“My appearance and presence has been a struggle for me my entire life.” Stacey’s first-hand photoshoot experience.
Stacey King shares her personal experience in this generous, beautiful message.
I am eternally grateful for this beautiful wāhine, that she chose me to photograph her, and for her incredible words - what you are about to read is so very her. So humble, so beautiful.
Now please excuse me while I grab another tissue…
x
“On the morning of the day I turned 40 I can honestly say I was not prepared for what a session with Tabitha would do for me.”
When I first got in contact with Tabitha to have a photoshoot it was predominantly to get some new headshots as it had been some time since I’d had a professional photo taken. I also wanted a glamour photo to celebrate the last year of being in my 30’s. I had done my research and I had seen enough of Tabitha’s absolutely stunning work to know that she was going to be the best person to work with to capture the essence of becoming a woman in my 40’s, with the intention of fully celebrating this milestone.
As it transpired, the appointment ended up being on the day of my 40th birthday.
Initially I wasn’t sure if this was something I should do on my birthday….surely a breakfast of chocolate cake and bubbles would be the better option…..but the more I thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.
After a gorgeous happy birthday wake up from my breathtakingly beautiful son, I jumped the in car with a suitcase full of the boldest array of clothes I managed to find in depths of my wardrobe, and I arrived with a puku bursting with butterflies and a sense that I was in the exact place I was supposed to be on that morning.
I was greeted with two beautiful warm and welcoming smiles; Tabitha and Alana MUHA. I was gently swept through a gorgeous studio, drenched in stunning sea views and sunshine, to a make-up and wardrobe room where I was bathed in bubbles and chocolates. I was treated to a high-end hair and make-up artistry session with Alana, while Tabitha chaperoned me through the different styles of her creations, with the intention of fully understanding what my heart was seeking during the session.
At a crossroads in my life, it soon became clear that I sought, with ferocious determination, a projection of strength. A projection of wāhine toa.
I wanted boldness, I wanted fierceness. However, after delving a little deeper, and further presentation of some examples of Tabitha’s work, what Tabitha helped me to see was that there's also beauty in not laying all foundations in strength, but incorporating all of me. Including my vulnerability. Once I realised I was obviously in the presence of a blessed visionary, I just knew I could simply trust her to capture all that she could see in me.
Now that we had our plan, and the incredibly talented Alana had worked some kind of hair and make-up magic I didn’t even know was possible, we then breezed back into the studio with me looking and feeling like an absolute QUEEN. Gone were the fluttering butterflies and all that remained was absolute confidence in Tabitha. She did not disappoint.
Tabitha guided me through every photo and every action.
My appearance and presence has been a struggle for me my entire life, and so posing for photos is not something that comes easily to me…
…other than the odd mum/son selfie I’m much more comfortable behind the camera. Tabitha was incredibly gentle and wonderfully specific. She managed to capture images I dismissed as being impossible for me to achieve during our initial discussion and exploration of what my heart desired.
I got glimpses of her wonderful art throughout the session, but as surreal as it all seems, that wasn’t even necessary as I couldn’t even comprehend the beauty in the images she was capturing.
I was floating on a cloud of trust, warmth, compassion and enthusiasm, not to mention, the well-timed blasts of glamour “air” to add life to my deliciously Alana’d locks.
I truly felt like I was beautifully elegant enough to be on the cover of a magazine.
My session with Tabitha was a celebration of me. It was a celebration of being a woman, of embracing and accepting all the things we cannot change, and shouldn’t have to change. Tabitha has a magic within her that enables her to capture more than the physicality of her clients. She’s able to extract a true sense of self and the images you then nurture are a reminder of that moment. How you felt. A reminder of how special you are, how special each and every one of us is.
I have since implored every woman in my life to have a photo session with Tabitha.
It is graceful, it is thrilling, it is empowering.
It truly was one of the best experiences of my life.
Stacey xx
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