A Celebration.

I sometimes have these grand ideas that swirl and tumble through my head all night long for many, many weeks at a time. Sometimes they fizzle out. Other times, they won't. These would be the ideas that I refer to as 'projects'.

In my head, projects are defined as this:

An activity, event, or creation that I would like to see completed at some point in my lifetime.

Being that I am a 97% natural light-using photographer, these wicked cold months are usually filled with new marketing ideas, some new branding possibilities, tax preparation, and warm fuzzy socks.

For 2014, I want more.

I have decided to take my less active months and use them to benefit others. Women, specifically. It is time for all women to look at themselves and see nothing but beauty. It is time for us to come together to lift each other up. It is time to put down the airbrushed magazines and start looking at who we really are. To really see each other as amazing, elegant, powerful, intense, natural, and passionate celestial beings. We are women. We are fierce. We are strong. And we are abso-freakin'-lutely gorgeous.

Now, back to these projects...

and...

Disclaimer...The two women featured above have given me their full consent to use these images.

Celebrate yourself and each other. It is urgent.

-XX-

Megan

A Celebration

A Mother's love determines how 

We love ourselves and others.

There is no sky we'll ever see

Not lit by that first love.

Stripped of love, the universe

Would drive us mad with pain;

But we are born into a world

That greets our cries with joy.

How much I owe you for the kiss

That told me who I was!

The greatest gift--a love of life--

Lay laughing in your eyes.

Because of you my world still has

The soft grace of your smile;

And every wind of fortune bears

The scent of your caress.

--Nicholas Gordon

While I promise to not go another FOUR MONTHS without making a blog post, I feel the need to begin...again...with this one. Not just because I'm a Mommy and feel REALLY strongly about this special day, but also because of all of the other mommies I've met since I began my photography career. It's amazing, really. We all live day to day differently. We have different jobs. We live in different cities. We have different hobbies. Most everything we do, we do a little bit differently than the next. But the one thing I am sure of....like 100%, no room for error, I dare you to challenge me, sure of...each and every one of these women I have met love so deeply it hurts. The love-sick that only a mother can feel. That ache in the core of the heart and the tightness in the stomach that she feels as soon as she sees that other piece of her staring back. 

Tomorrow, I celebrate the lives of so many women I have crossed paths with. Not only do I celebrate my own mother and the incredible women whom I have been blessed with having in my life, but I celebrate all mothers. Whether they are your children biologically or not, if you know that heart-ache, love-sick feeling, they are yours. My wish for all of you tomorrow is to sit and hold those who are yours. I know I will be holding mine and thanking the universe for every second I am able to spend with them. 

 

 

May you and yours have a Mother's Day full of love.

You are beautiful.

I receive emails weekly asking about all of this Ladies Night promotion stuff I've been doing the last couple of months. I quickly send my standard response with all of the details pertaining to the sessions. I have come to realize that the session details are barely valid without some in depth conversation to back them. So this is what we are having here; in depth conversation.

After doing a family session for an old friend this summer, she approached the boudoir subject with me. Yes! Of course I will do it! But instead of simply doing a single boudoir shoot, how about you bring your friends and we will make an evening of it?! And so it began. Ladies Night. Five amazing (and nervous!) women in one of the best hotels in Louisville.

Now is the time to mention the nerves. All of the women had approached the subject of their own body issues with me prior to the shoot. I am VERY aware of the body issues I have and would NEVER want anyone to be uncomfortable in front of my camera. They each had that one spot that they REALLY didn't like. I don't perform miracles, and this was made very clear ahead of time! I was also not going to nip and tuck through the power of a certain editing software. My goal with these women was to show them exactly how beautiful they really are. The images I wanted them to see would be natural. It would be them. I agreed to smooth skin and touch up stretch marks, but that was it.

Once these women got used to the camera, they loved it! We laughed (a lot!!) and joked even more! CRAZY FUN! They were total naturals! There was a new sense of love for their bodies. I encouraged them to embrace themselves the way that they are. Stretch marks, wrinkles, dimples, and all. Turn the imperfections into perfection and love yourself for it.

With the current media situation and women, I feel like we all (women) struggle to find ourselves. We want to be a few pounds lighter, or a little less jiggly. We beat ourselves up for not meeting the supermodel standard of the century. It's become a sick and sad epidemic. I am raising 2 little girls and I have 8 nieces. This is not the world I want them blossoming in. Constantly under scrutiny for being a different size than the girl on television.

Love yourself ladies. If not FOR yourself, for your daughters, nieces, and all of the little girls following in your footsteps. YOU are beautiful.

FYI: I told all of my clients I would NOT use their images on the internet. This fine lady gave me permission to post this one though :)

For more information on your own boudoir session, or if you are interested in hosting a boudoir party in your home with a few of your closest friends, shoot me an email at meganhilephotography@yahoo.com.