On a very rare day I will shoot a commissioned portrait for someone. I am quite a shy gal and get very nervous with interactions so I usually cuddle my kitties and call it a day. I am going to put myself out there to do this more frequently this year. It is something that I have found to be very rewarding when it does come up.

I’m sure that many of you can relate to being nervous with: social interactions, client work, needing to please someone beyond yourself. My number one achilles heal is the fear of letting someone down, so you can imagine my anxiety around this type of situation. I believe it is good to feel some of that fear from time to time and to learn how to overcome it. Or at the very least, to deal with it better.

Every time I do, I come away with an experience that I treasure. That was particularly so with this photo shoot.

Adrienne contacted me with the sweetest email (it is going to be really hard not to say “sweet” over and over in this post) asking if I would photograph her. She had been through a tough time with the death of her parents and she had a story she wanted to tell. After a series of probing questions I discovered she feels most at home in the forest, that she loves blue and cream tones, and that a metaphor she identifies with is searching for the light, or being the light. It was a perfect jumping-off point to begin creating image ideas.

She had the tree roots image all thought up so I played on that idea and helped it come to life. I had three images planned for her, but got caught up in the moment (I feel like I am in a constant state of “caught-up-in-the-moment”) and we created six images together. She was so open to playing and experimenting and fully trusted my process. We spent hours together that day, talking and creating and talking some more.

While she was changing in a bathroom near our shooting spot I struck up a conversation with a woman who was also in the area. It turned out that she was also grieving and that was why she was visiting. What a coincidence! And further, she was an underwater photographer. The next day we met up with her and had tea at my favorite spot and talked for a long while before I had to leave.

These are Adrienne’s images. She is one of the most genuinely kind-hearted people I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with and I’m honored to share her images with you, with her blessing.

Thank you Adrienne for your kindness and willingness to explore.
I’ll be looking forward to the charity you are setting up and to seeing more of your art, life, and soul in the future!