In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is so very easy to neglect ourselves, & hold on to the negative self-doubts, and feeling as though we are selfish if we indulge in our inner desires. As an advocate of women to take time to celebrate themselves, I knew it was time to practice what I preach. I reached out last fall to my mentor and friend, local photographer Karen DeJager, to run by my 35 and fabulous photo-shoot idea, loving the idea right away, she quickly agreed. She has amazing talent and incredible positive energy! She is also a wife, mom and very successful entrepreneur, making her my first choice to shoot my in studio session.

For days before the shoot, I was nervous at the thought of being on the other side of the camera. I can truly sympathize with my clients and hope that this incredible experience, makes me a better photographer. I had a lot of ideas with regards to poses, some worked and some didn’t but that was all part of the fun.

After only a few minutes in the easy presence of Karen, I quickly eased into the role of a model. I felt confident and strong as if for this one small moment in time, I deserved to be the center of attention. Of course being a model, although extremely fulfilling and an ego booster to be sure, is not all the glamorous life it’s cracked up to be. What makes the most striking and flattering images, aren’t always the most comfortable positions to hold, but most beautiful things in life, come with a bit of sacrifice and pain. I recommend every woman invest a little bit in themselves and schedule a style shoot, either in studio or out among nature. I welcome you to click through my mini gallery below to get inspired:) I can’t wait to meet my future models!