Portraits for her 30th birthday
To me, every birthday marks the passage of time and experiences with hopes and goals for the future. But, each new decade means leaving behind your teens, your 20’s, your 30’s, your 40’s etc. Those years are filled with expectations versus reality. There are ton of life events that may have surprised us but I know definitely taught us all some things.
When Hayley asked me to take her portraits to celebrate her 30th birthday, I was ecstatic!
The Idea
She wanted to capture the woman that she was as she exited her twenties and who she was stepping into at the start of this new decade.
What I already knew about Haley was that she was vibrant, fun, and exudes beauty and confidence!
Taking these aspects of her personality, I used a simple white paper background for most of the session in order to highlight HER and let her stand out.
She used her modern style and coupled it with a variety of simple but colorful and dramatic looks that complimented her hair and skin tone. I was the MOST excited about this light purple suit! :)
A Mix of Blazers
In addition to a tshirt, jeans, and JCrew look, Haley chose a mix of blazers that I thought were perfect for her style and personality:
1) Longer blazer with jeans
2) The perfect purple suit
3) A black blazer dress
A Portrait of Her
I believe that portraits provide a glimpse into a person’s life; a look into her story.
I desire for Haley to see herself and KNOW she matters, her identity has value, and the woman she is and is becoming is beautiful.
We are all constantly becoming a different version of ourselves and marking time with still images is a gift not only to my subjects but also to the people they surround themselves with.
My hope is that one day Haley’s sons will look back at an image of her from this session and remember what their mom was like at 30 years old. I want them to see one of these photos and recall what her voice sounded like, her scent, her laugh, what her touch felt like and how she made them feel. I want a portrait of her to immediately evoke feelings and memory and last generations.
If you’re looking for a unique and meaningful gift for your wife, girlfriend, friend, or daughter and you live in Bluffton, Beaufort, Hilton Head, Savannah or anywhere in the Lowcountry; consider celebrating her with portraits. I believe that using photography to document a birthday milestone is a beautiful way to celebrate HER.