Client story
Chante Harris
Chante describes her journey as one of ‘not reinvention, but re-acceptance’ of who she is and what she envisions her life to be. Her goal for this session was to capture her new sense of purpose and her acceptance. She wanted the photos to depict a sense of feminine power and confidence, but from a place of comfort and serenity. As an urban sustainability expert, she also wanted to incorporate the city and transportation into the images.
Chante’s mood board
Chante focused on a feeling of confidence that comes from being completely comfortable in one’s own skin. She included several women in cozy sweaters. She also picked several photos of Tessa Thompson, one of my favorite actresses (I love Westworld!) that depicted that sense of feminine confidence and power she was looking for.
The session
We made the shoot happen at short notice on a rare warm day in February, in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Chante picked a very cozy-looking sweater dress, along with a herringbone coat she had inherited from her great-aunt. The coat reminded her of all the strong women in her family who have influenced her life. This was the first time she wore her hair natural in a photo shoot. At one point during the session, she opened up to talk about a challenging time in her life and how that shaped her. That vulnerability led to some powerful, emotionally charged images.
What Chante says
“I describe this experience to my friends as a gift you give to yourself. The process had this vulnerability and openness baked in from the very beginning. I’ve never had a shoot where the emotions and story was so key. You sharing your own story at the beginning of the process set the stage for it. The entire experience made me reflect on the vision I have for my life, how I communicate and who I am. And of course, I love the photos! It’s exciting and beautiful to see all the ways of capturing who I am.”
— Chante Harris