Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is here, and if your stomach just did that little drop when you read that, same. If you’re a survivor like me, or you love someone who is (you probably do), this month can feel like a weird mix of “thank you for noticing” and “yikes we have a long way to go.” Also: if you’re plus size and/or queer, you already know the world loves to treat our bodies like public property. Hard pass. Your body is not a debate, not a lesson plan, and not something you “owe” anyone access to - ever.

I’m a portrait photographer (family portraits + outdoor boudoir), which means I spend a lot of time with people who are learning how to be seen again, on their own terms. Consent in all its forms is not just a buzzword. Consent is the baseline. It can mean asking before touch, before direction, before sharing, before any images are shared anywhere. Consent honors that people can change their mind at any time. It’s also remembering that trauma can show up as dissociation, freezing, people-pleasing, laughing at the wrong moment, or going quiet. Bodies can be complicated and coping is a whole damn skillset. Our bodies and brains are incredible at surviving.

If you’ve been assaulted, you don’t need to heal on a timeline or turn your pain into a motivational TED Talk to be worthy of love and respect. You get to have boundaries that make other people mildly inconvenienced. You get to change your mind. You get to ask for breaks, for layers, for distance, for a friend to come with you, for a different pose, for for no direction at all. If you book with me, you can expect clear communication, check-ins, and a whole lot of “we can stop whenever you want.” I’m not here to push you past your limits - I’m here to help you feel powerful inside them. Photos should be fun!

And if you’re someone who cares about survivors: please don’t be weird about it. Ask what support looks like and then actually follow through. Learn that consent like it’s a language you use daily in every small moment, not just sexually. Donate if you can, advocate when it’s safe, and call out harmful culture even when it shows up as “just a joke.”

You deserve images - and relationships - that feel safe(r).