I'm glad you're here. As you read about the project and view the images, I challenge you to ask yourself what really makes a woman beautiful. The answer is different for each of us.
I was not prepared for the response I would get to this project. Pleasantly surprised is a better term. Because of it, I shifted the site to a Blog format to help me record the various words and experiences all in one place.
Enjoy,
Erin Vey
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I had a really awesome Believe Session with Rita today. Here is one of my favorites from the session.
Sorry I haven't posted in a few weeks. I had to give myself a short break to focus on some other life events, but I'm back in the swing again!
Jennifer Jeffrey contacted me a few days ago after she stumbled across my little project. She asked if I would answer a few interview questions for her blog post. I was delighted to answer them and they really made me dig a little more deeper into my own experiences about the project.
I thought I would share the interview...
And here is a really great shot from a Believe Session with my Mom!
We were brainstorming before the shoot about what types of looks we wanted to achieve. On a whim, I picked up the most recent issue of Vogue and found a few looks that I thought I might try to recreate. I have found, however, that every time I try to recreate or mimic a pose, it just feels forced and unnatural to me. So about halfway through the shoot, I decided not to try to replicate them exactly, but rather create a similar mood or feel shown in the magazine. I liked that better.
And ended up with this.
I know many people have mentioned how great this would be as a book. But ultimately what I really want to do, when I'm finished, is find a space where I can display the project and have a big party.
Because it is no secret that I love a good party.
My vision, is to choose one image from each session, blow it up big, and have them beautifully displayed in a gallery type setting. Then, I want words from each woman that participated displayed around the room. Then I want the women to come, invite their friends and family, and anyone else that would like to come as well.
Dress up, have some wine + cheese, maybe a dessert or two.
And experience the images.
But I have to finish the project first and I don't know when that will be just yet.
And then I have to find a space. Which I don't think will be an easy task.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to shoot some really amazing high school senior sessions. I absolutely loved working with them, but there was always this underlying hesitancy in their eyes. It took me awhile to figure out why I wasn't getting what I wanted out of it. I finally boiled it down to the fact that they just hadn't lived enough life to really give the depth to their images that I was looking for. Life experiences, troubles, disappointments, happiness, heartache all give depth to an image and I wanted to tap into that.
My gut told me that there was this overwhelming need for a woman to have images of herself that mirrored these life experiences.
I decided to take this on as a personal project, free of charge, because then I could truly tap into all types of women, not just those that could 'afford' a session with me. By not charging, I get complete ownership of what I want to shoot, who I want to shoot, and when I want to shoot. Without all the hassles of the business side of collecting money, ordering prints, the list goes on.
So far I have no regrets about this decision.
