The sweetness of her voice carried over the phone as we discussed a time to meet. I could hear unspoken nerves waivering through. She’s working through something, I thought to myself. I wonder what her story is.

“I would never do this for myself.”

— Tia

Sitting across from each other for the first time, I could see Tia was finding a way to express exactly why she was there. “I would never do this for myself,” the words escaping her lips like the carbonation from an untapped bottle of soda. “I’m doing this for my boyfriend. He’s good to me - he’s too good to me.” Her fingers twisted her ring as she continued. “He thinks I’m beautiful. I’ve never thought I was - but he does and he wants nice pictures of me, pretty pictures. He wants me to see my pretty.”

A gentle smile overtaking my face, I was delighted she had the courage to meet with me. I could see what her boyfriend saw, the gentleness in her eyes, the warm glow of her skin, a sweet and nurturing spirit beaming from her. You could tell she loved the people in her life fiercely.

”How do you want to see yourself?” I asked, leaning in to hear her answer.

She stammered for a moment, not quite sure how to answer.

”It’s okay. Take your time. It’s a tough question to answer.”

Tia laughed nervously.

Her blue eyes studied me intently. ”I want to feel good about myself. I want to look young and fresh - how I feel inside. I want to see how Tom sees me. I want to see I’m beautiful.” Her answer was monotone but earnest.

”What makes someone beautiful to you?” I prompted, further delving into how she may want to get to know herself.

The sun began to set behind the treeline as she began to answer. A ray of light splayed across her golden hair as she said “Oh, I don’t know. I think when people are happy. I think Happy is beautiful.”

The soft smile on my face grew. “I like that. When are you happiest?”

Tia went on to explain how Tom made her feel, how she’d been in difficult relationships before with people who always wanted more or better from her even when she was trying her hardest. Her cheeks flushed as she talked about how he treated her like a princess, how he loved her and doted on her and how she couldn’t believe she’d met someone who cherished her. It made her start to feel differently about herself, a change I could even see unfolding right in front of my eyes as her shoulders relaxed and her face became more animated as she talked about her time with Tom.

She was ready to start loving herself.

The door was ajar and a chorus of laughter greeted me even before I knocked on at my clients’ suite at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. Upon my knock, Lauren, the team liaison, ushered me into the bustling room. Hairspray clouds burst in the air as lipstick colors were mixed and cut across mirrored pallets. Against the wall, a team of stylists was hurriedly at work on the hair and makeup of several women.

As frenetic as the room was, if you stepped back to take it in, a symphony of beige, browns, blacks and dusty reds blurred together to create a cohesive, grounded color palette. It was a minor detail but somehow displayed just how well all 13 of these women formed together. This was the eastern division of Lancome. All these powerful, type-A women in one room working together like a well oiled machine. It was hard to not observe and admire.

The group of us briefly chatted. I’d been brought in to photograph their team headshots and team portrait. As I’d only had contact with the team liaison thus far, it was important to me that I gather as much about each person and how they interacted with each other as quickly as possible as well as dictate what could be expected from their time with me.

I worked with each woman one-on-one, focusing on their individual personalities. Then, we also did team portraits, feeding off of each others interactions. There was hair flipping and top-model smizing going on by the end, finishing out the session with just as much laughter as there was to start the day.

I can’t not mention these ladies below either! We had some extra time in our session. So, I made a point to photograph the style team who made the ladies above look awesome!

She had absolutely no idea what she was walking into. Her mom had kept this secret for a month and a half and the only part she knew was that she was getting to spend her birthday at home. Then, she was informed of a surprise outing - still having no clues as to where she was going, what she was doing, why she wasn't allowed to wear makeup. Meanwhile, Kirby and I were eagerly awaiting at the studio. The balloons were out, streamers ready, tiaras on with a temperamental banner and a lighter at the ready to light the candles on Bela's birthday cupcakes at the last minute. I was holding my breath, giddy with excitement. 

Bela walked in, puzzled and a bit shy. She blew out her cupcake and we explained that her mom had gifted her with a glamour experience. She would get to pick out her favorite gowns, choose her favorite makeup looks and jam out to her favorite soundtrack (Taylor Swift!).

A compassionate and gentle young girl, Bela decided she wanted a soft, yet glamorous look, choosing light pinks and a soft smokey eye to match her grey tulle, sparkling rose gold, pink lace and seafoam gown selections. She ate her Hershey's cupcake while her hair was being curled and talked about her school, fluency in sign language and family stories as her makeup was being completed. 

Stacey, Bela's mom, sat in our gold french lounge chaise soaking in every moment. Her smile and eyes radiant with her love and pride for Bela. Softly "You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors. It's the morning of your very first day" When Taylor Swift's "15" song came on, we soaked in the words for a quiet moment, emotions building until Stacey let out the sweetest "awe!" Bela may have been a bit embarrassed by all of us getting a bit teary eyed over how precious she is and the perfect timing of this song. 


Step into the studio with us on an exciting day - Bela's Birthday! Unbeknownst to Bela, her mother surprised her with a day off school and a glamour experience with us. Complete with Bela's favorite candy, streamers, cupcakes and a Taylor Swift soundtrack, we had a blast! 

“Just because you have a certain diagnosis, doesn’t mean you have to live your life like you’re dying.”

— Jacey

On the day of her session, Jacey washed into the studio like a wave greeting the shoreline. She was grounded, excited and ready to have new portraits with her hair all grown back.  From the moment she walked in the door, Jacey had a bounce in her step and a propelling energy in her smile.

As a Face of Komen, Jacey is not only a cancer survivor but has also had a reoccurrence of her cancer, which classifies her as Stage 4. You'd never know she'd been fighting so much because her positivity radiates. Once you get to talk to her, however, you start to realize just how much of a fighter she is - constantly staying positive throughout her treatment. 

Come and be a part of her session by viewing our behind the scenes video!