Our lovely Lily VonTrapp at St. Edwards Park in Washington!
The Grotto
Left and Right
The girl on the left is slender. The girl on the right is not. The girl on the left is what society idealizes. The girl on the right is not. The girl on the left gets told to eat more. The girl on the right gets told to eat less. The girl on the left gets dirty looks. The girl on the right gets dirty looks. It is assumed that the girl on the left has an eating disorder. It is assumed the girl on the right never gets off the couch. The girl on the left gets her wardrobe criticized for being too revealing. The girl on the right gets her wardrobe criticized for being too boring. The girl on the left has been trying to put on weight for years, and the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. The girl on the right has been trying to lose weight for years, and the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. The girl on the left and the girl on the right adore each other. The girl on the left is an opera/church singer with two children. The girl on the right is an artist and photographer with two pets. Both are more than a picture. Both are so much more than what you see. So are you. So is everyone.
Sawhorse
Why I Do This!
I just received the most beautiful testimonial from Heather…it perfectly sums up why I do what I do. I’ve been photographing her for years and it’s been an amazing journey growing together. Thank you, Heather! Check it out below…
Testimonial:
Dearest Liz,
Thank you from the deepest part of my spirit for:
Letting me be who I am, and also whoever or whatever I felt like being depending on the day without fear or judgement…
Teaching me that beauty is found in the most unexpected ways, and so I learned to try things I never would have chosen myself…
Sparking a sense of adventure in me in spite of anxiety because I knew it would turn out amazing no matter what crazy places or poses or props we used…
Showing me that I don’t need the elaborate trappings of costumes and makeup to be beautiful, but letting me happily play with them anyway…
Seeing the beauty in my changing body, and encouraging me to embrace those changes instead of hiding them…
Helping me break away from a past of body-shaming and bullying…
Giving me a safe place to explore finding my own beauty with love and respect but also humor…
Letting me see through your lens the beauty I could not or would not see with my own eyes…
Showing me that my own body is a work of art…
Giving me tangible proof that I am strong, sexual, and beautiful…and giving me permission to be proud of it and to share it…
All of those things I learned modeling for you, and I am forever grateful. I wish that anyone who struggles with issues of shame or self-image, and also anyone who makes hateful comments about your work could read this and understand the healing that can take place by working with someone like you. No matter what we all look like on the outside, we all hurt deeply on the inside when we do not love ourselves, and I don’t think I would have come so far on that without your help. I was absolutely terrified that first shoot, but by the end I just felt so comfortable. I don’t think for one minute that would have happened with just any photographer. It is a special gift that you have, to be able to see the beauty in people, and capture it on film while making a safe space for them to express it, and then helping them to see and BELIEVE that beauty is there.
Love Always,
Heather
Little Hints of Naughty
I get it. You may reeeeaaaaallly want to try a boudoir photo shoot, for yourself or as a gift…but then, all the “what if” thoughts start. What if someone else sees? What if we break up? What if someone from work recognizes me? What if I’m just too shy? And depending on your life/career, these concerns can vary in strength. Don’t want so-and-so from marketing to be whispering about your sexy photos by the water cooler? I hear you.
Guess what? You can work around that! I’m showing some samples of sensual images that range in identity…you don’t even have to take anything off, or even show your face, if you don’t want to. It’s all about choice, and what you think will make you feel comfortable.
Let’s talk. You tell me your concerns/boundaries, and we’ll work around that.
Pin Up Lyz
I had to get Lyz and her pin-uppy cuteness back over…and boy were the pets in rare form…tails and noses in lots of the shots!
Interested in a pin up shoot of your own in Seattle? Contact me: Bookings
Group Shoot Results
I held my first group shoot last Sunday, and it was FUN. I decided to do this as a response to the negativity many have experienced in 2016, and give people a boost.
By some miracle, the sun decided to appear, almost oppressively. We had a small, but very positive turnout with plenty of variety. These brave souls braved the cold at Gasworks Park and have allowed me to share these with you. Thanks all!
Speaking of permission to share images, something I encounter a lot is people feeling nervous that their pictures will end up where they don’t want them. Bottom line is, if people don’t want me to share their pictures, I won’t. As much as I’d love to show you the pictures of my niece from that day, she drew a boundary about being posted on the internet, and I respect that.
Might do this again in spring, when the cherry blossoms are out!
Fairytale
The mission: dreamy, princessy, fairytale…y. Lyz and I ended up in Kubota Garden complete with peonies (yep, brought my own flowers to a garden), gowns, silk, and “floof” (referring to the petticoat she made out of endless amounts of tulle. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place to shoot…you’ll see a bit more of that once I post the white dress shots.
Michele
Here’s what Michele looks like when I don’t cover her with mud!
Dress Up For Grown Ups
Meet another photographer named Elizabeth that lives in WA! We met under one of those “you two should meet” situations and we got together to shoot on Sunday. She’s a cosplayer, and let me tell you…SO well armed with wigs, fun contacts, every color of eyeshadow ever, etc. Girl knows how to play dress up like a champ!
Slinky, of course, was his usual pain in the butt self…so here’s yet another entry for the “Cats Interrupting Photo Shoots” series…
LizZusev 