“Thank you for making me look so beautiful,” she said…

“Thank you for making me look so beautiful,” she excitedly said to me as I showed her the back of my camera & the photos I’d just captured of her. 

But even though she had this HUGE smile plastered on her face & wanted to see more, I stopped scrolling through her pics for a second so she’d actually hear what I said next… 

“Girl, you are already beautiful. All I did was capture what was right there in front of me. For real. This is you. All YOU. I’m just here to work my magic & photograph some of yours.”

And just like that, she came alive. Because those first 5 minutes had just been a warm-up so that she could get more comfortable with me pointing a camera in her direction. 

But now?
Now?

She saw herself more clearly, stepping more fully into her self. Her badass, artistic, creative, quirky, ready-to-take-up-space 14-year-old SELF. 

And I literally watched her transform, right before my eyes. 

After seeing herself in those warm-up photos, she stood taller. Moved differently, with more purpose & intent. Stopped asking “is this okay?” or “am I doing this right?” and just WAS. She still smiled & laughed, but the nervous giggles were gone. 

Because she’d been SEEN.

And she’d also seen herself. 

Embraced it, stood tall in it, and channeled all the pieces of herself that were usually reserved for the closest of family & friends.  

And I was so entirely grateful for this experience. Grateful for her trust in me, and vulnerability, and for fully embracing the moment. Because I got to witness her self-confidence grow. Like, I literally saw it happen. 

And it stuck with me, and reaffirmed my WHY for doing what I do.

Because it’s never been just about getting “pretty pictures” for me. Instead, it’s always been about helping people feel seen. And helping people see themselves. My camera is just the creative tool I use to help me do so.

And even though this particular photo session took place nine years ago (which might as well be a lifetime ago)... it’s stuck with me all this time.

So even though my photography skills have improved, my editing style has changed, and even my posing techniques have gotten so much better since then… these photos are still among my favorites.

Because it’s the moments like this that have kept me going for so long.

And this particular memory of this lifetime-ago moment is one of the driving forces for me to come back & start doing this again. 

Because it’s time. And it’s needed, maybe now more than ever before. 

Are you ready for it?

Love,
Chel