I met Ashely (my friend, who is also a photographer) about 5 years ago when we worked together at a women’s clothing store, and we instantly connected. We lost touch over the years and hadn’t seen each other since then, but were able to reconnect this year through a mutual friend, and she’s just as I remember - small (but mighty), exuding creative energy, quick-witted, and sweet. When we met she was just starting out with photography and had dreams of becoming a professional photographer and Creative Director - both of which she’s accomplished. Reconnecting definitely felt like a “meant to be” moment and I’m so happy to have her back in my life - not only as a friend, but as a creative counterpart.

Ashley and I were talking one night about life, emotions, cycles/transitions (the usual), and were bouncing ideas around about the theme of the shoot. She mentioned the word “chiaroscuro” which is “the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.” Although this term is used primarily in reference to art, I wanted to apply it in a more abstract way in the sense of emotions - from deeper to lighter (or vice versa). I also wanted to somehow incorporate an element of sadness/grieving into it, which is why I wore a gothic-style dress.

This blog is a place of creativity, first and foremost, but also a place of openness. Those who know me personally know that I’ve recently experience a loss in my life, which I talked about in my Love + Loss post. There is no time-frame with grieving. It comes and it goes, and some days are better than others. Human loss aside, I also wanted this to be about the loss of my past selves, because we’ve all been so many different versions of ourselves. Even our present self, who we are right now, will eventually become a past self once we enter a new phase/cycle of our life that urges us to evolve. I was thinking a lot about who I was, what I wanted, what was important to me, and how past wishes/desires/attachments seem silly now. If I could give my younger/past version(s) of myself a piece of advice, it would be this: “trust the process” and “everything is temporary.” It isn’t always easy to gracefully accept and adapt to what life delivers, but I’ve learned that there will always be lessons and blessings (sometimes in disguise), no matter what phase of life you’re in. Unfortunately, timing isn’t something we have any control over, however we can control our experiences (to a certain extent), how we respond to them, and what we learn from them.

Jan 2 CHIAROSCURO

Feb 20 COUNTRY GIRL

Dec 30 SLEEK + COZY