Come as you are.
It’s a familiar phrase, but it hits differently when you turn it inward: Come as I am. I recently wrapped a photoshoot where the guiding theme was exactly that. It was an exercise in letting go of the polished narrative and letting the raw texture of the present speak for itself.
To be completely honest, I almost didn’t go. I was feeling incredibly shy leading up to it, and my mind was crowded with a million different things. Even though I absolutely love photoshoots, stepping out from behind my usual creative curtain felt a bit different this time. As an interviewer, I am used to being the one holding the lens—metaphorically speaking. My comfort zone is asking the questions, digging into the creative minds of others, and shaping their stories into text. There is a distinct vulnerability in switching places and becoming the subject rather than the observer.
Behind the camera was the incredibly talented Bobbi Jo Brooks, who has a rare gift for making a room feel completely safe. Working with her made all that initial hesitation disappear. You can check out more of her stunning visual storytelling on her website: here. Woven throughout this piece are a few of my favorite moments from the session, each capturing a genuine, unedited sliver of that afternoon. As the session went on, the urge to perform or present a highly curated version of myself faded. There was no script to follow, no specific character to embody, and no industry expectations to meet. It became a quiet reminder that before we are our work, our titles, or our creative projects, we just are. And sometimes, capturing that simple truth is the most artistic thing we can do.
