Lady In Waiting - Mentoring Editorial

I view life like poetry, like a piece of music. Each life is a masterpiece worth creating and preserving with meaning and purpose. As an artist, I have grown weary of seeing so much pretty without much meaning behind it. For my clients, I don't want them to feel like they have to meet up to a certain standard of perfection, for beautiful details alone. I want them to find meaning in every little thing and have a "why" behind all of the beauty. My vision for everyone I photograph is to immortalize the deep beauty of their lives, that is often hard to articulate apart from art. 

This is why I've started styling my 1:1 workshop shoots around things that are deeply meaningful to me. If I don't practice what I preach, then what is the point? This shoot is entitled, Lady In Waiting. The slightly 20's look is reminiscent of simpler times, when there was much more patience required than in our instant-gratification culture. I long to have more peaceful, confident waiting in my own life, and a heart that understands the value of quiet reflection - and thus, the inspiration for this shoot was born and goes deep into a spiritual place for me. I love going to the Psalms for inspiration because they are so honest. The writer isn't afraid to spell out how he feels, yet expresses a confident joy because of trust in God. In Psalm 27: 14 he says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" I love that image of courage in waiting, as we all go through difficult seasons that can be hard to comprehend the reason. This reminds me that waiting can be beautiful, joyfully expectant even! Much like the grandiose oaks in these images, growth takes time, growth takes waiting for the fruit to come, and the reward comes to those who wait, persevering until the end. There was a beautiful 300 year old oak in my back yard growing up. I love playing in it's shade and climbing the low-hanging branches. It was for me a kind of stability. I knew it wasn't going anywhere. I could depend on it's strength. Our seaside city was prone to hurricanes, but no matter the force of the winds, it remained firm. It had weathered many a storm. It's roots were deep in the earth and so it stayed firm, never budging or showing any signs of damage. That kind of endurance, waiting out the storms of life, digging my roots deep, is what I hoped to express through these images. This editorial reminds my heart of deeper truths - to find the beauty that lies in the waiting and the joy that can be found for the patient heart. Storms may come, but my soul's roots are digging deep in faith in One who can stand the test of time.