Jordan V.

I recently decided to return to Debbie for another session to celebrate my 40th birthday. I first went to Debbie about 5 years ago, after undergoing major weight loss and working hard to make a healthy lifestyle change over the course of the few years prior. It had been very difficult for me to see pictures of myself my entire life, and I was not necessarily expecting anything different that time around, but I was inspired after joining the Allure VIP Facebook group where I had been invited by a friend. There was one resounding theme amongst the ladies in the group, and that was how Debbie’s photographs made them all feel so beautiful, like they had never felt before. Surely, she would be able to do the same for me. 

I remember being extremely nervous leading up to that first appointment, especially the morning of. I actually had to stop and take deep breaths to keep myself from having a panic attack. Once I arrived, I was greeted by this warm and welcoming photographer I had never met before. I stepped into her home and Telly was already there setting up for my hair and makeup. I immediately felt at ease because they were both so down to earth. While Telly worked on my hair and makeup, we all talked about and shared so many things like the best of friends, that I had no problem getting over my anxiety. Once she was done, Debbie had me go into her bedroom which she had setup already for pictures. She guided me every step of the way and showed me my pictures as we went, which were all looking beautiful as we went along. Then later, when we met for my reveal, I broke down into tears. They were tears of joy and tears of sadness. I was sad because of how I’d spent my life hating to see myself in pictures, and also overjoyed with what I saw in those pictures. I couldn’t believe how beautifully she had posed me, with the professional lighting, backdrops, hair and makeup; it all made for the perfect combination and I felt worthy of a centerfold feature. It was a full circle moment for me, as a young woman trying so desperately to find and love herself. 

There really has been no other feeling like it before or since, like when Debbie photographed me. So much so, that I now define a session with her as the ultimate form of love and self care for any woman. Even for women in the deepest and darkest of places (as I well know), this is an entire experience that changes you for the better. It added a beautiful perspective like I had never seen myself in before. After that experience, I didn’t have the constant negative self image issues haunting me that I had before; as a matter of fact, I am totally confident because this experience set me free from the limitations that were binding me in my mind before. We don’t have to be “perfect” to be beautiful. We just have to be ourselves, show up, get dolled up, and let Debbie pose you and show you just how gorgeous you really are through the lens of her camera. 

Fast forward 5 years, and I knew immediately what I wanted to do to celebrate my 40th milestone birthday - of course, it was a session with Debbie! And let me tell you, she and Telly delivered, as usual. When I arrived, we picked up where we left off like old friends, and made some beautiful images to freshen up my collection. I can honestly say that every outfit and backdrop was gorgeous and every picture was beautiful, just as they were when I had my first session 5 years ago; but it was a newer, fresher and more confident version of me. I’ve gained a few pounds since my first session, but I am so confident and sure of who I am now that it doesn’t phase me. I am healthy from the inside out now. Debbie helped give me that confidence, and I will never forget her for it. I will be a lifelong customer and friend of hers, and I look forward to many more sessions with her in the coming years.