Client Stories

I recently collaborated with the incredible Elvira Muckelroy, a photographer who beautifully captures the essence of women aging naturally. She helped me tell the story of my journey over the past couple of years. Initially, I doubted my ability to convey the emotions she needed, but her exceptional communication, planning, support, and encouragement made the entire experience feel effortless.
These photos reflect the years of disappointment I felt working for people I could never seem to please, draining my energy and confidence. They depict the agonizing moments of questioning whether quitting was ultimately the right choice. And they radiate the joy and relief I felt when I finally chose to pursue my own dreams over a nightmare job.
Elvira has told my story in the most beautiful way!

I wasn't looking for a photographer, especially this time of year. But then I came across Elvira’s post, and I ended up looking through her entire profile and all of her work. It was hard to stop like it's hard to put down a good book. Every photo had passion and a story. It was clear that she had a creative eye and strong technical skills. Besides her talent to capture a moment effectively she is also very organized. Her communication was excellent. I always knew what was going on, where, when to meet, what to do, etc. before the shoot, I struggled with wardrobe choices. When Elvira stepped in to help, I felt like a Barbie doll. During the photo shoot everything went smoothly. Time went by so fast. It felt more than just a regular shoot. Most photographers give you a very small time slot and rush you through it. Elvira is one of those photographers who will make time to get to know you and make you comfortable. This was an unforgettable experience. When I got the pictures back I coudn;t choose a favorite, there were so many. She truly is an artist.

In the Fall of 2021, during a routine exam, the radiologist found a suspicious lump in my breast that was triple-negative breast cancer, stage 2. The entire year and a half following that diagnosis, my body was not my own. I endured intense chemo and immunotherapy infusions plus a double mastectomy. I gained more than 20 pounds. I lost all my hair. I was barely recognizable to myself and others! In the six months following treatment, the weeks slogged by. It took SO much longer than I imagined it would to regain energy and shed my brain fog. To feel like myself. My hair grew back very slowly–bonus, now curlier and thicker. By February this year, I finally felt enough resolve and energy to start reclaiming my old self! I lost 40 pounds and began to feel less joint pain and more energy. I felt beautiful for the first time in a very long time. Around the same time, Elvira, posted a call on social media for models and the timing of her post was perfect for me! I was ready to celebrate my body, my passage through the crucible of cancer treatment. I found the entire modeling experience with Elvira super affirming and empowering. I felt playful and youthful! The resulting photographs are more beautiful than I could have hoped!

I really wanted to celebrate my weight loss journey and capture this moment in time of turning 40. I hope one day when I have passed on, my children will treasure these photos of their momma. I was blown away with the talent of Elvira Muckelroy’s work. She is so incredibly gifted. She made me feel so comfortable, confident, and beautiful. Can you believe she snapped all these with on again off again rain showers? She’s amazing. She wanted to capture women ages 40-55 to allow them to see that aging is beautiful and to embrace it. She has a gift and vision and I’m so grateful to have met her. I’m thankful she gave up her time and energy to do this shoot. It was so fun to get my hair and makeup done, even though my hair didn’t last long with the rain, they still all turned out great.

This is me being brave. I am like so many plus size women who feel insecure about our curves. I want to see the beauty others see in me. I want to see and feel the beauty my husband sees in me when he holds me or looks into my eyes. I was nervous and anxious and wanted to drop out many times, but Elvira kept me wanting to continue. She is beyond talented and made the entire process very easy. I quite enjoyed how organized she kept this and with a very well-thought out plan to boot! On the day of the photo shoot, there were some emotions and some nervous tears even. What inspired me to keep going was the same reason that gave me the courage to do this in the first place. It was seeing the women that was photographed before me, and they looked absolutely stunning! I know you want your children to have some incredible pictures of you to hold with their memories, just as I do myself, So, be brave, you beautiful woman! Amazing things happen on the other side of fear. You will not regret it!”