Reclamation Portrait Session

March 19, 2026

Have you ever watched a garden in full bloom and noticed that the roses don’t apologize for taking up space? The dahlias don’t shrink beside the peonies. Every flower simply opens, fully, without permission. Without explanation.

And yet, so many of the women who walk into my studio in Burnaby say some version of the same thing: “I don’t usually do this for myself. It feels a little selfish.”

I want to sit with that word for a moment. Selfish. Because somewhere along the way, a lot of us accepted this idea that being photographed, just as yourself, not as someone’s mother or partner or colleague, requires justification. That you need to earn it. That it’s indulgent.

But here is what I’ve noticed after years of working with women in their 40s who lead, love deeply, and give generously: the fear isn’t really about the camera. It’s about being seen.

What will people think?

That question lives in so many of us. And I understand it. But I want to offer you something different to hold onto.

A garden doesn’t exist to be compared. Each flower is complete in itself, growing toward light in its own way, on its own timeline.

A portrait session, when it’s done with care and intention, works the same way. We are not here to measure you against anyone. We are here to see you! Just you, exactly as you are right now.

Your children will have hundreds of photos taken of them. Your family albums are full. This one session, this quiet, intimate hour, is for You.

Not for anyone’s approval. Not for social media. For yourself, without explanation.

The women I photograph are not putting themselves first. They are, in fact, often the last ones to think of themselves at all. And that is exactly why this matters.

Because one day, the people who love you most will want to remember what you looked like when you were fully yourself. Not the role. Not the responsibility. Just yourself, present and seen.

You are allowed to take up space in your own story.

If this has been on your mind, I would love to chat. No pressure, no performance. Just a conversation about what this could look like for you.

Contact me for a chat 🤍