“I’m a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. My husband and I are best friends, and have been together since high school. We have three beautiful little girls, whom I’m trying to help shape them into strong, independent women. I’m also a physician, and I am passionate about empowering women to advocate for themselves.

Jamie Lynn Clute introduced me to Trish Hadley and the concept of the “For Real” campaign. I initially thought, well, Jamie is gorgeous, so whatever….of course she looks amazing. As I continued to see more and more stories, I was inspired by these women who were really letting their genuine selves shine, and the beauty in their honest expressions.  As someone who is consistently trying to help others feel comfortable in their skin, what better way to “walk the walk.”  I too, should feel empowered to be transparent. What a testimony to the women (and girls) in my life.

I was initially uncomfortable with the idea of being photographed with no makeup— I wanted to be “made up” like a beautiful model, without imperfections. However, seeing the genuine expressions of other women in the campaign gave me courage to put my true face forward and to drop the veil that is so tempting to hide behind. Feeling vulnerable isn’t comfortable, but it can result in true transformation.

Trish was great. I felt very comfortable with her, and throughly enjoyed the shoot. I wasn’t thinking about my imperfections at all. I had fun and laughed a lot. 

When viewing the photos, I loved the contrast of the black and white and the artistry of the body positions. Spatially, they were very appealing images to look at. Surprisingly, I wasn’t immediately drawn to my imperfections. I was able to find beauty in the images. The women in the photographs appeared comfortable with herself. She was confident, and yet playful and approachable. Trish was able to take real women from all sorts of backgrounds, and remind them that truly are all beautiful.”