Here is a living example that you can have beautiful photos at any stage of your life.
I rarely get to show off my boudoir work - it is such a personal thing - and I respect that of my clients - BUT - Louise gave me the green light - and has allowed me to show her beauty to the world!
She is being brave like her beautiful daughter - Clara!
"My beautiful friend (Emma) took me to the spa today to get all gussied up - followed by a photoshoot. It took everything inside of me not to break down in tears. This past year has been a roller coaster ride of emotional events that have forever changed my life and my body.
One year ago, I gave birth to my beautiful baby, Clara. I was having a natural birth at home and everything was like a beautiful dream that turned into a mom’s worst nightmare. Clara came into this world not breathing. I laid in the birthing tub while EMT, midwives and firefighters intubated my daughter and then off to the hospital we went. That was the beginning of our long journey.
To make a long story short - Clara has a rare genetic disorder called CHARGE Syndrome. She was born with no airways in her nose, a hole in each of her eyes, glaucoma, two holes in her heart and is profoundly deaf. We spent the first three months of her life at the Stollery and countless times after that where she has had 11 surgeries with more to come....
Thoughout this time I have ignored myself while taking care of Clara, my other daughter (Nadia) and my husband. When Clara was born I was unable to lay down and rest. I gave birth to her, went into shock and was unable to deliver the placenta without medical intervention. They stitched me up at home on my own bed! And then, running on adrenalin, I was driven to the hospital where I spent the next three months - walking on hard floors, sleeping in chairs, pumping and living out of a suitcase. It was so bad that I ripped all my stitches and my body just never had the time to ‘click’ back together. Consequently, I now have diastase recti. I literally stretched my abdomen 6" wide from my breast bone all the way down to my belly button. I also have a hernia that I can fit four fingers in. To top it off - I'm the heaviest I have ever been at 200 lbs - and not feeling very good about myself.
I decided it was time to transform myself and my way of thinking - I decided to be like my daughters - to be brave and be beautiful.
To love yourself unconditionally - is emotionally hard. To look in the mirror and see the beauty from within, also shine on the outside - is hard. Thankfully today the awesome team at Spasation (Whyte Ave) brought that confidence to the surface - so I could shine. They simply polished what has always been there and made me feel like a princess for a day.
With my new look, my beautiful friend (from Pretty As a Picture Photography) transformed not only my body through her photography art - but transformed my thoughts and feelings about myself.
I'm 200 lbs and Iook great! I am strong, confident and am proud of my journey - and how my body has supported me through it.
What could be more beautiful than that?
Thank you Pretty as a Picture Photography and Spasation (Whyte Ave) for supporting my body journey and making this mom a princess for a day!"
This really does melt my heart - and bring a tear to my eye!
Not only has she been through so much - but I was able to help her ‘escape’ for a day - and help her in building confidence so that she could feel beautiful again - and see what we see - and in the words of her husband -
Thank you for capturing the beauty of my wife that I see in her everyday.
So - who’s next??
Who’s going to jump out of their comfort zone - and be brave like Clara - and Louise - and all my other lovelies?
“Confidence is the ability to feel beautiful, without needing someone to tell you" - unknown author
And that's why I want to HELP YOU - see it for yourself!