“This session really opened my eyes to embracing who I am”

As an Ottawa PinUp Photographer, I meet many different women from all ages and at different stages in their lives. Meet Miss K! She has came to the Je m’adore fine art studio looking for the perfect gift for her long distance romance, but in the end she got the perfect gift for herself!

Q: What’s going on in your life right now that motivated you to do a session?
Miss K:  While I have always wanted to do a PinUp photo session.  What really motivated me to jump into the deep end was my current long distance relationship with my Swiss boyfriend (Suzanne even referenced that in the airplane photo below, specifically choosing a Swiss Air stock image!). I thought if there was ever a time to do it, it would be now!

Q: Besides beautiful photographs, what else did you hope to get out of the experience?
Miss K:   To be honest, I never thought I would get more out of the experience than the beautiful photographs but in the end I got so much MORE!

Q: How long had you been considering doing a shoot before you booked yours? What was the final push? What did it feel like to finally book your session?
Miss K:  I fell in love with Pinup Style photos many years ago but never thought I would have the courage to do so — especially alone and in front of a photographer that I didn’t know. But I decided to bite the bullet to give my long distance boyfriend an unforgettable birthday gift! I was so excited to book the session and I felt so much more comfortable having a consultation with Suzanne before to get to know her and discuss ideas.

Q: Before your session, how would you describe your relationship with your body, your beauty and your sensuality?
Miss K:   I have always had a love/hate relationship with my body. Perhaps it is societal expectations or that of my own but I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I always felt I was just out of reach of being the best VERSION of myself. I never really saw myself as beautiful and would rather cover myself up then embrace the body that I was in.

Q: How did doing a session affect how you feel about your body, your beauty and your sensuality?
Miss K:  I think this session really opened my eyes to embracing who I am. It doesn’t mean that I stop wanting to improve but rather learn to accept where I am so I can move forward with a better and healthier mindset. I think we can sometimes be so hard on ourselves that we forget to see the bigger picture. Life is short and no one is perfect so taking the time to enjoy and appreciate the journey with all its ups and downs is so important – even as cliché as that sounds!

Q: What were you worried about before your session? What helped to overcome that?
Miss K:  A few days before the session, I definitely started to get cold feet. I thought I wasn’t fit or slim enough to have the photos done and that I needed more time to get ‘ready’. But what I came to realize leading up to the session date was that I will never be ready. I will never be ready because there is no such thing as the perfect moment, the perfect body or the perfect world. The key is to embrace who you are at the present moment and never take yourself too seriously!

Q: Tell me about your session day: How did you feel on your way over? What were your favorite parts? How did you feel on the way home?
Miss K:  Throughout the day from hair and makeup to the actual photo session, I felt pampered and supported. Both Suzanne and Alison made me look and feel beautiful. Their attention to detail was UNPARALLELED and it was so much fun to play ‘dress up’ and go back in time for a day! However, I think the the hardest part by far was keeping the session a secret from my boyfriend!

Q: What were you feeling when you saw your photos at the viewing?
Miss K:  On the day of the viewing, I was so nervous! I had no idea how they would turn out or how I would look. I was just hoping for one good photo. However, I was blown away with how many I ended up loving! It was actually challenging to widdle them down! It was such a fun process to see them up on the wall, larger than life and to see myself in a way I never thought possible!

Q: Why did you decide to hire me as your photographer?
Miss K:  Not only was the location convenient but seeing Suzanne’s work on her website had me hooked! She have such a great eye and I love how much she empowers women through her photography!

Q: If your friend were considering doing a shoot, what would you say to encourage her?
Miss K:  Just do it! I promise you won’t regret it! 🙂

AGE: 20’s