Portraits have the power to foster self-healing | The Broken & Beloved Project
“I lost my smile, and I heard you were the one that helped them come back.” I sat there with a melted heart, tears in my eyes, and a lump in my throat as I read that email. I was delighted to know that word was getting out there that if women wanted to be seen and understood, it was me who they should come to.
When Shania came into the studio for consultation over three years ago, I found out she had lost a job she loved and instead of continuing my pitch to book a photoshoot for her, I offered her the opportunity to be my assistant. I had been looking for an assistant and based on the long conversation we had, I knew that she had the people skills needed for the job based on her energy and boldness to show up for herself, despite being at her lowest of lows.
Shania fit right in and was learning quickly. She was great with all the family and branding sessions, but when it came to her first boudoir session, she froze. I could sense her fear and how uncomfortable she was. She pushed through, but when we went to lunch that day I asked her more about her intense response. She opened up to me about her past and how traumatic it was for her, especially for her sexuality and how she viewed it in general. Her knee-jerk reaction to being present at the boudoir shoot was fear and anxiety. After hearing her story, I immediately relieved her of having to assist me for those sessions, but she said, “No, I want to do a shoot like that someday. I think it will help me heal what was broken and taken from me.” I looked at her with complete understanding and comfort because I too had a story, and she had no idea that photography was one of the biggest tools I used on my self-healing journey and I too had yet to make that connection.
Up Next: Hear about how Shania’s Shoot helped change the course of her life.