A Spark on the Subway
It all started with a spark.
One subway ride, one chance conversation, and suddenly I was connecting with this gorgeous woman with a magnetic presence. As it turns out, she’s a real estate professional here in New York City. And next thing you know……we’re planning a shoot.
During her session, she mentioned that she’d been thinking about doing black-and-white portraits for her real estate headshots - and how excited she was when she saw that I featured images just like that in my portfolio.
Most real estate professionals seem to go with color portraits. It’s the default, the safe option, the thing everyone’s doing. But I love that she’s choosing to go a different route. Black-and-white has a serious strength to it…a timelessness. It creates focus and mood. It stands out.
And standing out is so important.
Personal branding isn’t about blending in. It’s about showing up fully, letting your vibe, your personality, your aesthetic, and your energy shine through. That’s what people connect with. And if your headshot looks just like everyone else’s, there’s nothing for people to grab onto - nothing that makes them pause or remember. Even a simple choice, like going black-and-white when everyone else is doing color, can be the thing that sets you apart. It’s a quiet kind of boldness. And I think that’s exactly what we captured together.
She arrived makeup-ready, and we spent about an hour in the studio, creating portraits that feel powerful, feminine, and entirely her. I guided her through every step (of course!), and it was such a joy to watch her come to life in front of the camera. The transformation wasn’t into someone else - it was more like an emergence of everything she already is. She just let it all shine.
The portraits we created together are truly stunning. There’s a strength and softness in them that feels effortless but also intentional. They radiate confidence, warmth, style…..and versatility. These are the kind of images that could easily live in a professional portfolio, grace a company website, or even be used as author portraits on a book jacket one day. We created something that reflects who she is now, and also the future she’s stepping into.
And here’s a look at how some of these images appear framed, because I genuinely believe every woman deserves to see herself like this, up on the wall. Not tucked away. Not hidden.
Society has often made a lot of women feel like celebrating themselves visually was somehow self-absorbed or embarrassing. But I think the opposite is true. We need altars. Shrines. Corners of our homes that remind us of who we really are - our strength, our beauty, our power. Images like these can be anchors. They can lift you, ground you, remind you.
Life pulls us in a hundred directions…..but when you see her - that version of yourself - in a frame as you pass by every day? You remember. You bring her with you.
— Stacie
