Putting you in the picture
I was born in Baghdad on a cold Decembers morning in 1972. I was last of 3 children, my parents already had 2 sons so my mother was really hoping for a girl. There were no sophisticated scans then that could determine the sex so she prayed throughout her entire pregnancy every day for a girl (not sure why, not much God can do after day one post conception quite frankly), but none-the-less she persevered and out I popped. She didn’t know then that it would take her 9 years before I agreed to wear a dress and actually ‘behave’ like a girl. Being the youngest, I just wanted to be like my two older brothers – I completely idolized them (still do). I would insist that she buys me the same clothes, I would go out and play football with all the local boys outside the front of my house. Then puberty hit!
My oldest brother bought me a camera for my 15th Birthday. He got a bit fed up with me ‘borrowing’ his constantly, but little did he know it would spark something so fierce inside that photography would become my life! The first pictures I took were of all my close friends at school. Most were initially quite camera shy but once they saw the results, they wanted to have their picture taken too. I loved directing real people from day one! I loved how the slightest movement or expression on their face communicated so much. Being someone who has always felt at ease with the opposite sex, it was no wonder I chose to go into a profession that was (at the time) very male dominant. In the 3 years I assisted in those early years, I probably worked with over thirty photographers and only one was a woman. I was very determined to succeed even though sometimes I knew I’d been pushed aside for a man (most photographers hired an assistant for their brute force). I joined a gym and became a girl who’d gone strong.
I have since in my career photographed celebrities, models and other front-facing personalities – which has been fun – but nothing beats working with the person who dreads having their photo taken. That might sound a bit strange but for me, directing real people is a challenge and one I relish. I believe everyone can look incredible and any message can be communicated through one’s expression, posture and most importantly, the lighting condition they are shot under. Ultimately I love to put you in the picture and make you feel like a million dollars. Everyone should have a positive experience when they are having a professional portrait taken and for me, word of mouth is the success to my story so I want you to shout out from the rooftops about how easy and relaxed your studio experience was and share that portrait with pride across all your communication.
That’s my story, now let me capture yours.
We provide professional headshot sessions to doctors, lawyers, politicians, bankers, entertainers, trainers, speakers, teachers, nurses and everyone else in between.