The move to Portland is getting so close! I’ve spent most of the past week packing like a mad woman, but now all of our stuff has been shipped across the country, so there’s one GIANT thing crossed off our to-do list!

This coming week is going to be even more hectic, even though during this last week I wasn’t sure that was possible. I’m teaching my last piano lessons, doing 3 shoots in 6 days, driving home to visit my parents for a day, celebrating my cousin’s college graduation (and probably taking some family photos while I’m there), and trying to see all of my friends one more time in the seven days between now and when we leave.

It’s really mind-boggling (or mind-bottling, as Derek Zoolander would say) that we leave in just seven days. The 24th used to feel so far away, but now it’s just next week. Last night, I turned to my husband and said, “I have to confess: I’m really scared.” Because he knows me so well, he knew exactly what I meant. I’m scared I won’t be successful in Portland. I’m scared of what happens if I follow this dream and fail. I’m scared of the possibility that I won’t be able to motivate myself to work hard enough to build a business in a new state, and at the same time I’m scared that I’ll work my tail off and it still won’t happen.

Since he is the most supportive husband ever, he gave me a giant hug and said, “The only thing you have absolutely zero control over is talent, and you have no shortage of that. Your talent and abilities are incredible. And here’s the thing: the service you provide is so, so important. Every woman deserves to feel beautiful, and you are very good at letting women feel that way.”
Then at my shoot this afternoon (in an amazing condo near the Plaza in KC; is my life even real?), my client and I were talking about our upcoming life changes – my move and her wedding. After I mentioned moving, but without mentioning anything about this fear of mine, she said, “You’re going to be so successful in Portland! This is so much fun, and you’re so cute and bubbly! Give all of them my number, I’ll let them know how awesome you are.”

So thanks to the universe for knowing exactly what I needed to hear. It always keeps coming back to this Emerson quote I found a couple months ago, illustrated here by Becca Clason (and found on Pinterest, of course):

Always Do what You Are Afraid to Do

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A couple weeks ago, a college friend send me a message asking if I could do some headshots for him. After several months of shooting pretty much exclusively women, and almost always indoors, this was a bit outside my comfort zone! But Scott is a friend of mine, so I just couldn’t tell him no. Plus, it was really great to get outside again; it felt so easy to get great pictures when I had so much light everywhere!
And now, he’s signed to a modeling agency! How cool is that?!

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This was such a fun session. Miss K was one of my favorite types of clients: she didn’t do this for any special someone, she came in for herself. She just wanted an excuse to dress up and feel amazing, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s all the reason any woman should ever need.

We started in this adorable dress. I always suggest bringing a dress to start with; it’s more comfortable that just starting in your underwear, and it gets you shots like these that are appropriate for any time you need a beautiful image of yourself.

Then we did a backlit set. The bright, airy look is my favorite, and the even light is flattering to absolutely everyone. And how incredible are her eyes (and her awesome MAC lashes!)?

I made Miss K work for this next picture. Posing can be hard work, y’all! Weight on the back foot, push your booty back, bring your hands in to give you that perfect waist, chin forward and down… But as soon as we took this left frame, I knew it was the shot. I looked at her and said, “You’re so hot,” and she just laughed. The two images together are amazing. And they perfectly describe her: she can be a hot mama if she wants, but most of the time she’s laughing.

Then we started getting a little moodier with our lighting…

And a little sexier with our posing!

As hard as the posing was earlier in the shoot, she contends this next shot was the hardest: I made her stop smiling! But I’m pretty sure it was worth it; how show-stoppingly gorgeous is this woman?

Five minutes after delivering her images, I got this text:

Oh my god, Laura, these are so beautiful! You are really talented! I can’t thank you enough for these. It’s so incredible that you give women the opportunity to see themselves the way others see them. I told you this already, but that’s such an important gift to share with the world.

To which I replied, “You’re going to make me blush! It’s seriously my pleasure. It just makes me sad you didn’t already see yourself that way.” Then she said,

It’s just so easy to be hyper critical that I forget to focus on the extraordinary parts of me. You helped me refocus.

If we remove all attention from the things you hate, all that’s left are the things you love. It’s time to refocus.

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The most frequently asked question I get is, undoubtedly, “What should I wear?!” Here’s one quick tip to help you as you make your boudoir wardrobe choices.

Pick underwear that have lace bands! An elastic band pulls tight across the hips, which does not look awesome. Lace lays gently on the skin and doesn’t disturb the body line in the same way. Have a look:

These two photos are the same girl standing in the same spot with the same lighting. It’s kind of amazing what a difference a simple wardrobe choice can make!

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