Fine Art Portraits: Melanie {Vancouver, WA}

It was years ago, back in 2015 when I was just starting to embrace my creativity and explore photography in a way that would allow me to capture “the breath of a moment” as a client once described my work.

I have since reimagined the edits from this session and have fallen in love anew with what I captured that day. Little did I know then, that these types of collaborations with clients would become the Embracing Self commission sessions that I am so passionate about today. We are so used to seeing ourselves a certain way, in family photos with our smiling face, in that perfect top-down angle in our selfies, to the group photo with friends, and the somewhat love-hate relationship with our reflection from the mirror.

Embracing Self Commission Sessions with me, are unique in a number of ways. My main goal is not actually to photograph your face looking any kinda way. It’s not to capture your smile, although we do get those smiles too. But capturing “the breath of a moment” in an Embracing Self session only happens when both me and the person I’m photographing has had a chance to feel listened to and heard, and feels confident (albeit a bit nervous still) that we’ve been given the space to voice our goals, dreams, and desires together. Yes, I could choose to take more commission sessions per month, yes I could choose to keep my sessions to 1-2 hours or less. I could do all those things. I could even create beautiful art under those circumstances too. But the reason I don’t is because I would be missing out on what makes me enjoy this work so much. And that is time. Time to really get to know my client. Time listening. Time planning. Allowing my client to just breath while we are making art together.

On the day of your Embracing Self Commission sitting, I have mentally blocked out the entire day in my mind just for you. I have booked no other sessions the day before you, or the day after you. The day we create art together is a day of creation in which I carefully prepare for, and protect. The day where I will not allow distractions to fragment my focus. This hyper focus on how I schedule my time is part of the reason I am able to create the work I do. It’s quality over quantity; not just in the amount of digital image files I produce, but in the number of people I choose to photograph in a given month. This allows me to authentically and realistically put all of my energy into one client at a time, which translates into art that I am proud of and that is transformative, visually and emotionally for my client.

Long ago, I learned that I didn’t want to run a photography business in a way that crams clients into my schedule back to back. It felt too rushed and too disjointed. Time is the key for me.

If you are someone who appreciates how good things come with time and are able to commit your own time to this process and allow me to spend my time in a way that allows me to breathe while creating art with you, of you; then we’re likely a great fit for each other.