March 8th is International Women's Day, and as a woman, business owner, humanitarian, photographer, daughter, sister, and aunt, I wanted to take a moment to honor all the women who I've had an opportunity to meet and learn from. Each of you women, whether I've met you from near or far, has had an impact on my life in some way. It might not have be a lesson I learned right away, or knew the reason our paths initially crossed, but I want you to know that it is important to me and I valued our time together. Whether a few fleeting moments on an international trip, or through a deep-seeded friendship, I honor you and only want to lift you up to your greatest potential.
It's far too common to turn on the news or read an article about women's issues in today's world. Domestic violence, sex crimes, lack of education and a bevy of issues plague women far deeper than our counterparts, and as I advocate for women's rights and equality, I also want to showcase our diversity, commonalities, and our beauty. I've been so fortunate to have a diverse number of women come in front of my camera and as I photographed and learned more about you, I honored you. Your little nuances and quirks that you might shy away from, I revered. The wrinkles you wanted me to remove in Photoshop, I yearned to know the story behind the experiences that brought those on.
And though I have far too many images that I could possibly share of the dynamic, charismatic, and resilient women I've met and photographed, I wanted to share a few with you here today on the blog. To all women, I celebrate you.