WHY NOT

She walked up to the wall of portraits in my studio. She pointed to one, a confident red-haired mother of two, with a black lace bodysuit stretched across pink lingerie. "I couldn't wear that," she said, definitively. So I looked her in the eyes, knowing she wouldn't point to an outfit that way if she didn't want to wear something like it, and asked, "Why not?"

You see, I never used to ask this question. I didn't ask it to my clients or my friends - I certainly didn't ask it to myself. But over time, things have changed. "WHY NOT?" has become the refrain of my own brain's responses that limit me:

"I can't wear that." WHY NOT? "I can't try that." WHY NOT? "I can't achieve that." WHY NOT? "I can't be that." WHY. THE. HELL. NOT?

And my client who stared at the wall of portraits - I asked her WHY NOT and she rose up to the question. She was honest with me about the way she hated her appearance, and we talked and laughed and nodded with understanding. We're both women who have lived for decades in a society that consistently tells us we're not enough. And I told her about all the amazing things she could wear, I told her about the beauty I saw in her the first time we met. I told her I couldn't wait to capture her beautiful soul on film. And by the end of our meeting, she'd planned her dream photoshoot. Before my very eyes she embraced the WHY NOT, and it was beautiful. 

A few years ago I got tired of living by other people's limitations. Now I ask WHY NOT and usually the reason is laughable. So instead of cowering, I do the thing - I take the challenge - I dive right in. And it's always worth it. 

-Mitzi

SESSION AVAILABILITY UPDATE:
Booked through August
2 spots left for September
4 spots left for October

Send me a message at www.mitzistarkweather.com/luxe-portraits for information and booking.