She never liked herself in portraits. She’d been told that she wasn’t “photogenic”. Her husband loved the glamour shots she’d had done 20 years back, but her friends thought she was crazy to have her portrait done. 

She didn’t listen to them. She surprised her husband for his 60th birthday and brought him in on Valentines Day to view her gorgeous portraits.

If I had 50 women a year like beautiful J, I’d be a happy camper!

Women who have had lives well lived have a inexplicable grace and a confidence to them that teenagers and young ladies simply do not. She was easy to direct and pose, and did so well (hint: it’s a workout!). Younger women, and even young moms like myself are uneasy in our skin, anxious to “do it right”, to look hot, to not trust the photographer and to over-think everything. Once you’ve lived a little and you’ve had rises and falls and good days and bad and you’ve worked hard and raised a few kids and you volunteer your hours to give to others… the confidence shows. The elegance is simply unconsious and the classiness is radient.