“I trusted Kayla to shine a light on the beauty I, at times, have trouble seeing through my own eyes.”
Amanda didn’t stumble across SmokeShow by accident. She was invited into our Facebook group by a friend and what she found there wasn’t just pretty pictures, it was inspiration. “I was inspired by the ladies in the group and the amazing shots captured that were shared,” she told us.
Still, inspiration doesn’t erase fear. Booking the session was a huge step, and Amanda was honest about what it felt like leading up to her shoot.
“I was super nervous,” she said. “I honestly wasn’t where I wanted to be with my body and truly not feeling good enough to go through with it.” And when we asked about her biggest fear before walking through our studio doors? She said, “Not feeling worthy and/or being judged or embarrassed.”
We hear that a lot. And every time, it breaks our hearts a little because the truth is, you have always been worthy. The world is filled with plenty of spaces that demand you shrink, stay quiet, or prove yourself. But here? You deserve the space to feel safe from judgment, free from comparison, and fully seen.
This studio was built for women to exhale. To stop performing. To just be! Whether that means messy, glowing, vulnerable, powerful. Any of it. All of it. You don’t have to earn the right to feel beautiful. You already have it.
“Kayla took a majority of my anxiety and negative feelings away…”
That’s what Amanda said about her session day. And that is why this work matters.
“What surprised me most was how comfortable (and beautiful) someone who barely knew me at the time made me feel,” she shared. “Kayla took a majority of my anxiety and negative feelings away and captured the best parts of me.”
While she walked into the session feeling unsure, once we started shooting, she was able to settle some of those self-doubts and she looked like a natural in front of the camera! “I felt worthy and more confident than I’ve felt in a long time,” she told us. “I trusted Kayla to shine a light on the beauty I, at times, have trouble seeing through my own eyes.”
And the part that stood out the most?
“The authenticity, humor, support, and connection with Kayla are the things that stood out to me the most.”
That connection matters. This isn’t about posing and smiling. It’s about being seen and feeling supported even in vulnerability.
“Exhausted, but joyful” (A very real post-session mood, by the way.)
That’s how Amanda described how she felt walking out of the studio that day. And honestly? It’s the perfect combo. Most of of our clients come in carrying nerves and stories and pressure… but you leave lighter. Braver. Seen.
Then came the Reveal.
“I was blown away,” she said. “I almost couldn’t believe that was me.”
She gifted the photos to her husband for his birthday but what moved her most wasn’t his reaction. “His response didn’t fill me the way I felt about myself through the photo shoot and seeing the results myself,” she said. “If I did it again, it would be for me.”
That last sentence? That’s everything.
Let’s repeat that:
If I did it again, it would be for me.
THIS is the mindset we live for!
“I look back at the pictures and want to be that woman again.”
Since her session, Amanda’s journey hasn’t been linear and she was beautifully transparent about that. “I have actually been struggling with my body even more since my session,” she said. “I wish I could go back to how I looked and was feeling that day.”
When she reflects on her images now, while there’s a mix of pride and longing, she still says,
“I can’t believe that’s me.”
And here’s what we want her, and every woman reading this,to know: that woman in the photos? She wasn’t a one-day version. That woman radiating confidence, softness, and strength is still there.
She may feel distant some days, but she never disappeared. She’s just waiting to be welcomed back into the spotlight.
Even when our feelings shift or the way we see ourselves changes over time, these memories matter. They’re reminders of who we were, what we overcame, and the moments when we felt most connected to ourselves.
As Amanda so beautifully put it, “I’m so glad I have these memories and that they were captured in a way that resonates with me.”
Because the truth is, confidence isn’t always constant but moments like this become anchors we can return to when we need to remember our own power. Just because change has come, as it always does, that doesn’t mean what we had is gone. It’s still there. It always was. You are still THAT woman…and I would be bold enough to guess an even more beautiful and wiser version of her as well.
“Do it. Don’t wait.”
Those are Amanda’s words to any woman standing where she once stood.
“Don’t wait until you meet a weight loss goal or an occasion to gift to someone else,” she said.
“Do it for YOU. You won’t regret it.”
And she’s right.
Because the moment Amanda stepped into the studio, she didn’t suddenly become worthy. She simply allowed herself to see it. And we had the honor of showing her what was there all along: an absolute queen with the kind of presence that leaves a lasting impact.
Amanda, you didn’t need to change a thing to be worth photographing. You walked in worthy.
And every single image we took was proof of the beautiful and strong woman you are, inside and out.
Whether it’s your first time or you’re finding your way back…
You don’t have to feel perfect to be worth photographing. You never did.
You just have to show up exactly as you are, and we’ll take care of the rest- with honesty, intention, and a lens that is free of the pressure of judgement.
If you’ve been here before and need a refresh of the boost from your first session… we’re ready when you are!
