall in love with it. I do very minimal retouching because I want every woman that comes to me to see their true self in this moment of their life. I think it’s hard for women to feel beautiful because we are constantly comparing ourselves to someone else or even to ourselves from years ago. In every stage of our lives, we may lose or gain weight and we can’t ever appreciate our bodies for how far they’ve come and all they’ve been through. I feel so lucky that my clients trust me enough to help them embrace and love their bodies. That’s one of the reasons I have preached over the summer to “wear the damn shorts”. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers share this movement and I loved it right away. I spent years growing up and in early motherhood not wanting to wear shorts because I thought my thighs were too big. But why? No matter how small or big we think our legs are, why do we need to hide them away?! Life is too short to worry about this. Wear the damn shorts and appreciate where your legs have taken you.” When do you feel like your true self? “100% behind the camera, hyping up my clients. I could shoot these sessions all day. There’s just something about seeing these women loosen up and just start appreciating themselves. The whole vibe is contagious.” As a small business owner and mom of two school age kiddos, how has this pandemic affected you? “Virtual learning has been a little bit of a struggle in our house. My 8th grader doesn’t mind it as much, even though she does miss her friends. It’s tough with my elementary school aged daughter, though. We’re trying our best but Mama isn’t a teacher. They really miss being in a classroom. Not to complain, because I do love having them safely at home and it’s given me lots of time with them. As far as the business side goes, there were a few months there that I was unable to work because I was considered a non-essential. Fortunately, I’ve been very busy since I was able to reopen. As a boudoir photographer, I have had clients come to me saying that they have gained weight during the pandemic, so they are a little nervous to book. Ha, I’ve even gained a good amount of weight myself. But being able to capture this time of their life and still showing them how worthy they are at any shape and size is everything to me.” MUA extraordinaire: K Artistry

Amazing Jewelry: Julie Ellyn Designs

Megan's beautiful photography page: Lay in the Breeze Photography 

:: celebrating women ::

What does it mean to be a woman? What is beauty? What is femininity? What makes someone feel authentic? I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently as I scroll through my various social media feeds, amazed by the incredible women who touch my life. Women have always been able to do whatever they set their minds to - the main obstacle being societal limitations and what’s “appropriate”. Is someone who stays home to raise a family MORE of a woman than someone who chooses a career path? Of course not. Each is noble in its own right. Just like a stay at home mom is no less fierce than a corporate boss. Each woman possesses her own set of strengths, and however she chooses to use them should be revered. It got me thinking - I want to celebrate and spotlight women and hear their stories while also collaborating with other women in various industries. What really pushed me was seeing posts from one of my former brides. She is a prime example of the idea that women can do whatever they set their sights on. She comes from a family committed to service, so it’s no surprise that she would end up where she is now. But when you look at her, this beautiful, tiny little woman, your first thought would not be firefighter. I think we have this misconception that women who are firefighters have to have a certain look or body type. That couldn’t be further from the truth. This woman is fierce. She is strong. She is determined. She is a BOSS! I asked her some questions to really get a sense of what she does and what her shapes her ideas of beauty and strength.

 “I currently am a Volunteer firefighter with Aberdeen Fire Dept., and I am a career firefighter with a county fire department. I’ve been volunteering for about 7 years and I’ve been paid for almost two. I knew that I wanted to have a job where I helped people. I just didn’t know how. I started volunteering and quickly fell in love with meeting and helping people. It was more than just a hobby to me and I knew I wanted to make a livelihood out of it. I feel most confident when I make a connection on calls. When I have a patient that trusts me and I can tell that they know I’m here to help them. It’s euphoric. There truly isn’t a better feeling. I obviously feel pretty when I have a polished outward appearance but I feel like there is an entirely different meaning to pretty when I am in my work uniform. You wear less makeup and it’s lower maintenance, but there’s a feeling of pride and confidence for your profession and who you represent that inherently makes me feel beautiful.”

When do you feel most like your true self? 

“I feel like my true self when I’m with my shift and my volunteer house. We spend so much time together that it’s like extended family. We pick on each other and give each other a hard time, but I never feel like I’m forced to be anything but myself. I feel accepted and I know that they will support me and have my back through anything. You learn to trust them like they were family.” 

I asked her what her personal definition/idea of femininity:

“My own definition would be embracing what make you female. What traits make you who you are. We aren’t molded the same and we should embrace individuality and the strengths we possess. Every woman has their own story for why they chose their hobbies and profession. I have been blessed to have a strong female leader on my shift at work who reminds me that we can do whatever we want if we work our asses off to get there. But I can do it with being kind and caring, nurturing those around me.”

She is a true hero. A woman who’s dedicated her life to helping others. Every woman has a story. A unique, complicated, beautiful story. I want to help tell those stories. The nurse working overtime during a pandemic. The mom struggling to get her kids through virtual learning. The small business owner who has had to restructure her business model to try to stay afloat. Whatever her story, it’s hers and it’s important. If you know anyone who you’d like to highlight, please shoot me a message! 

I’m so thankful to have partnered with Kera from K Artistry Studios for her amazing makeup skills, Julie from Julie Ellyn Designs for supplying the beautiful baubles, and Tammy Jones from Spa at the Boulevard for hair to die for. Please check out their work and USE THEM!!! Let’s support each other, not only in this time of great uncertainty, but always. 

:: there IS an I in isolation ::

Well...one would think that with this whole pandemic madness, I'd have plenty of time to sit here and write blog after blog. True, the time is there. So what the heck is my problem??? I'm going to be honest - I apparently don't pandemic well. I see all of these people who are productive and motivated, despite being stuck at home. I see these truly heroic people going to work day in and day out to make sure that we're safe, cared for, and functioning. I see parents who are maybe not loving the idea of homeschooling, but are stepping up to the plate and doing the best they can in an awful situation. There are teachers who have completely had to adapt their way of teaching from in person to online. The list goes on and on. Among my siblings alone, I have a social worker seeing clients virtually, a college professor posting prerecorded lessons and holding Zoom classes and office hours, a postal carrier who is working 7 days a week most weeks (and his girlfriend who is a high school chemistry teacher trying to make that work somehow), and a medical office employee who has been temporarily laid off and figuring out how to make ends meet until she can go back to work. These are incredibly difficult times for everyone in many different ways. I am struggling. Not always and not catastrophically, but struggling nonetheless. I cannot work because I am not essential. I am not one of those people that gets every project that's been waiting in the wings done because now there's unlimited time. I am someone whose biggest accomplishment on some days is taking the dog for a walk or taking a shower. I know how ridiculous that sounds, and certainly that's not every day, but it absolutely is some of them. I don't know why this happens, but I know that it does and I've learned to let it happen. Some days it's just necessary to get caught up in your feelings. I'm not saying it's healthy to stay there, but certainly to acknowledge the fact that this is hard and scary and so uncertain. I don't have a kid at home anymore. I wish more than anything that I could hug him every day and let him know that I'm here for him. His birthday is this weekend. 23 years old. We can't have a party or go out to dinner and really shouldn't even probably see him (I will...with masks and no hugging, but I can't NOT see him). My parents are in different states. I've rescheduled trips to see them all a few times now. I hate that I can't check on them in person. I miss them. I miss my siblings and my friends and my clients. This is everyone. I am not unique in this situation. I actually wish I was...that not everyone was going through these hardships and much, MUCH worse. I can't imagine being a healthcare worker having to watch people suffer without their families. I can't imagine having a loved one in the hospital and not being able to be by their side. I can't imagine working 12-14 hours a day and not be able to go home for fear of infecting your loved ones. This whole situation is unimaginable, and all we have is time to sit and think about all of it. When I go down the rabbit hole of fear and upset, I try to redirect myself with a book or a walk or even by coloring. Sometimes it works, other times, not so much.

Why am I telling you all of this? Why am I revealing what I sometimes feel is a colossal personal failure? Because it's okay. Because, if you're feeling the same way, you're not alone. It's important to know that. It's more than okay to reach out to someone and tell them that you are struggling. You can reach out to me, if you want. I understand. While I may judge myself, harshly at times, I do my best not to judge others. We're all just trying to muddle our way through an unprecedented (for us) situation. And one of the hardest things for me, is to acknowledge that even though there are others who are WAY worse off than I, it's okay to feel the way I do. It's okay to be scared and sad and lonely and whatever else it is that you're feeling. Just do your best...it's all any of us can do. And try to find something beautiful in every day, no matter how small. Sending lots of love and virtual hugs. We will get through this.

:: a+b = engaged ::

I'm on a roll!!! One might actually get fooled into thinking I've got it together these days (one would be wrong!). Well, I may not have it all, or anything really, together, but I'm certainly trying.

This past weekend I met this beautiful couple. It's pretty rare that I don't meet a couple, or at least the bride, before their engagement pictures, but this time it's just how it worked out. I generally get along with most people, but you never know...so I was thrilled when I met them and knew right away we'd work great together.

These two were best friends before they dated, and you can tell. There's an ease between them that you don't always see. They're so excited to get married and start that part of their lives together (with their furbaby, Tucker). How lucky that I get to go along for the ride!! I can't wait for their wedding later this year. We're going to have so much fun and get some AMAZING pics.

So, here's our adventure in Ellicott City. It was pretty crowded and kind of chilly, but I think we did pretty well!!

This corner of the city is where his family used to have a gas station...how cool is that?!?!

Yep...Tucker is pretty dang happy that his people are getting married!!! Just look at that smile!

I couldn't decide which picture to share (this one or the next one)...so why not just share both!

:: from senior to bride ::

I'm sure I've mentioned it 1000 times before, but I am so very fortunate to be able to make connections with people through my job and then be able to follow them through their life's journeys. The other great thing is that my work is different every year. Some years I have more families than anything else. Other years it's high school seniors, and, like this year, sometimes it's weddings.

I met this beautiful bride several years ago when I photographed her senior pictures. She was and is just a joyful, sweet, ball of light that you can't help but be happy around. When she asked me to photograph her wedding, I couldn't have been happier. It truly warmed my heart to know that she wanted me to be a part of her most special day (so far!). I met her and her husband-to-be for engagement pictures and could instantly see how perfect they are for each other. I know that sounds hokey, but it's absolutely true!

Get ready for a lot of pictures!!!

Engagement ::

Wedding time :: 

And how's this for awesome...two of my former seniors! 

(please excuse my end of the night, been running around like a crazy person all day look)

Venue | Antrim 1844

Second Photographer | Amy Vanicky Photography

DJ | Aaron with Wizer Productions

Florist | Blossom and Basket Boutique

Bakery | Stone House Cakery and Cafe

Dress | K & B Bridals