September-Days-Photography

It wasn’t always easy 🤍

I was raised with the kind of love that makes you tough. The “suck up your tears“ kind of love. It was designed to repair me for a harsh world, but it didn’t always leave room for tenderness. I think the reason I’m so committed to “seeing“ the women I photograph today is because I spent so long, not feeling seen myself.

It took me 40 years to realize that tenderness isn’t a weakness… It’s a superpower. And once I finally learned how to be tender with myself, I found a path back to my mother.

We moved from years of yelling and crying to a relationship of respect and compassion. I’m so grateful we found that shift while she was still alive.

The lens, you see yourself through matters. Make it a kind one.

Happy Mother’s Day to the women who are seen, and those who are still finding their way back to their own softness. I see you.

I shared the deeper, more personal story of these photos in my post this morning. It’s a story about tough love, tenderness, and finally finding a kind lens. Go back one post to read it. 🤍.