VLM Studios – LIFE. INSPIRED.® MIAMI PHOTOGRAPHER, MIAMI PHOTOGRAPHY, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY, FAMILY CHILDREN PHOTOGRAPHY, BABY, PREGNANCY, KIDS, COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

This beautiful young woman proudly graduated from the University of Miami the day after our photo shoot. It was extremely windy yet we had no choice than to proceed because she was moving back home to Texas the next day. You can’t even tell right? Mom and Dad were in town for the special occasion so we got some shots with them at the beach and then went to the UM campus to wrap up the shoot. Here are some highlights. Enjoy!  ♥ Vanessa

Back in October VLM Studios was celebrating its 10th year anniversary and, as part of the month-long celebration, we gave away three studio sessions on our Facebook page. Evidently, if you’re not a fan yet, you’re missing out! Click here to “Like” our page.

Tina is one of the free-session recipients. We spoke a couple of times about clothing and how nervous she was about being photographed. I assured her it would be fun and that I would capture her beauty. She scoffed at the mention of her beauty even while I was photographing her. It took some warming up, loud music and lots of laughter to get the real Tina to come out…but she eventually did and that’s when I said…”THERE’s Tina”!!! I knew YOU were in there still Tina, don’t forget YOU. You’re gorgeous inside and out! Enjoy!  ♥ Vanessa

It was 1985 when I first met Sandra. We were in Junior High School together (or middle school as it is called now). Having just arrived from Panama, I barely spoke English but that was no deterrent for Sandra who was, and still is, the type that helps those in need and is open to new friends and experiences. We became friends almost instantly. Ten years ago (almost to the day), I quit my corporate job and embarked on the quest of getting back in touch with the artist inside me, which had laid dormant for many years. Sandra and I took up the task of reconnecting with our ‘inner artists’ by going through the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. At the time, I was only looking to reignite that spark, that passion, that had always been inside me, never imagining that I’d become a full-time artist. She was there when I took my first steps back to a life of beauty and art, clicking the shutter hesitantly in Miami Beach. I am now thrilled beyond words to be documenting her life ten years later as she embarks on another wonderful stage of life…the forties ;) …and motherhood. Can’t wait to photograph her and her sweet hubby…and of course baby when he arrives. In the meantime… Enjoy! ♥ Vanessa

Many of you have been thinking about it for a long time…it’s time to differentiate yourself and step out from the crowd. The right image will do just that and much more. Bert is a realtor that knows the importance of the winning headshot, as you can see. We did two looks, a studio semi-formal and a location semi-casual look, both confident and inviting. He will certainly be making an impact with these. Enjoy! Vanessa

It was an absolute honor documenting this moment in time for this Mom and her two gorgeous, smart and confident daughters. I had photographed the girls over five years ago, including a Bat Mitzvah and graduation! Now one has already graduated college and moved to New York, the other is also away at college, and it’s rare when all three are together like this. So Marjorie decided to do a photo session with her girls because it could be that the next professional photo session would be a wedding, and then it’s just crazy. I love how casual and relaxed they are, no hoopla about hair or make-up, just them. That second shot in BW is my favorite followed closely by the laughing-with-eyes-closed which is adorable. Enjoy! ♥ Vanessa

This graceful, elegant lady is Nancy, a proud mom of three and absolutely beautiful in every way. You’ve seen her a few times on the blog as well as her three perfectly rambunctious boys. This time around we focused just on her… her beauty, her radiance, and her spirit. It took a little warming up, but the results were undeniably Nancy. Isn’t she gorgeous! ♥ Vanessa

This fabulous woman is Yamileth. She came in with her husband to capture and celebrate her strength, beauty and their love. Here are a few shots from her session. Are those not the best cheekbones and dimple you’ve ever seen? Just beautiful. Enjoy! ♥ Vanessa

This exotic beautiful woman came into the studio for her Fabulous Female session to celebrate and reconnect with that light within. You’ve seen Laura a few times on the blog or on the website, this time around without the kids and she glowed as much as ever, don’t you think? If you’re interested in doing one of these sessions for yourself, check out the Facebook Page, become a fan and contact the studio. Enjoy! ♥ Vanessa

Not too many words needed for this fabulous woman. Her studio shoot was part of a Facebook Fan special for all the fabulous ladies, Moms, wives that needed to remember their beauty and reconnect with the light within. I’ve extended it for 2 more weeks if you’re interested, so check out the Facebook Page. Leave some blog love (comments) for this gorgeous lady. Thanks! ♥ Vanessa

One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten has been from a client’s mother who asked her “does Vanessa only photograph beautiful people?” I laughed, first, because it’s funny, but then because I didn’t have an answer. How do you answer that? I had no idea. If I say no, well I’m calling my clients ugly and if I say yes then those who believe themselves to be not so beautiful won’t feel worthy of being photographed. Today, I can freely answer that question because I now fully understand what I do and why I do it.

Photography has been connected to a part of my soul that has always seen more than I could be cognizant of in my day-to-day life. It was as if I entered another part of me whenever I photographed people. I could filter through to the smallest gestures, the truest expressions, the subtlest of emotions, without knowing how, just seeing something that lit up, a spark of life beyond words, a glimmer of light, an undefinable beauty.

I had never known what drove me, what gave me the patience to wait for those sparks to show up, what it was that I was seeing. Now, I know, it is light. It is the light inside. That light that turns on when we are born and turns off when we die. For a very long time, I realize, I could not see that light in me, but I could see it in my clients, especially when photographing children. That untarnished light was visible in everything they did, and I wanted to capture it, I wanted to remember it, to connect to it.

That light is in us all, it is what makes us all beautiful in our own unique way, it is what I look for when I shoot, it is what I see when you hear me say from behind the camera “there it is.” We all have it. Yes, every one of us. But, because of our own issues and the continuous diet of photographic lies we consume with every magazine cover we see depicting ‘beauty’ as perfection and flawlessness, we believe the superficial description of beauty. We believe that the lines on our faces, the dimples on our cheeks, and the marks on our bodies are ugly, uncommon, and unacceptable. We feel less worthy of compliments, less accepting of ourselves and in turn less accepting of others. And that light slowly begins to dim, every day, to the detriment of our well being and to those that love us.

Too many times I hear my clients shying away from being in a photo because of weight, self-image, insecurity, or all of the above. The irony is that they understand the value of a photograph, the impact of it, they get it, they hired me to photograph their family, they know it’s important, they value the fleeting stages of life and want to capture them; but yet, they degrade their own fleeting time with simplistic descriptions of themselves that say nothing about who they are and everything about how they feel.

For some time now I’ve been speaking to different women clients/friends about the importance of having a professional photo taken of themselves, just them, as women; not as Moms or caregivers or part of a family, but them as individuals. It is as important for them, for everyone, to see themselves as being important, worthy of it, to see that beauty, to see that light sparkle, to remember who they are and that they are here to shine.

So, this year, for my 38th birthday, I decided I would begin a new tradition for myself, and put my money where my mouth is so to speak. Starting now, I will do a self-portrait on my birthday every year until, well, the end, no matter what. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially for photographers (who notoriously hide behind the camera and are probably the least photographed bunch in the world). However, because I’ve been in search of that light inside me for some time and finally feel like it’s beginning to shine again, I wanted to document it, even if it was hard to do.

Now, I know this is a good year for me to start this, as those of you who knew me prior to 2008 are probably thinking. But, I also know that I’m no model, and I’m no Benjamin Button, and I’m not getting any younger, and the lines will get deeper, and the hands will get more wrinkled, and gravity will take it’s toll. So it’s even more important to me to remember how I feel, to see the light sparkle, to document what I looked like and how I felt at 38 (I know my 88 year old self will thank me one day).

To answer the most pressing question on your minds, yes, I’ve done very minor retouching on these, the same I do for my clients, but I don’t believe in ironing the skin beyond recognition; so, you can still see my frown line, my imperfect skin, my veiny arms and hands, the marks on my skin, the scar on my forehead etc. I will post some before & after shots on the Facebook page for the curious few.

Ladies, women, Moms…I urge you to open up and give this gift to yourselves. I promise you, you will not regret it. You are beautiful. I can see it. As a photographer, that is always my goal. To reveal beauty beyond what you see with your eyes, to go to that place that reveals the beauty that is in us all, to reveal the beauty that is not just seen but the one that is felt.

I will post a special promotion for our Facebook fans that want to see the beauty in themselves.

Keep shining.
♥ Vanessa