As much as I adore shooting my clients, personal projects are incredibly important to me.  My creativity is challenged and the sky’s the limit as to what I choose to shoot.  This year I’ve taken on a 365 project.  A picture a day for an entire year.  I will admit that I’m not caught up at the moment and that I experience peaks and valleys when it comes to being productive on my 365.  But I am immensely enjoying it so far.  On top of this challenge I have committed to taking a self portrait once a week.  I started out posting these on Mondays but at this point they are pretty darn sporatic.

During this self portrait project of mine, I’ve discovered something.  I hate to have my own picture taken.

I know.  Weird, since I’m a photographer.

But actually not that uncommon among us photographers.  Many of us would rather be behind the camera than in front of it.  But not only do photographers find themselves behind the camera, but I think most of us moms are perennially missing from pictures.  We are usually too busy taking the pictures or we rarely feel “camera ready”. More often than not we’ve spent the day carpooling or chasing after kids or working on the never-ending laundry or organizing the linen closet.  (Well, that one might be a stretch, at least for me.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.  As women, we often lose ourselves in our roles as mothers.  Each of us, at some point in our youth, felt beautiful and attractive.  Someone worthy of a catcall from the closest construction worker at least.  And we still are,  but our beauty and attractiveness are hiding behind spit-up and garden dirt,  sleepless nights and teenage worry,  Play-Doh and peanut butter.   I believe we owe it to our spouses, our families, but most especially to ourselves to take the time and the effort to unearth that inner and outer beauty again and SHINE.

I’m working on a new kind of session to do just that.  A session all about YOU.  A chance to shed the mom uniform and let your true beauty shine through.  What woman doesn’t want to get together with friends, enjoy a little pampering and a chance to come away with images that represent the amazing and beautiful YOU?  I know I do!

Keep your eye out for my new Cover Girlz sessions coming soon.

Here’s a sneak peek at a few images from some recent sessions.

Call or email me if you’re interested in getting some girlfriends together for a day/evening of pampering and being your own Cover Girlz!  I promise, you’ve never looked better!