More Than A Session: A Beauty From 5 Years Ago
We hadn’t seen each other in years. Five, to be exact.
And yet, when we hugged, caught up, and began to talk about life and goals, it felt as though no time had passed.
She had driven an hour and a half for her branding portraits. As a founder, she understood the importance of image and online presence. But what unfolded that day was not just about branding.
It became something far more personal.
We shifted easily between conversations, from one language to another, from memories to present realities. We spoke about high school, shared friends, and everything in between.
At a certain point, we danced a little cumbia. It was light.
Unscripted. Real.
She smiled and said, “This is better than therapy.”
And in many ways, she was not mistaken. Because there is something about the stillness and intimacy of a portrait session that allows a person to arrive fully, without performance.
There is a common assumption that portrait photography is about how you look.
But in truth, it is about how you feel.
“I’ve had clients call or email me after their shoot,” I share, “telling me that the session marked a turning point in their dating life, marriage, parenting, and even how they viewed their job.”
It would be easy to take credit for that.
But the reality is more nuanced.
“It’s really just about how I make sure you feel during the shoot.”
Because then a woman feels seen, guided, and fully supported, something shifts.
A portrait session, at its highest level, is not transactional. It is immersive.
“I take care of everything.”
From styling and wardrobe guidance to creating a space that feels intentional and refined. From directing every movement with precision to playing music that softens the moment.
There are small details that matter more than they seem.
Helping you select your images. Designing your album.
Ensuring that what you take home is not just a photograph, but something you can live with, something you can return to.
“Why wall art on your walls…why?”
Because your life deserves to be reflected to you, beautifully.
She mentioned she recorded a video after the session, just to remember how it felt.
Not how it looked but how it felt.
That distinction matters.
Because the most meaningful part of portraiture is not captured in the image itself, but in the experience of being present within it.
Of remembering yourself in a way that feels honest and full.
“I want this to be the ultimate pampering session for you.”
Not in excess, but in intention.
“I want you to remember you deserve it all.”
Because when you leave the studio and return to your life, your family, your work, you carry something in you.
Not just images. But a quiet certainty.
That you can show up differently.
More grounded.
More confident.
More yourself.
“So when you go back to your life…you will be better. All of it.”
Portraiture, at its finest, is not about capturing who you are for others to see. It is about reflecting on who you are back to yourself.
So you do not forget.
Because sometimes, the most powerful thing a photograph can do…is to remind you how it felt to be fully present in your own life.
