Glamour Portraits in Milwaukee – Ginesa
“A little over seven years ago I said “yes” to having the experience of a lifetime – and this year, I decided to say “yes” again.
Being on the cusp of 50 is a scary thing; my kids are growing up and becoming adults of their own, I have love and partnership, and life seems to move faster than ever before. I feel like I’m only starting to understand the nuances of what life actually is. I’ve been in physical therapy for almost 25 years and now specialize in chronic pain and complex injuries; having a niche practice and always wanting to be more/do more/see more means constant multi-tasking and always feeling overwhelmed. I love what I do and am beyond blessed to do it, but it’s quite easy to lose yourself in the minutiae of healthcare.
Jennifer seems to understand all the little parts of what brings us all into her studio: at the consultation, she encouraged and assured me throughout each choice and seemed to pull magic out of her wardrobe closet. I was hoping to be beautiful and ethereal, dramatic but not over-the-top, sexy and down to earth. This consultation is SUCH a key component of the process and is unlike anything I’ve experienced otherwise. She builds your confidence, piece by piece, so that you can not only pretend to be these things, but with her fabulous eye, you begin to believe you actually ARE all these things. Each outfit built on the prior one just brought me closer to believing that I could actually be beautiful, ethereal, approachable, dramatic, and yes – sexy.
Shoot day remains a blur; Katrina is like a fairy godmother who waves her magic wand and *poof!* You look like the best, most glamorous version of yourself you’ve ever seen. She checked in with me frequently to make sure I was pleased and happy with the process. We adjusted, pivoted, and the end result is pure evidence of her wizardry. Jen put on the playlist I’d made and soon enough…we were shooting! I would walk out of the changing area uncertain that I could do anything to be photogenic (I mean, who WAS this person staring back at me in the mirror?!) – and Jen would start making me chuckle and laugh and forget my nervousness. Each outfit made me explore a different facet of myself, some of which I’ve never seen or felt before.
Walking into the studio two weeks later, I was filled with trepidation and anxiety – despite being a repeat customer, I think that the thoughts I felt we all can recognize. Would I recognize myself? Would the photos look ok? Did I actually pull off any of these looks that seemed so utterly….not me?
The reveal is almost indescribable – the atmosphere Jen sets up is soothing and just helps to build up the excitement. Seeing all these photos – of ME – was overwhelming, but in the most crazy, intense, butterflies-in-stomach sort of way. Photo after photo on the wall in poses and outfits and shots that were me, but not me…images that truly capture the feeling of triumph over the “I can’t” and “I’m not.”
Looking at my chosen images fills me with immense pride. These are me – these are ME! This shoot is proof that I can be all these things at once: complex, driven, badass, beautiful, glamorous, sexy. I am so grateful that I chose to say “yes” to this opportunity (again!) and the investment in my own confidence. So much time in our lives is filled with “I can’t” and “I’m not”….and here I am, holding on to the most *amazing* photo evidence that I can do these hard things, and I am all the facets I displayed, every single day.
Thank you is never enough for this sort of life-changing experience. Take the time to test yourself out – you’ll never know what’s the next “yes” that’s in store for you!!” ~Ginesa 
