Empowering Photoshoot Session - Debra’s Birthday Photoshoot
makeup by Sara Garcia of SG Artistry!
Booking with LMCP is not just for High School Seniors! We offer Women's Empowerment Photoshoots too! It's all about celebrating your strength, beauty, and uniqueness. You’ll enjoy a day of professional hair and makeup, access to fun outfits and a full photoshoot designed to capture your essence. This experience is a celebration of representation, and self-expression, where you’ll see yourself in a whole new light. When you inquire about our Empowerment Photoshoot you will have the opportunity to have a discovery phone call with Lacey, a Fashion Consult in the LMC Style Closet where you can choose up to three (3) outfits, an option to book hair and makeup artists, and 2 hours of photoshoot time at a location and settings that you decide with Lacey. It’s collaborative, creative, and confidence building!
Gorgeous Debra celebrated turning 40 with a fabulous photoshoot. She’s a Health and Human Services policy maker, former NEUROSCIENCE researcher, mother, and all around incredible woman who found is on Reddit. Yes, we get leads for clients from everywhere we can. Thank you to all the Redditors that share our page and help their communities get the best, customizable, confidence building photo shoot experience in the Sacramento Region. When Debra filled out our Intake form from our website, we were filled with so much excitement and Lacey got to work to start curating and preparing for the possible other style looks for her Empowerment Photoshoot. Now this Empowerment photoshoot surrounded around Debra’s 40th birthday but it could be for ANY reason like a promotion, a new move, Divorce, motherhood, or just dang it - BECAUSE! At Lacey M. Carroll Photography our goal is always to provide an inclusive, fun, and confidence building photoshoot experience. I feel like we accomplished that for this incredible woman from what Debra has written down below. Scroll down to read Debra’s experience in her own words!
1. What made you choose Lacey M Carroll as your photographer for your Empowerment Photoshoot?
I was browsing Reddit one day, and there was a post asking for suggestions for a photographer in Sacramento, particularly one who is plus-size friendly. Doing a photoshoot had been in the back of my mind for a while, so I decided to look through the suggestions on the post—one of which being Lacey (with several people commenting in agreeance). Once I opened Lacey’s website, I was immediately drawn to the photos that were showcased. There were a lot of bold colors with sharp, clean contrasts (I might not be using the correct photography terms, but that’s the way my eye interpreted it). Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always wearing bright colorful clothing, and my home is decorated with lots of color. There was also an air of fun and playfulness in all of the photos. I felt an instant connection with the style of photography. The aspect that sealed the deal for me was that I didn’t have to scour the website or have an awkward conversation to know whether the photographer has experience shooting darker skin tones. On the home page there are examples of a wide range of skin tones and shades, and I found even more once I clicked through the website. I had confidence that Lacey would be able to capture my ‘best angles’ and my personality.
2. What did you envision your photoshoot would be like?
This can be split up into two parts—what I envisioned before the fashion consult and what I envisioned after. Before the consult, all in mind was one of my looks that I’d had ready for several months. I’d had this vision of wearing a ridiculously poufy, hot pink dress for my 40th birthday, which ended up being the look that the shoot initially centered on. Other than that, I didn’t know what other looks I’d want, I didn’t know what location I wanted, and I didn’t know how I wanted to be styled. After doing the fashion consult I had the additional looks which helped me decide how I wanted to be styled. The looks were full of color and we chose locations that complemented the colors. The only fear I had going into the shoot was that I wouldn’t know how to pose and would do a disservice to all the amazing styling. But Lacey and her team were so good at putting me at ease and providing excellent guidance. I’m not sure I envisioned that there’d be so much laughter during the photoshoot, but it was such a fun experience from start to finish.
3. Which look turned out to be your favorite?
I’m going to cheat and say that this is a tie. There are two specific shots that I just absolutely love every time I see them. One is where I’m wearing my ridiculously poufy, hot pink, 40th birthday dress and looking straight at the camera with a somewhat sultry look. I love the juxtaposition of the playful dress and the face that I’m serving. The second shot was with a dress that was a surprise unplanned look. I’m wearing an emerald green, satin, evening gown and gold boots surrounded by green and gold décor, and I’m looking delicately off camera. Every time I see the picture it gives off a graceful and regal feel that I love.
4. What was your favorite moment of the photoshoot?
My favorite moment(s) were when Lacey would look back at a photo she’d just taken and get excited over the photo and then show me what she’d captured. I felt like I had my own hype squad and from that I could feel my confidence growing throughout the photoshoot.
5. Was there anything you'd do differently if you got to do the photoshoot again?
The only thing I’d change wasn’t on the day of the photoshoot, but after I booked the photoshoot. Since I booked the photoshoot with only one look in mind, I stressed a little about trying to find another look that complemented the vibe of the ridiculously poufy, hot pink dress. I didn’t have anything in my wardrobe that was speaking to me and even using that as an excuse to go shopping fell flat on finding something. Little did I know that Lacey’s style closet would put all that worrying to rest. Any vibe I could have been looking for could be found in there. Overall, I really just needed to trust the process, because ‘shopping’ through the style closet beats looking through my own closet any day of the week.
6. Anything you'd like to be included in the blog post about you and your experience?
Thank you so much!
I didn’t want to keep answering “two things” to each answer, but another favorite, or more so memorable moment was when we were shooting in the studio, I believe I was wearing the yellow jumpsuit, and I was instructed to walk across the set to get an in-motion picture. I took that a little too literally and tripped over myself (but caught myself before I fully fell) in the most ungraceful way possible. After making sure I was okay, Lacey said something to the effect of “I captured it though!” I still laugh about that moment.
7. What are your interests/hobbies?
I love reading and even host a monthly book club that’s been going for 9 years strong. I used to go out salsa and Latin dancing a lot, and I’m just recently getting back into it. I love cooking and especially baking.
8. What is your role at work? Can we mention your position? We won't reveal any personal information!
I work for the State Government focusing on policies in health and human services and have been doing that in various roles for about 10 years. In my prior life, I was a neuroscience researcher.
