I wasn’t a stranger to Mirrored Images; I have friends who are ambassadors of the brand; heck, I’ve even modeled for their Shameless collection. However, I never thought I could or would book an actual session. I always made the excuse of the costs, but would quickly find myself spending the same money elsewhere. Even when Mirrored posted a holiday deal or other incentive, I’d find another reason (I can’t get off work, I need to lose another # pounds, etc.). Finally, I was honest and admitted as a wife/partner, I’d lost myself. My self-esteem paid the price and it oozed out of me into my sexual, personal, and professional lives.  I needed to do something to bring my sexy back.

The Decision:

This time I wasn’t going to give myself time to back out, and I typed  www.mirroredimages.net. When the page loaded, I quickly chose Book a Shoot, and there in black and white typeface on the website were the words I needed to hear..THERE’S NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW.  So I selected the 1-Hr package and completed the questionnaire.  I made mention of what I wanted to see from the images and the experience I wanted. Jenn is great at both light and dark imagery, and I specifically wanted a Boss Bi*ch feel to my shoot. I needed to remember who I was.

 

The Prep: A few days later, I got an email from Mirrored Images. A complete soup to nuts guide on what I could expect the day of, hair and makeup timelines, my e-invoice (for deposit or payment in full), and a helpful guide on where and what to purchase for the shoot if I chose.

In the following weeks, I got lost in purchasing lingerie and emailing back and forth with Jenn/Jamie about my makeup and photo ideas. While professional, the banter was more like speaking with my talented friends rather than a hired vendor. So, it didn’t surprise me that the weeks leading to the shot flew by and before you know it, I’m shotgunning water by the liter to ensure I’m not bloated for my call time the following day.

 

The Shoot:  It was the first shoot of the day, and the ladies at Mirrored Images helped me rev my energy with a great playlist. You can bring your own playlist, but Jenn’s selections were a vibe. Jamie and I played with colors, and my final look was fun and fierce! I laid out the lingerie I’d brought along for the day and, with Jenn & Jamie’s cheering, made some daring additions from the studio’s in-house selections of lingerie and stilettos.

I was nervous and took direction from Jenn to “breath through my mouth” as a knelt on the studio’s blue sofa. From then on, it was a blur, not rushed, but in that way on your birthday or wedding day when you’ve planned all you can and the day has finally come. You can now let go and enjoy it!  I knew I was in good hands and just had a good time. The hour flew by.

 

The Sneak Peek & Photo Review:

Within 48 hours, there was another email from Jenn in my inbox; this time, it included a bonus, a sneak peek of my shot. With those two images, I knew I was in trouble – hide my wallet, having only seen the two, I knew I wanted them ALL.

A week later, we reviewed the images (nearly 100) during our scheduled appointment, and I Yes/No’d my way down to my top 20 picks. It wasn’t easy; Jenn’s lens caught so many great angles and images – some we’d discussed and some sexy surprises. Somehow she’d highlighted all the best parts of me (my soul included).

 

The Final Result:

There are many affordable options to memorialize the images – a bound book, a metal wall hanging, a painted portrait, or just the beautiful digital images. Since the photoshoot and the photos were for me, I chose the latter, with the right to print them in the future. When I have a special spot for them, I will showcase my art, front and center. For now, they will be my little secret, a battery for me to draw from when my sense of self depletes.