This Chicago photographer self love project started with an alley in North Carolina and a decision to stop making excuses. I spend so much of my time documenting other people’s most tender moments and this was my reminder to document my own.
The journey to strong self-love is hard. It reminds me of that one terrible Chicago street you know the one, riddled with potholes, the kind you navigate like MacGyver just to make it through. Self-love is like that. You brace yourself, you maneuver carefully, and sometimes you hit a rough patch anyway.
Why This Chicago Photographer Turned the Camera on Herself
Self-love gets sold to us constantly. Buy this, follow that routine, and you’ll have it. But nobody says out loud that you can’t fake it. It shows up in every action, every word you use about yourself. I hope it shows up in these images.
Turning the camera on myself keeps me honest. It reminds me what it feels like to be in front of the lens — the vulnerability, the in-between moments, the ones that end up being the most real. It makes me a better Chicago family photographer for my clients too.
Nearing 30, I found myself caring less and less about what others think. And somehow, a random alley in North Carolina became the place I put that on film. Imperfect, a little raw, completely mine.
Chicago Photographer Self Love — A Practice, Not a Destination
I don’t have it all figured out. But as a Chicago photographer self love is something I come back to again and again in my work, in my personal projects, and in the way I show up for myself and my clients. This alley in North Carolina was just one reminder of that. There will be more.Self portraiture has a long tradition in art — explore the history at The Guardian’s photography section.
