She left her kids with her husband for the first time to fly out to Danville for The Beauty Project. As a busy mom of four, I could SO relate to what she said in her application:
My name is Kelly . I am 35 years old, married for almost 12 years, and a mom of two little boys ages five and 22 months. I absolutely love your idea “The Beauty Project.” It rings so true I think for so many women. I know myself that I am always the one behind the lens when it comes to pictures unless I ask my husband to take a few with me in them. I always say it’s to prove to our kids that I was there; otherwise they won’t even remember what mommy looks like when they were little. In all honesty, the pictures that I am in the most are from my iphone, taken with the reverse feature on-with one or both of my boys in it. eek! I make photo books of my kid’s birthday parties that I work so hard to plan, make the cake, etc. And it still upsets me that I never stopped to make sure that a photo-just one- was snapped of me during my oldest’s 2nd birthday party.
I remember the feeling of trepidation the first time I took a trip all by myself, without kids or my husband. But I also remember the feeling of renewal I had spending just a few nights away. My battery had been recharged and I felt like a new person. I wanted that for Kelly so I invited her to come out to the Bay Area for her session.
When I met her the night before her Beauty Project session, I could tell she wasn’t quite sure what to expect and what exactly she had gotten herself into. But my fingers were crossed that she wouldn’t regret it.
In the morning we met Lauren at the studio to start the makeover.
And then the magic happened.
Oh my goodness, I still can’t believe I was selected, let alone all of the wonderful images.This whole experience was amazing for me for so many reasons. The first of which was realizing I could be away from my kids for a day and a half and the sky won’t fall in. 🙂 Meeting you was just great! Having lunch with you and talking about photography was fantastic! But through this project, you have shown me that I can be pretty on the outside (even if it takes professional help 🙂 I’ve never really seen myself that way. I thank you for that. It’s easy to forget yourself on a daily basis when you have little ones. It’s funny everything we sacrifice without really thinking about it. My husband loves the pictures as well. My oldest says he “likes my pretty black dress;” he calls everything I wear a dress, which is funny because I never wear dresses . My little one keeps saying, “that’s my mommy,” every time he sees them.
These are the kinds of words that make my heart happy. Please take the time to renew your own energy, to remind yourself how beautiful you are on the outside and inside, and to take a portrait of yourself that your family will be proud to share.
Contact me to book a session!
What a perfect project! And such a deserving and beautiful mom! Love this, Wendy!
Wendy, you have captured her so beautifully! I can so relate to Kelly’s experience as a mom. So happy she decided to come all the way to Danville to be a part of your project. My favorite is the shot in the light blue blouse..so wow!