How many shoes do you fill in a day as a woman? Some days it’s just one or two pair…some days it’s amazing how many times I shift gears to be the woman I need to be in any given situation. I can go from boo boo kisser to CEO to goddess in a matter of moments. I’m sure you can all relate. I have said it before and I’ll always say that women are incredibly complex. There are so many sides to us it’s no wonder you can find entire sections of bookstores devoted to trying to figure us out. But that’s what makes us so damn magnificent.
Being given the privilege to bring out these different sides of a woman is what makes me want to do what I do. Every woman that walks thru my studio door is different from the next. The “shoes” that most women are wearing when they walk thru that door are the safe ones; the ones that show kindness, compatibility and cooperation. So it takes me a little time to peel thru that layer and find the woman deep inside that took over her fingers to email me and want this session in the first place. And it is always interesting to me to find out what brought each woman to my door. Sometimes it’s a gift for a lover, sometimes it’s to celebrate a milestone in their lives that they want to freeze forever. Sometimes it’s just to feel pretty. And sometimes it’s to simply celebrate life and be conscious of who you are in that moment of your self.
This last week I had the opportunity to work with R and finding out why R came to me for a session was quite touching.
“…. I’ve always been a tomboy, I grew up with two older brothers and I ended up following in their footsteps by joining the Marine Corps. I spent 8 years in the Corps with 1 tour in Iraq. I consider myself extremely lucky to be here today and I try not to take things for granted, sounds kind of cliché but it’s so true, so that’s part of the reason why I am taking this opportunity to have this photo session with you.”
That kinda makes you stop for a moment, doesn’t it? As it should. My session with R was sweet and slow. I saw her excitement and I saw how she allowed herself to bring down the walls and simply enjoy the entire process. It was all kinds of fun for me. When you get to connect with a woman on that level, when she allows herself to give in and let me fulfill the reason she came to me in the first place, it’s just magical. So when I received this email later in the day after our session…well…I think you get the point.
“Elizabeth, thank you so much for today. For the first time in my life I truly felt beautiful… and empowered as well. The day I graduated from boot camp, I felt confident and sharp. The day I stepped foot on U.S. soil after returning from Iraq, I felt lucky and blessed. The day I met my husband I felt super giddy and elated. On our wedding day I felt pretty and anxious. On our date nights I’ve usually felt pretty. But it wasn’t until today that I really, honestly felt beautiful. A million thanks to you and Justine. It was seriously one of the best experiences of my life :)”
From the shoes above to shoes below…enough said.
And thank you Justine for the beautiful hair and makeup (as always) and your assistance. Always appreciated.
ELIZABETH CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY 