A Theraputic and Self Empowerment Photoshoot

This is more than Boudoir, this is Self Celebration

   For years I’ve used Photography as a way to express myself. If you've been following me through the years you'll know I got my photography start with Self Portraits. It’s honestly taught me so much about myself, especially in hard times, or in situations where I knew something was bothering me, but I didn’t actually understand it until I got it out of me and viewed it through the lens.
   Photography has also helped me celebrate the best of times! On days where I just feel excited and have something to share, photography has allowed me to express myself in a simple, visual way that people can relate to. Yes, capturing moments, and trips, and holidays are great, but it’s the true Art or photography that I’m in love with.

No matter the reason the EXPERIENCE, the PROCESS of getting photographed often helped me MORE than the actual portrait itself, although, the final piece is that reminder I need to-

    1- never go back to that state of mind
   2- remember that moment, and revisit it more
   Along with
   3- remember it's ok to share your experiences with others, like you all
   4- I've created something that will outlive me.

   That’s honestly the experience that I seek to give people. And sure, not everyone is as vulnerable, open, or as emotional as I am. Hell, some days I feel like just the biggest hot mess, and I think it’s because I’m actually too in touch with my emotions. Guess that’s the artist in me. And I know some of you just want a really fun, beautiful, feel good shoot, and I can give that to you a million times over, but don’t be surprised if it ends up showing you something more. And for those of you who are hoping to express yourself through a shoot- you are what my dreams are made of, and I thank you for being brave.

   Jodi. I don’t care what you say- you are brave.

   Jodi is 50 and it goes without saying she is damn fabulous. I applaud her for wanting to take the time out to celebrate herself, and her life, and who she is at this moment! That is NOT something that should be overlooked and we should celebrate ourselves more often, because we’ve worked really hard to get to this exact point in our lives!
   Having Jodi in the studio was honestly a day that breathed life back into me as an artist. She was carefree, she was fun, she was bold, she was daring, she let go. Those are all the things that will make for a stunning experience. Those are the things I can’t MAKE you do, I can try, I try really, really hard, because it makes your portraits that much more unique, but I can never force you to fully LIVE during a shoot, and Jodi did just that for us.
   The main thing I’ve learned so far in 2018- letting go of perfection. At one point we were literally chasing Jodi through the woods, RUNNING in the snow, around trees to catch up with her. We were screaming, and laughing, and it was an experience shooting I’ll never forget. I had NO idea what I was getting, but I knew what I was getting wasn’t made up, it wasn’t posed, it wasn’t forced. It was true.    Jodi booked this shoot to celebrate herself, she used it as therapy, but what she doesn’t know is, it was extremely therapeutic for me too. I aspire to be that fun, that young, that edgy, that brave when I am 50. And I plan on chasing more brave women, any age, through the woods, again and again!
   Thank you for sharing your true self with us, Jodi.   

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Check Out Our Full Beauty Blog!

For More 50 & Fab Check Out Jennifer's Stunning Session!

Want More Breathtaking Boudoir check out Brooke's Photoshoot!

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Port Huron High Senior Photoshoot with Janelle

Color Guard session on
Lake Huron at Sunrise

deadlifting weights has never looked so fab

See what it looks like to Experience an AJBC Senior Shoot in the video below.

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Thanks to this Port Huron High Senior, Color Guard is my new favorite sport. It probably does help that Janelle also does Power Lifting, so her fierce strength with the weights allows her to carelessly spin her flags in the air and make it look so magical. And believe me, seeing it in person early in the morning at sunrise on the shores of Lake Huron while the sun slowly reached over the clouds and bounced back on the water was truly peaceful and stunning. Look at the images, her skin is literally sparkling.  

   It was awesome to watch as Janelle transitioned from this soft, Color Guard Cinderella, to a beautiful 17 year old girl hanging out on a Fall day, to a strong, confident weight lifter, and ended on a grungy, sassy look hidden under an old train trestle track. She pulled off all looks perfectly.

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Check out more of our senior galleries

If you want to see more sessions on Lake Huron check out Mackenzie’s Senior Photoshoot

If you want to see more prom dress ideas check out Tiffany's senior shoot

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my body transformation

my weight loss story

how I transformed my body in record time

We as women can be really, really hard on ourselves.
And when we’re down on ourselves our confidence crumbles.
Another thing that crumbles is the way we hold ourselves, and the way we see ourselves.

I’m here to tell you, of all things, please, do not let your confidence crumble.

I’m here to tell you to start standing up for yourself.

And here’s an amazing example why.

We had just got done rock climbing at Grand Ledge, a sport that I fell in love with 10 years ago. I HATE working out. But this isn’t working out. It’s fun, it’s an adventure, it’s a challenge, and… ok… it’s one hell of a work out, but not in a “I feel like I want to die” way!

After kicking some butt we went out to dinner on the way home.  A lot of dinner. With a beer. Oh, and dessert. A whole banana split, just for me.

When we got home I went in the bathroom to put my pjs on. I was exhausted. I took my shirt off, turned, and looked in the mirror… and then noticed… it was like my body had changed over night. 

Why is the quality crappy? Because it was taken with my cell phone. 
Why would a professional photographer try to prove a point with a cellphone? 
Because we live in a world full of photoshop. I want to prove to you these images haven't been touched and they are in fact real. 

I knew right then and there things had to be different. This wasn’t me. This was not how I was used to my body looking. The image in front of me didn’t reflect how awesome I normally felt about my self.

That’s when I decided to make a change.

The image on the right shows the new me. Someone confident. Someone more aware. Someone willing to take care of their body.

So what did I do?

I stood up for myself.

No, really. Like… I stood up.
I fixed my posture.

Yeah. I’m serious. These images are actually just 2 minutes apart from each other.

I learned an amazing fun fact from Jeni Vincent Yoga about a year ago. Your body should always feel centered and your “cup” (or your hip bones) should never tilt or “spill.” Do it. Roll your shoulders back, raise your head, and finally tilt your hips so, if they were a cup, they can’t spill anything out, and watch as your body morphs in to a healthier version of you. And I’m not talking healthy as in skinny, I’m talking- your body is SO thankful that you just balanced it that it’s going to reward you with a better version and shape of you.

What you can’t see in the left image is how much my back is arching, and how much my tailbone is pointing out, due to me sitting editing hours on end. I actually stand just like this out of habit because it’s comfortable. But that’s REALLY pushing my stomach out. So guess what, that dinner, and beer, and banana split is all at the front of my body. My boobs look pathetic because my shoulders have completely fallen into my body, my chest is closed in and cut off from the world. My face looks round because my neck is nonexistent. And my face looks tired because I’m not feeling confident, which is showing through my eyes and expression.

Once I realized this, and kinda look in horror wondering if that banana split MAY have been an even WORSE idea then I already knew it was, I stood up, for myself, and took a deep breath. Instantly my body felt more energized, and I obviously looked better, not because I was thinner, but because my body just clearly looked happier. 

Being centered is a HUGE deal in life. If you’ve never taken a yoga class, I REALLY urge you to. And PLEASE do it with Jeni. She’s amazing.

These are also areas I focus on and tweak for you during a session. Learning tricks like these and posing women for years has allowed me to easily see your best angle, before you even get in them. So if you're feeling uncomfortable and unconfident in front of the camera, it's ok, I'm here to help you find that balance. Trust me, not only does it look great, it feels great! 

And remember- tell yourself you are strong and beautiful, and then stand up for yourself, with great confidence.

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Want to see more flattering tricks? Check out my blog on how to slim your face for photos in just a few easy steps. 

strength and beauty- a fitness photoshoot

A photoshoot that shows off
strength and beauty

Deadlift and dropdead gorgeous- a woman's fitness journey

   Some people you just have an instant connection with and you’ll make sure you do whatever it takes to make sure they have every opportunity to express themselves.
   That’s what happened with Leigh. She came to the studio and told me about how hard she had been working to get fit and wanted to show that off in her photos.
   Strong women make me happy. They make me proud. And they remind me of all that we are capable of. Don’t let your femininity limit you, let it expand you. Let is set you up to break the rules and knock down stereo types.
   I was so excited that she had found me and trusted me with her vision, and her self expression. We talked a lot before the actual session, about wardrobe, about her look, about what she wanted these images to say about her. Our first idea of what we thought was right for her slowly morphed in to what I KNOW is right.
   We decided we didn’t need a crazy location, we just needed her. And at the end of the day, isn’t that all we really need in order to define ourselves? We don’t need help by using fancy things to define us and we don’t need to hide behind anything. We need who we are and our story, and the will to tell people about it.
   So here’s Leigh’s story. She’s a mom. She’s a wife. She’s strong. And she can deadlift weights like it’s her fricken job.
   These are the type of women you need to watch out for, and allow to motivate you.

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View our entire Beauty Gallery

Into Fitness? Check out Jeni's Yoga Photoshoot

Check out some more strength and beauty in Roberta's Fitness Session

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