Personal Project
37 Days of 37 Years
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
It's 2020..... a year where the entire world was disrupted. A year of lots of struggles, unknowns and grief. Amidst the difficulties, there were some positive outcomes and silver linings. Strengthened family bonds, more quality time, new hobbies and more focus on well-being. A shift of priorities and what is really important.
Like many others I was forced to 'pause' my job. It was a time for me to reflect on my 'Why am I doing what I am doing' and then choose how to move forward.
My biggest revelation....
One week during the beginning of Covid, I had multiple calls that were all asking for the same thing.
'Can you crop in or cut out a person in a family photo. They've passed away & we don't have any recent pictures of just them.'
It's heartbreaking.
If you want to know what your loved ones will want from you one day......this is it. And I had failed.
What had I been focusing on? Kids, Seniors, Families, Engagements. The traditional 'milestone portraits.'
What was I missing? It took me way too long to put the pieces together. After High School Senior Portraits or Weddings, most people are never photographed again unless it is with a family, or a corporate headshot lacking character.
How often did I hear...
-
I just need pictures of my kids.
-
Just hide me in the back.
-
I will get pictures with them when I lose 20lbs
Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and be seen, but not everyone feels worthy enough.
So I started diving into learning everything I could about a new genre.......Women's Portraits.
Women deserve to feel beautiful and be seen whether they are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60+
Hold up, then August 2020 happened....
A week before kids were finally going back to school, we had a house fire. Not only were we without our home for 8 months, but I was now without my studio. What was the silver lining? We decided to move my studio out of my home that was getting put back together and build a studio next door! I was able to open up fall 2021.
That is where 37 Days of 37 Years began!
I was in a new space, had new equipment and all I needed was practice in this space and for a new genre.
How was I going to do that? Why not me?
What is the best way to follow through with something..........shout it out to the Facebook world! My new accountability partner.
I was going to photograph myself, in my new studio for 37 days. I started on my 37th Birthday, December 27th. No excuses.
This is what happened.....
What did I learn.....
It is scary! haha...
Ok, maybe scary isn't the right word. Nerves. The anxiety of 'I can't do this,' or 'What are people going to think of me?'
Why does it matter what people think.....this is for me. I'm learning and I'm growing.
I learned what women will be feeling as they are driving to my studio and walking into the door. Nervous.
I now know how to best help them break down their walls and try something new. Trust me, if I can do it so can you! My favorite place to be is behind the camera like most other moms!
It was a challenge. 37 straight days to be photographed. It didn't matter whether or not I had my hair and makeup done. I showed up everyday.
The finished product. I knew I had to do more, because I was proud of what I had done. So I created my own keepsake album! Oh boy, is it a beauty. It is filled with stories only I will understand. Some days laughing at myself and other days frustrated, just wanting to be done. It was a project started for me to learn, but then I created beautiful photographs for me to cherish and look back on. That was all that mattered........or was it?
One day, as I was sitting in my office, one of my kids came in and asked, 'Can I look at this?' In that moment, I realized how much this album will mean to them when I'm no longer here.
The world has created a gap on who is seen and photographed. Recognizing this, I embarked on a personal project that has fostered my growth and enabled me to give back, helping a demographic of people to be seen.
You are worthy.
You deserve portraits that make you feel beautiful.
THIS IS FOR YOU.
But the people around you, who love you, will get to benefit from it too.
This is my why! What is yours?
Turn on sound for all the added sweetness.
Let's tell your story....