Beautiful young women

I don’t think I would ever voluntarily go back and relive my teenage years. To say I didn’t enjoy them very much is a bit of an understatement. I struggled with confidence and feeling comfortable with who I was. Part of that was down to bullying - I am a red head after all. Although as an adult people claim to love my hair, as a child/teenager I remember wishing it was any other colour.

I think because I struggled with my teens, I was excited to be able to take photographs of these young women. I hope that through photographing them, they will be able to grow in confidence, recognise just how special they are as individuals, and how much happiness they bring to others.

I knew a few of them when they were younger and they have grown into beautiful young women. It was a pleasure to meet the others. I loved chatting with them and getting to know their interests. To hear about literature and movies, receive recommendations of things I should watch, and hear their enthusiasm for what they enjoy. These young women are smart, fun, caring, kind, positive, inclusive, and they are beautiful. They made my job as their photographer simple.

I hope that as they look through these photographs they are able to see the beautiful women that they are.

I got to spend one evening with them and I’m kind of jealous of my friend who gets to be their youth leader and spend time with them every week. They are going to influence the world for good as they continue to grow into the amazing women they are becoming.