A Portrait of Love
Mauri’s Signature Portrait Experience
Sometimes the most meaningful portraits are not the ones we plan.
They are the ones we almost don’t do.
When Mauri first considered having her portraits taken, she admits she felt a little intimidated.
“At my age,” she said, smiling, “I never dreamed I would do something like that.”
The idea felt unfamiliar. Maybe even slightly outside her comfort zone.
But sometimes the most beautiful things happen just beyond that line..
The First Portrait Session
Mauri and her husband, Brian, first came to the studio together in November.
Their portrait session was meant to celebrate their relationship — a moment in their lives together.
What neither of them expected was what would happen next.
After seeing the portraits from that first session, Brian had an idea.
He wanted Mauri to have a portrait experience of her own.
Not just as part of the couple.
But as herself.
So a few months later, in February, Mauri returned for a second session — one dedicated entirely to her.
Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone
When Mauri thinks back on that experience now, she laughs a little.
“You took me completely out of my comfort zone,” she said.
She never imagined she would be posing for portraits in the way she did that day.
But something interesting happened during the session.
What began as something unfamiliar slowly became natural.
Relaxed.
Even joyful.
By the end of the experience, she found herself surprised — not by the portraits themselves, but by how she felt in them.
“I’m so proud of myself,” she said.
Some of the portraits even felt bold to her.
“Some of them are pretty sexy,” she admitted with a smile.
And that realization brought something unexpected: confidence.
“You took me completely out of my comfort zone.”
A Reflection of Love
But for Mauri, the portraits are not just about confidence.
They are about love.
When she talks about thephotos now on display in her home, she often speaks about her husband.
“My eyes twinkle,” she said, “because I love that man more than anything in the world.”
That love, she believes, is what makes the portraits meaningful.
In fact, she reflected that if Brian hadn’t always made her feel beautiful, the portraits may never have felt the same.
“If he didn’t already make me feel beautiful,” she explained, “I don’t think that would have come out in the portraits.”
The photos are not just portraits of her.
They are reflections of the life they share.
Seeing the Portraits at Home
The portraits were installed in Mauri and Brian’s home — a moment that brought its own wave of emotion.
When she first saw them on the wall, Mauri paused.
“I’m a little overwhelmed,” she said softly.
“But delighted.”
Seeing the portraits in that space made the experience feel real in a new way.
Not just something that happened in the studio.
But something that now lives inside the rhythm of their daily life.
A Gift to the Future
For Mauri, these portraits are more than a memory.
They are something she hopes will outlive her.
She imagines her grandchildren one day walking past the portraits and stopping.
Looking.
And saying something simple.
“Look how beautiful she is.”
She smiles when she says it — not out of vanity, but out of hope.
Because what she truly wants them to see is not just how she looked.
She wants them to see what the portraits represent.
Health.
Happiness.
Love.
“I want to portray wellness and love in those portraits,” she said.
Something that reminds the people she loves what life felt like in this moment.
The Surprise
One of the most meaningful parts of the experience, Mauri says, was seeing Brian’s reaction.
She had expected him to like the portraits.
But she hadn’t expected the level of emotion he felt when he saw them.
“I was surprised at how excited he was about certain photos,” she said.
For Mauri, that reaction made the experience even more meaningful.
Because the portraits became not only something she did for herself.
They became a gift for him.
More Than a Portrait
When Mauri reflects on the experience now, she doesn’t describe it as a photoshoot.
Instead, she talks about what it represents.
A moment of courage.
A moment of pride.
A moment of love.
Something that captures not just how she looked — but how she felt.
And that is what makes a portrait last.
If you have ever wondered what it might feel like to see yourself through a new lens…
to celebrate the love and life you have built…
The first step is simply a conversation.
When the time feels right.
💛
