Self-Confidence is a Superpower,
Flashback to the summer of 2022; if you ask me what I was doing the moment when my phone [PING!] stole my attention, I honestly couldn't tell you, but what was born from that initial *ping!* is pure MAGIC and helped me ultimately decide the direction I want my business to move towards. Now, to tell this story properly, I must share someone else's story first.
My friend Kathryn and I go waaaaaaaay back, back to our early years in primary school. We grew up together, spending a good chunk of our high school years on the auditorium stage performing together in musicals and singing in the choir. I admired her passion for music, her gorgeous vocals, and her amazing talent as I watched her play Rizzo in Grease as a teenager. We've been friends for well over 10 years now and it doesn't matter how much time goes by between our visits with each other; we can always pick up right where we left off.
Kathryn had been engaged to her parter of 5 years and had recently ended that engagement before reaching out to me, but a constant reminder in her closet was her wedding dress. "When my engagement ended, I felt so defeated. Defeated because a chapter I always was looking forward to in my story was not going to be fulfilled. Defeated because the partner I had in my life for 5 years was no longer going to be in my life and in a way, I felt like I was starting all over and my life was no longer on track." An amicable breakup thankfully left the two on good terms, but despite this, it was still difficult for Kathryn to accept such a massive redirection of her life. "I was feeling low, and I needed to pull myself up. So many things were changing and I was not ready for them, they were not planned. I was so overwhelmed and trying to juggle all these new things [the breakup, moving out, and leaving behind a pet, among other things] with a heavy heart, and also dealing with things for the first time in a long time, by myself. I decided to do this photoshoot one the dust had settled, and I was ready to end that chapter in my life."
Flash-forward to November: We arrived at the summit of Bristol Mountain, a popular ski resort nestled in the quiet Finger Lakes town of South Bristol. Peak fall has quickly come and gone, but the views and fall vibes at the summit still could not be beat. After some long overdue hugs, and a quick outfit change, we made our way to our first location on the mountain; a clearing just at the start of a black diamond ski trail. I guided Kathryn into some soft poses first before we moved into some movement-based prompting, where Kathryn absolutely SLAYED, giving me a sexy "smize" so fierce that even the great Tyra Banks would have been weak in the knees witnessing it. Each walk she did she got more and more confident, truly beginning to feel as beautiful as I saw her.
From there we moved into some nearby brush, where we played with some seated poses shot through the tall, dry grass on the hillside. As our session continued, with each new prompt or pose, Kathryn's confidence shone brighter, she walked taller, responded more willingly, and she embraced each new idea I threw at her wholeheartedly; I loved being able to witness this evolution! "I didn't think [the photoshoot] was something...I'd have the confidence to do myself." Kathryn stated when she reflected on how she felt before her session. When asked how she felt after the experience she said, "I remember...how motivating Shannon was behind the camera, hearing her gasp, telling me how good I looked with a smile in her voice, and cheering me on the whole way. I was floored by the photos; I couldn't believe that was me!"
There was something, however, that kept looming over her as we continued our way around the summit; the dress. This dress was symbolic; it represented a chapter in her life that now needed to be re-written, and that was OKAY! As Kathryn reflected on when she first tried on this gorgeous black wedding dress with a tulle full skirt and sweetheart neckline and with off-the-shoulder tulle short sleeves, which she found for a steal on Amazon (thanks Bezos), she said, "I felt beautiful, and I haven't felt that way in a long time. So, I needed to give [the dress] a new purpose. I needed to do something to encourage myself to move on with my story..." and that is exactly what we did. At the end of the day, these images aren't made for anyone else but her, to serve as a constant reminder of just how powerful and strong she is. Kathryn deserved her moment; she deserved a moment where she was in control, and she was the badass boss that deep down she knows she truly is. "I looked regal. I looked strong. I looked brave and powerful. I had a fear that if I looked at these photos, I would think to myself 'that's how I would have looked on my wedding day,' ... Instead I look at these photos and see a young woman who has grown into her own."
Everyone deserves to feel empowered, to feel confident in themselves, to love themselves as they are because, dang-it, YOU DESERVE IT AND YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL. Self-depreciation sucks. Low self-esteem sucks. The feeling that you do not deserve to experience, feel, or have something because of a lack of self-confidence SUCKS. We've all been there, but we do not have to live there. I loved being able to help Kathryn feel confident in herself again and love the skin she is in. I loved being able to help her reclaim her power and help her start to re-write her story. So thank you, Kathryn, for trusting me and for inspiring me to empower more people to love who they are, inside and out.
