i have two daughters. i worried about all of their insecurities when they began to worry…about everything, clothes, hair, skin, shoes, boots, brains & on and on… i tried to help, but to a 12 or 13 year old girl, they thought i was “just saying that i’m beautiful because you’re my mom.”
with my first daughter, i persuaded her to play dress up with me. I did her hair, she found something to wear that she felt beautiful in.
and i photographed her. and it changed her. to be able to see herself through my eyes. she stopped complaining about how she looked as often. she became more confident & moved on to worry about a thousand other things. i did this with my second daughter as well…and her reaction was the same as her older sisters had been.
this beautiful girl (above) is going to have her Bat Mitzvah soon. there will be an announcement of the upcoming event in our Temple’s bulletin-with a photograph. this is one of my favorite things to do, taking photos of girls at this crazy age…13 year olds are an in-between age. part child & part woman…
this beauty is a chameleon–she can look 13 or 20. my favorite photos, i don’t often post, are when i catch them laughing or just plain silly. although, maybe i should because…
they just light up!
2me4art 
Congratulations to your daughter on her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. She is gorgeous and I love your photos of her!
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Thank you so very much! I would gladly claim her as my own, but this beauty belongs to a friend of mine. I wanted to share the story of my daughters transformation after they saw what they looked like at their best & how it enabled them to move forward without being so insecure. I’ve taken many photos of 12 & 13 year old girls for their Bat Mitzvah & its my most favorite thing to do. Because…i know i can help them to see themselves in a different way…i went to cosmetology school while i pregnant with my first daughter (i was really good at it, but i hated doing it for a living-i worry too much) anyway, i fix their hair to compliment their faces, as i was taught in school. I’m rabbling. apologies! ~amy
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Oops! Sorry! I didn’t realize she wasn’t your daughter; silly me. Your photos are beautiful!
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NO Big deal at all! She is beautiful & sweet…and i’m being hired to shoot again, this time outside so that i can get full body shots. Lucky me! Thank you so much! ~amy
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I’m enthralled with your love of the girls. So sweet because girls this age never think they Re good enough. Bravo.
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and we never really get over that feeling. At least turning 40 has helped me get over the insecurity of how i look! Thank you Gretchen for understanding what i was trying to say! ~amy
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In my 70’s most of my looking outside of myself for approval has thankfully dissappeared. There is so much weight to carry around when we look for another’s acceptance. The monkey on the back thing. Just a slight shift is needed to be free and until then being free seems so far away. This is my experience.
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This is what has happened to me, now that i am almost divorced, actually it started as soon as he moved out. Glorious freedom from fear, freedom from being supervised, freedom to fetch my own mail, to cook what i like. I am empowered once again. Although today, my stomach virus rules the day. Thank you for your wonderful comment. ~amy
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I am so glad you are thriving and learning about yourself. It is good for you children to see you in your own power. I did the same when I was 34 and I have never regretted my action.
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Great images! Capture serious and goofy and beauty.
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Thank you so much. We had a great time. She is really a super cute, sweet & funny girl. I can’t wait to go to her Bat Mitzvah! ~amy
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