Tied up but not Tied Down….

Meet one of the couples who may have made an incredible impact on my way of photographing couples and maybe even my life…

Enter Devin - After being referred to me, he was the one who reached out to book this session as a surprise for Lindsey. He knew exactly what he wanted and you could tell he had done his research on me as well. I felt immediately comfortable talking to him and knew he was serious about the session and had so much respect for the process.

He had mentioned some things about their relationship and the “why” behind wanting to do them, but It wasn’t until the session day that I got to know them both and honestly fell in love with them and their story. Call me a sap, but I love love.

I think we talked more than we photographed. We laughed, we talked sex, religion, family, marriage, and more. They may not know it but they became some of my favorite people.

Later after image delivery, I knew I wanted to be able to share more than what Instagram would allow so I asked Lindsey to write a little bit about her experience and i’m not saying I cried or anything, but there were a lot of onions being cut or something.

“I’ve always been a rule follower, a people pleaser. I do what’s asked, what’s expected, what will make everyone else happy. What’s safe. I lived this way the majority of my adult life, making choices for the validation and approval of others. Living by everyone’s standards but my own.

The burden of that weight finally started to appear for me about 2 years ago. I felt inauthentic, unfulfilled. I started to realize the parts of my life that felt disingenuous were all linked to somebody else’s expectations of me. How I dress, the way I speak, how I spend my time, who I love. ANY decision regarding my body, the way it looks, how I decorate it, what I do with it, how and when I show it off and who I show it to. And little by little, I started to make decisions and choices that were for ME. Decisions that initially felt wrong and selfish and shameful, because I’d restricted myself for so long for the sake of others.

My incredibly supportive and thoughtful husband gifted me a couple’s shoot with Brandi. I had always wanted to try boudoir, and he knew I was going through the process of breaking my own mould. Our shoot proved to be an electric catalyst for that journey.Amanda spent precious time transforming me into the absolute hottest version of myself I’d ever seen - I was unrecognizable!! But it was me. I’d always been that beautiful, her skill and talent just revealed it. Both Brandi and Amanda felt like old friends, their space felt familiar and safe even though I’d never set foot inside before. We talked and laughed and shared as I primped, and I knew that these were the kind of women you want to surround yourself with in life. Women who build you up.

Our time with Brandi in her studio only stands out in my mind as invaluable. She is a true creative, and she eases your nerves as she directs and encourages you through your shoot. You get to come alive under her lens, and that feeling of letting go is absolutely exhilarating.

You get to become one of the many enigmatic, sexy, unique, beautiful people you see represented in her work. That fire is inside all of us, and being able to finally express it is truly a gift.The journey to the woman in these photos has not been simple or easy. But the path of self love, self discovery, and self expression has been so absolutely worth it. I can’t recommend or thank Brandi and Amanda enough for being such a beautiful chapter in my story. ”

— Lindsey