Heyllie’s Testimonial

Almost 4 years ago I books a session that would change the way I looked at myself forever. I’ve always been a bigger girl, in a family of tall, thinner people it’s always made me feel like I wasn’t enough. No matter where I was, with family, friends or just out in public, I never felt right in my own skin. I’ve heard the “if you lost weight you’d be so much prettier” and “you’re pretty for a big girl” lines more times then I can count.

Photos of myself aren’t something I enjoy taking or having taken. I pick apart how I look no matter what, so getting undressed and having my photo taken? Absolutely not.

So when I met someone and he loved me for me I decided to book a session to gift him a book of pictures. A few weeks prior to the session we broke up but I chose to keep the session, I still wanted to do it to see if it made me feel differently about the way I looked.

I got to my shoot and was shaking. I had been told to wear lose clothing so I had sweatpants and a lose top on, I probably looked homeless.

Tamra and the team of artists that were there to do hair and make up made me feel at ease almost immediately. I was laughing and joking with them and they told me if someone couldn’t see how amazing I am that they don’t deserve me. Now it was time for the session and I was nervous. I’m a plus sized single mom, there’s a lot of me to see and it was the first time I’d be getting naked in front of a camera and an almost complete stranger. Tamra asked me what I loved about myself and things I didn’t love about myself. She made me feel seen and heard and soon I was smiling a real smile and enjoying every part of the shoot. The pictures from my first shoot are still some of my favorite pictures of myself, to this day. I look happy and love myself the way I am in those photos.