Every once in a while you are asked to volunteer for something that becomes more meaningful than you had thought it would be. Sometimes, when you give, you get back more than you expected. I was asked to photograph the Dress for Success annual event – a fundraiser. And it grew into so much more.
“Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life” is the mission statement, but they do oh- so -much more. Four clients were asked to be the face of the upcoming fundraiser, Be the Star of Your Story – Cocktails for a Cause, so we arranged a makeover and photo shoot to show them as the stars of their stories.
Denise Taylor, owner of Diverse Style Salon offered her salon and staff to do the hair for all of the women. Jamie Catelli, owner of Cosmetics by Catelli, applied the makeup. The combined talent and artistry made the women photo ready and confident for the shoot. At the last minute, I had grabbed a couple of gowns from my dress collection and we ended up using all of them, turning the photo shoot into a glamour shoot.
Sara, my first model, had very limited time, leaving me less than ten minutes to shoot. Jamie, the makeup artist was literally applying makeup on set. Sara was like a pro, twirling in front of the camera. We got her out on time and sent her off to her first day of work with makeup and an updo!
Josette told me that she didn’t take good pictures so I assured her that I did; she didn’t need to worry. She looks stunning in all of her photos.
Ty had so much excitement and energy that she needed little direction. She was a natural.
I didn’t have the right dress for Crystal, we did a little shopping. Crystal loved the dress we found for her which just happened to be her favorite color.
We choose images for each woman, and made them into movie posters. The story of each woman is truly empowering and inspirational. Please support Dress for Success by attending the annual fundraiser on October 25 at the Cobblestone Creek Country Club.
In the words of Dress For Success’s director, “There is real power in women helping women”.
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