Shannon Hemauer Photography

I have always body image issues. I could never see what I actually looked like and could only pick out the negative issues. At that time, I had no reason to be so insecure and critical; I was in amazing shape. Then I became diabetic, and my body changed drastically. I went from having a perfect body (not realizing it then) and being extremely skinny, to gaining a significant amount of weight within a short period of time. On top of the drastic weight changes, I had to wear plastic ports and sensors stuck on my body. I would look into the mirror and not recognize myself.

Ursula has been married for almost 24 years, has three sons, and three dogs. Her husband had gotten her a faux-fur vest that she loved, so she wanted to incorporate it into her session—take a look and let me know if you think we did a good job.

Courtney enjoys roll playing with her husband, so for her session, she wanted to bring some of that playfulness into her outfits—she brought a blindfold that also doubled as handcuffs.

“I’ve been to hell and back over the last 20 years: I’ve dealt with addiction, a miserable marriage, and one hell of a nasty six-year-long divorce. I have come out of it clean, sober, 70 lbs lighter, found the love of my life, went back to school, and decided to go back to school AGAIN to further my career. I finally got to do something REALLY nice for myself. At 48, I figured I better document it now! I feel like I’ve come full circle over the last four years, and Shannon and her team helped me see the true beauty of me, and I am forever grateful!!”

“We had no apprehension before our couple’s session with Shannon. Athena [stylist] turned me into an Old Hollywood glamour doll just like I wanted. The process with Shannon was easy from start to finish. Follow her process and instructions, and you will have a fabulous experience! We couldn’t be happier with the result of our experience, memories, and final images. GO FOR IT! We had the best time! Thanks so much Shannon and team!” -Beryl