Beautifully Imperfect - Northern VA | DC Birth and Motherhood Photographer
"She is a beautiful piece of broken pottery, put back together by her own hands. And the critical world judges her cracks, while missing the beauty of how she made herself whole again." -J M Storm
How many of you have felt different from others at some point in your life? (It's okay. Raise your hand.) Have you ever felt you have been treated different from others? My generation was famous for labeling children. If a child didn't act a certain way, they received some sort of diagnosis. Rather than embracing the child for who they are, something had to be wrong with them.
Let me tell you....being a teenage girl is HARD. You are already judged by peers and you have on again/off again friendships. You are going through all these hormone changes, which you don't even understand yourself. On top of that, because you don't handle things "correctly" you are labeled and friends and family start to disassociate themself with you.
Yeah, totally normal! {eye roll}
I have spent most of my life trying to be perfect. I wanted to be the perfect mom. The perfect spouse. The perfect daughter. At times I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect and "normal", that I broke down from the stress. It actually backfired. I didn't want that label. I just wanted to be loved for "Lee". Still, that label followed me. Even in to adulthood.
The fact is, I was mislabeled. So here I am being judged for being "weird" and I was losing important people in my life. Very quickly I found myself alone. My best friend since kindergarten? Gone. The aunt that couldn't get enough of me? Also gone. I just wanted to be accepted. Deep down I just wanted a hug. This is still true today.
I am the black sheep of the family and you know what!? I'm okay with that! Yes, I'm different. The amount and kind of love I need is different. I guess you can consider me "needy". If that burdens you, move on. I can not surround myself with negative people or people that make me feel lonely.
Just like everyone else, it took me awhile to find myself. I tried the college thing because that is what I was supposed to do. I had numerous jobs and went through bad relationships. I've gone through dark moments, but I've always found the light at the end of the tunnel. Over the years I have discovered how strong and resilient I am.
I found myself through photography. My passion and focus is motherhood photography and the connection with loved ones. I love love. I want to find it and document it. So despite my family dynamics, I am definitely drawn to those of others. I want to capture the love and emotion. I want to help you remember those small details. Those posed images, while they are loved by many, give off that "perfect" appearance and let's face it, your family isn't really like that. I am embracing imperfection.
Real moments is what I live for. Raw. Evocative.
