The First Time You Changed Me

Have you ever looked back and been able to pinpoint the exact moment your heart cracked open just a little wider, letting in someone who would quietly, beautifully, alter the course of your life?

For me, that moment came in the form of a redheaded, freckle-faced 9-year-old named Lola.

Ten years ago, I got an idea in my head, followed by all the predictable doubts. I applied for the Beauty Revived campaign “50 Most Beautiful Children” and wasn’t chosen. Still, something inside whispered louder than my fear. I couldn’t get Lola off my heart. So instead of walking away, I said yes. And the ripples of that yes became a tidal wave.

One letter to a little girl opened the door to a tradition. One I never could’ve imagined would last a decade. One photograph turned into hundreds. One connection turned into the most sacred kind of chosen family.

A Decade of Magic – and Meaning

Lola is 19 now.

Nineteen.

She’s not the giggling girl with bouncing curls who first ran into my arms with unfiltered joy. And yet, she still is. She still has the crinkle in her nose when she laughs. She still giggles – that same laugh – and it still makes my breath catch. But now? She creates murals that spill color across the sides of small-town businesses. Murals with intention and dreams you can see even from the sidewalk.

She draws, she paints, she fights for the underdog. This is a girl with grit wrapped in grace. With empathy that spills over and floods every heart it passes.

And that same sacred dance we started all those years ago – photographer and muse, connection and quiet strength – we’ve never stopped dancing.

The gift of watching Lola grow up in front of my lens is something I simply don’t have words big enough to hold.

But I’ll try.

What Ten Years Has Taught Me: Lessons From the Lens

1. Never Underestimate One “Yes”

I didn’t get selected for that first campaign. But saying yes anyway… ignited something wild and honest and beautiful. From the very beginning, this wasn’t about me or my portfolio. It was about giving a little girl a day to feel fiercely and unapologetically seen.

Lola taught me that the tiniest yes can shift everything.

2. The Lens Gives – and Demands – Trust

Lola doesn’t let just anyone in. She holds her cards tucked close, wise beyond her years from all life has handed her. But in front of my camera, she doesn’t hide. Somehow, in that space, she offers me her soft underbelly. No wall. Just trust.

And let me tell you – that kind of trust is holy ground.

This is where the most breathtaking portraits come from. Not the lighting or the lens or the backdrop. But from being fully seen and still saying, “Yes, go ahead. Capture me.”

3. Time Is a Photographer’s Superpower

Each year, I scroll through Lola’s images – one photo from each shoot. One clicking heartbeat after another. And here’s what I see:

• At 9: a giggling wildflower.
• At 12: eyes like oceans, swirling with grief and hope.
• At 15: strength that could split celestial bodies wide and still hold your hand when you cry.
• At 17: fierce femininity blooming in full color.
• And now, at 19: an artist. An advocate. A joy-lit wonder.

The story doesn’t unfold in a single session. It’s told over time. Over trust. Over honest images that let someone simply be.

4. The Work We Do Is Record-Keeping for the Soul

I don’t have children of my own. Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like to raise a daughter. But life, in all its strange generosity, gave me Lola.

She may not be my blood, but she’s inked on my heart.

And these photos – this decade-long record – it’s not about pretty poses. It’s about telling her: “You matter. You are remarkable. Look how brightly you’ve shone. Never, ever forget.”

Why This Story Matters

This isn’t a blog about lighting setups or photo tips. There’s no secret location list or curated wardrobe board here.

This is about knowing – really knowing – another human. About what it means to see and be seen. To hold space for someone else’s story over time, to reflect it back to them gently and say:

“You are wildly, deeply loved.”

That, to me, is what portrait photography is for.

Not likes. Not trends. Not competition.

But connection.

A Love Letter to Lola

Sweet girl,

Somehow, it has been ten years. Ten letters. Ten versions of you, unfolding like flowers in soft sun and sudden storms. Ten years of best things, and worst things, and whispered secrets and giggles and goodbyes that never get easier.

And through it all, you’ve let me in.

You’ve taught me what it looks like to grow through grief, to laugh in the face of it anyway. You’ve taught me that you can be both soft and strong, light and shadow, artist and warrior.

Even now, I still see that tiny seed of wonder you were at nine. But you’ve grown into a whole, breathtaking garden.

I don’t know what the next ten years will bring. But if I’m lucky enough to keep standing behind the lens while you walk boldly forward… then I know, without question, my heart got exactly what it wished for.

Keep painting. Keep loving the world fiercely and loudly. Keep laughing until your nose crinkles and your whole body vibrates with joy. And for the love of all that is glittery and good – don’t ever stop wishing.

Because I knew you, Lola… I have been changed for good.

With love always, Michaela

Then & now…..Behind the scenes of our very first shoot together — pure joy, cheeks that hurt from too much smiling, and the start of something sacred. A decade later — still smiling, still connected, and still capturing magic together.

P.S Remember when I said I wasn’t chosen for the Beauty Revived campaign? Well, it ended like THIS. Not only were we chosen as an alternate, but we appeared on the COVER of the magazine. I still get goosebumps when I think about it. What a beautiful legacy we’ve created, and I couldn’t be more proud or grateful.

*~*~*~*~*~*

If you believe in the power of connection, time, and photography to hold something sacred — I’d be honored to tell your story too. Let’s create something unforgettable, together.

Let’s connect, and we’ll figure it out together.