Self - Reflection

Oliver mentioned to me one of his biggest struggles is grasping that he looks masculine enough. Specifically struggling with looking "good" and being "man" enough. I want to use a mirror and really emphasize these feelings within his reflection. Dressing up is hard as a trans man and even simply getting ready and finding an outfit is triggering. A professional suit tends to be a common symbol for masculinity so I hope to show you that despite all the toxic masculinity and beauty standards that there are for men, it's okay for Oliver to be the man he was meant to be.

Trapped

Clare told me she wanted this to be very simple, focused on herself and her body. I wanted to be able to capture the hardships and the pain of her journey. She came out and started her transition a little later in life so she’s had a very different experience than most people when it comes to being trans. She was trapped for 55 years of her life. I want this part of the shoot to focus on that part of her life and the pain of hiding herself for so long. We used a sheet in a few shots with you in a fetal position to really capture this confinement she felt being stuck in a body that wasn't hers. I wanted this shoot to help her reflect on all that she’s overcome and even help others relate to this never ending feeling of being trapped.

Unmasked

I wanted to create something that would capture this feeling of disconnection Dreyton has felt his whole life. He’s known he was in the wrong body since he was 5 years old. He’s dealt with being deaf, having OCD, D.I.D., bullying at school and faced lots of abuse. I used multiple masks as a way to represent dissociative identity disorder and the existence of his alters that he’s carried with him since early childhood. He explained that he would sometimes “blackout” and completely dissociate from unsafe or uncomfortable situations so his other alters would react to the reality that he was going through. The suitcase symbolized these past experiences that he’s carried with him into his present life living as a trans man. I wanted to help him turn all the pain he’s experienced into an art form.

Traumatic Ties

Anya mentioned being a gymnast and it being their escape from their home life until experiencing a career ending injury that almost paralyzed them. I started by using rope as a way to symbolize this feeling they seemed to have of being trapped after that. They confided to me that their dad abused them not only mentally, but physically too. Ropes can very often represent bonds that tie families together. With their experience, I want the rope to also represent this toxic bond that he had with them. No matter how much they tried to reach out and ask for help they were rejected or told to keep their mouth shut. Bandaids often symbolize protection and a way to fix things, and instead of protecting you, the people around them didn’t believe them. Even in regards to their sexuality, instead of being accepted, they had to hide their truth. I used candles burning with a rosary cross as a way to represent this slow burning relationship between them and the church. Their dad forced his belief onto them growing up so I wanted this to symbolize the death of all those beliefs that were forced onto them growing up.

In the Dark

Beckett mentioned wanting to have a mental health theme behind this shoot so I want to use my creativity to capture the anger issues/bpd and adhd that he talked to me about with these shots. I used a cloth over his face to symbolize being in the dark with who he was, he described the feeling of being, "alone in a crowd” which is what I wanted to capture for him. These shots are more about capturing his struggles with his trans journey.

A Shaky Step

This shoot with Emma focused on capturing the struggles of her journey. I chose a staircase as a way to represent this. We wrote the goals she’s been trying so hard to achieve throughout her experience on each step. She’s endured a lot of discrimination and pain such as forced relocation, being abused, homelessness. She was sort of stuck trying to get to each step for 8 1/2 years. She wanted to capture the financial struggles that come with transitioning as well as what it’s like to be trans with hyperaggression, ADHD, and seizures. I wanted the art we created to help look at her journey in a new light, and be proud of how far she’s gotten.

Inner Growth

This shoot was focused on capturing Noah’s hardships with his journey. He wanted to capture the hip dysphoria he experiences as well as the bottom dysphoria he experiences. This is something not many trans individuals talk about so we wanted to raise awareness for this sort of dysphoria to allow people to feel less alone in their own experiences.

A New Perception

Jay told me that being non-binary is difficult because of other people. They mentioned that they work at a school and there used to be this sticky note trend in bathrooms that I wanted to recreate for their concept. I had them write a few statements/questions that other people have said to them in regards to how people perceive Jay on sticky notes. We covered the bathroom mirror in them because the mirror is your own reflection of yourself. Society seems to have this view where they only want to see male or female. I want this to show society's affect on someone's life simply by forcing them into these gender boxes. I also used a "hello my pronouns are" tag with "they them" written on it as a reminder to society to use the correct pronouns. I covered their mouth with it to symbolize their voice being a big factor in how people perceive them. I wanted to capture their pain of constantly being misgendered, especially as a school counselor, and being perceived as someone they’re not.

Dysphoric Triggers

With this shoot with Hayden, we wanted to capture the hardships that come with being on this journey. Nobody really talks enough about how hard it is to be trans in today’s society. From misgendering, to being discriminated, to the dysphoria, there are so many things that try and stop trans people from living as who THEY really are. This was ultimately all about capturing the inside look at the mental hardships we experience as trans men in today’s society.

A Silent Loss

With this shoot I wanted to capture the hardships and the pain of Sol’s journey. He said one of the hardest things has been feeling alone, like his old self died. Chrysanthemums are often symbols for death so I wanted to use those as a symbol for saying goodbye to his old self. I took some shots of the flowers over his mouth to symbolize the voice that he hates so much. The plastic, I wanted to act as a mask for who he used to be. Almost like he’s being suffocated by these feelings of his old self (voice, chest, reflection). He also mentioned being confused about which parts of him are him, so I wanted this shoot to help give him those answers though art.

Lost Love

This shoot was focused on capturing the hardships of Landon’s journey. Specifically, dating as a trans man. I wanted to portray those heartbreaking emotions and feelings that he’s experienced through art. It’s especially hard dating in general nevermind dating as a trans man in today’s society. It’s hard being vulnerable with someone only to be rejected because of your body. It makes accepting ourselves and our body even harder. I included quotes that have been said to Landon throughout his own experience. I hope if you see this and can relate to it, it might make you feel less alone in your own experience. Trans people deserve love too.

A New Beginning

Elliot booked with me to capture the beginning of his journey. He had just recently started T and came out so I wanted this part of the shoot to capture the difficulty coming to terms with that. This shoot captured the hardships of coming out, coming to terms with you who are, shot anxiety, etc. I wanted to give him something that could document all the firsts of his journey.

Shot Anxiety

Trip wanted a photoshoot to capture the hardships that come with taking testosterone on a weekly basis. Shooting yourself every week just to be yourself is something not too many people experience so we wanted to somehow raise awareness about the anxiety that comes with it. These photos are meant to capture the severe shot anxiety many trans individuals face when injecting hormones every week.

Six Years on T

This shoot for Jakob was for his 6 years on T anniversary. Although being on testosterone for 6 years comes with a lot of trans joy, it also comes with a lot of hardships as well that people don’t talk about. This shoot was all about capturing his difficult relationship with testosterone as well as himself after 6 years.

Internal Darkness

Kaci described being trans as painful sometimes and wanted to capture the struggles of being a trans man even after passing. I wanted to relate this to the feeling of being seen as a man but still having that darkness inside of you telling you you’re not. I used a black sheer fabric and covered him in it as a way to symbolize this suffocating feeling of dysphoria that always stays with us. Society and his family haven’t made it easy for him living as a trans man, especially living in Florida. The black I wanted to symbolize the sadness and anger that he’s had to experience. He described being treated like a burden by his father and other people in his life so I wanted this to turn all of those feelings into art.

Broken Home

Lucas was 11/12 when he realized he might be trans. After being forced to hide for so long he finally came out but was immediately faced with rejection and hate from his family. I used a mattress to represent this feeling of isolation between him and his family. It symbolized where he felt most alone and unwanted; at home. Lucas also said that he ended up moving out and sleeping on a bean bag in his friend's closet so I wanted to capture the feelings associated with that experience for him. I added a lampshade to symbolize how his family treated him. The lampshade’s job is to protect the eye from the bulb’s glare. Essentially keeping the bulb’s brightness low… and only being able to light up a small space. His family wanted him to hide who he was and “dim his light” because of society and other people’s opinions of trans people. They kept him from being able to express his true self outside of his own room, sort of like how a lampshade keeps a bulb’s brightness from lighting up a larger space…always dimming it.

Abandoned Cage

Elias mentioned to me that he loves abandoned buildings and bird imagery so we ended up doing this shoot at an abandoned castle. This was a really good way to represent the homelessness he’s had to endure as well. The birdcage resembles this feeling of being "trapped" that he mentioned to me. Trapped in his body, trapped by his family, etc. He told me his family was not supportive and he ended up going through his transition alone. I want the abandoned castle to reflect the abandonment he might've felt when having to file legal protections against them. The bird cage also tends to symbolize confinement, so I wanted that to represent a lot of the feelings he’s had towards his family prior to being able to separate yourself from them.

Restricted

Chris mentioned that he had to bind for over 12 years. I really wanted to encompass the pain and despair of having to wait so long to be able to get top surgery. He brought his old beaten up binder that he used for years and I had him write down words and phrases that binding has made him feel. I wanted to showcase the affect that binding could have on someone, especially having to bind for so long. Binding is a really important concept that our community needs to see to feel less alone. I wanted these photos to help remind him of how far he’s come in his journey.

Silent Struggles

Kris mentioned one of the hardest things about his transition was coming out and starting testosterone. I want capture this feeling of loneliness at the beginning of his journey that he mentioned. He spoke about bottom dysphoria, shot anxiety and hip dysphoria so we took shots capturing the feelings associated with that for him. I wanted the photos to help him realize how far he’s come since beginning his transition and allow him to feel proud of everything he was able to accomplish all on his own.

Upward Growth

Noah mentioned to me wanting to represent getting bottom surgery soon and representing spirituality and identity somehow. So with this shoot I used a ladder to symbolize progress and spiritual passage. It's also a good symbol for helping people which relates to the fact that he wants to be a gender and sexuality therapist. I wanted to not only capture his desire to help himself by taking the next step up (bottom surgery) and getting closer to his identity and spirituality, but also his desire to help other people with their own journeys by becoming a therapist. I added flowers as a symbol for growth in all aspects.

Strength through Vulnerability

Clare was amazing enough to book with me after talking with me on her podcast (Episode 13) and I’m so honored to have been able to work with her to capture her story. She wanted something simple that would represent her growth in her trans body. I used white hydrangeas to symbolize purity, grace and beauty. I wanted to use the flowers to cover the parts of her that she’s always been insecure about. The sheet I used as a symbol for the suffocation and confinement she felt for so long living in a body that didn’t feel like her own. She was trapped for 55 years of her life so I wanted this photoshoot to represent her freedom and her strength in finally being able to be authentically herself.

Refreshing Renewal

I wanted to do Anya’s in the water because it symbolizes cleansing and kind of a rebirth for yourself. They confided in me about attempting suicide multiple times so I really wanted to highlight this idea of a refreshing restart on your life for them. They said that they’re "slowly trying to learn how to breathe without fear and love yourself and your life" so I want this to actually capture that new breath of fresh air for them. I covered them in a purple fabric sheet to symbolize suicide awareness and act as a shield for their identity. Almost like they’re trapped in this place of not being able to accept who they are while also being on this journey of feeling very free becoming more and more themself. I also surrounded them in flowers and their poems. The flowers were symbols for healing and helping people because they mentioned wanting to be a therapist. I hoped by literally using their words it would help tell their story so I surrounded them with prints of all of their poems in the water.

Embracing the Crown

Landon told me that some of the proudest moments in his transition have to do with the commitment he has to being authentically himself. Despite everything he’s been through he’s still managed to come out winning. I included a crown as a prop in this part of the shoot to symbolize his achievements in his journey. He’s become a leader in the trans community by being a life and transitions coach and LGBTQ+ activist. Landon also briefly mentioned an eating-disorder past. I wanted to symbolize this new growth and relationship that he now has with his body and what he puts into it by using flowers taped around his body as well as in empty to go food containers. There's no growth without discomfort. Ultimately, this shoot is all about him embracing his new crown and this trans joy he has for his experience.

Elevated Growth

I wanted this shoot to capture Emma’s trans joy. Her journey started in New Haven so I made sure to include the beautiful rooftop views of the city. I wanted the ladder to symbolize her journey here. She’s been able to overcome a lot of pain and suffering from her past life by taking these steps to become who she is. She found a home with the trans community here which I wanted to represent with the trans flag on the ladder. She’s grown to love herself so I wanted these photos to capture that pride and joy that comes with finding who you are. Although there’s more steps to take on her journey, this is a reminder to her of what she’s already accomplished.

Golden Bliss

This shoot is all about Chris’s trans joy. He just got top surgery recently which I know is a huge moment for him so I wanted to capture the complete and utter joy of finally feeling free in his new chest. He said he enjoys creative arts and loves being able to have artistic expression so I want to show that with this shoot by using glitter. Glitter is one of the symbols of LGBTQ+ empowerment due to its ties to queer nightlife and performative art so I included a pop of shiny, gold to his new chest around his scars and on his face. I wanted to really showcase this new shine to his life. I hoped to encompass this power in his trans body by using gold since it is very often the symbol for success. Top surgery is something he never thought he would be able to attain and I wanted this shoot to really capture this winning moment for him.

Double Reflection

I wanted to capture the progress of Hayden’s journey since being 3 years on Testosterone. I used a mirror in the water for this concept to symbolize his reflection. I had the mirror block him in some of the shots to represent this idea of "hiding his reflection of his past self" . Then on the other side I took ones of him looking into the mirror in the water to symbolize his pride in his reflection now.

A Growing Space

Reading Chris’s backstory I really connected with this concept of creating a space for themselves that allowed them to explore who they are. Chris said that their transition gave them this room to simply live and slow down and look around. Gardens symbolize a place for growth and allow for a space to start life. I wanted to create a space behind them in the garden where I can capture this new life they’ve created for themselves since transitioning. Each taped flower against the backdrop represented each change they’ve made since transitioning. I want these to be all the "course corrections" as they described it. So, one can be the changes with their career, leaving home and starting a new life with their partner, starting testosterone, another for top surgery, and so on. They’ve finally found a space to be themselves. I want to essentially recreate that with this photoshoot and capture this new space Chris has made to grow and become who they are now.

Pieces of Me

This shoot for Elliot focused on capturing his happiness and trans joy. At the end of the day, he’s a happier person and that's what a lot of people forget. I want people to see the joy in what it's like coming out and becoming who you truly are. I want to showcase the best part of this journey of him being free in one of the most peaceful places I can think of, nature. He also mentioned that he loves writing so I used pieces of paper into some shots that had words that he felt were important to him and his personal journey.

New Liberation

Jay told me that one of their greatest accomplishments in their journey has been getting top surgery. That going to the beach shirtless was the most liberating experience of their life. Jay mentioned finally being able to wear button ups being extremely euphoric. I wanted to essentially recreate this moment of peace for them by doing the shoot in the water wearing a simple white button up with red and yellow flowers surrounding them. The flowers I want to represent their future growth with hormones since they said that's the next step. Yellow ones to symbolize caution and the concern that they have with some changes (health concerns, medications) and red to symbolize the excitement and love they have for some of them (voice, facial hair, muscle growth). I essentially want this shoot to really capture this growth Jay already had as well as this new growth to expect in their journey.

A New Boyhood

Sol said in his message about trans joy that being somewhere just as himself was really freeing.This is just the start of his journey so I wanted this shoot to let him get to know the real him and experience the boy childhood and teen years that he missed out on. Essentially capturing the boyhood he never had. We went to the playground to do this since it can symbolize childhood and a place to be free and explore yourself and the world around you. I wanted these photos to represent this new boyhood of his that he gets to experience.

Taking Flight

Elias told me that he writes poetry and that he loves art so I wanted to try and come up with a concept that showcased his creative and artistic side. I used a projector in my studio to display the title of his poetry book, “trans [re] incarnation” over him as a way to turn his words into art. He also mentioned bird imagery being important to him and birds are often symbols for freedom, hope, and new beginnings. I projected birds and wings on the backdrop as well to symbolize his freedom from his parents after filing legal protections against them, his freedom from his body after getting top surgery, and ultimately it can symbolize this new beginning as the person he was always meant to be.

New Beginnings

Vic booked a shoot with me to celebrate his one year since starting testosterone. He wanted to represent the struggles/excitement that this past year has brought him. We did the shoot at a castle to symbolize all the hard work he’s put in to rebuilding himself after years of trauma. He created a new life for himself since coming out and starting T. Empty photo frames are often symbols for a new beginning so we added flowers around the frame to document his growth and capture these new moments of euphoria for him. We did this shoot exactly a year after his first coming out shoot with me. so we wanted to capture his growth since the last one.

A New Spotlight

This shoot was all about capturing Beckett’s trans joy and new found confidence in his journey. My idea was to create a spotlight effect on him to showcase his euphoria with who he os now and who he’s becoming. He mentioned to me that he’s the only trans person in his circle/family and that it’s hard for him to feel confident because of that so I wanted these photos to do that for him.

Trans Warrior

Mac told me he wanted to do a type of trans warrior shoot. He told me he wanted to caprure his greek heritage as well so I wanted this shoot to incorporate almost a "greek god" look in a couple shots by using a crown in the photos. I want this to represent how proud he is of his journey. I also wanted to add the trans flag as well as blue white and pink paint to enhance his trans pride and joy.

Recovery

Aleksander recently got top surgery before this shoot so I wanted to do some recovery photos for him. I incorporated small white flowers with bandaids to symbolize his recovery from surgery. The whole idea for this shoot is to showcase what he’s had to go through having to get surgery while also documenting the trans joy he’s experiencing with his new chest.

Celebrate Joy

Quinn’s partner Britney surprised them by booking a shoot with me to celebrate their trans joy. I wanted to create pieces that really showcase the beauty in being yourself. I wanted to capture the pride Quinn had in seeing themselves outside shirtless in nature. I know with a lot of trans individuals, we have a very tough relationship with how we see ourselves in mirrors. I used a mirror to resemble Quinn reclaiming a new sense of joy by seeing themselves in a mirror today.

A New Reflection

Casey mentioned to me that he wanted this to be sort of a celebration for finally being able to recognize himself in the mirror. I planned on portraying the growth in finding your reflection by using a broken mirror to represent his hardships, unable to see the true version of himself (seeing a broken one) prior to transitioning. I'll also have a bunch of normal mirrors surrounding him to capture the version of himself that he is proud of, with a clear reflection. This shoot was simply to showcase his confidence with who he is now by capturing the reflection of his own trans joy.

Beauty in Blooming

This shoot is all about Oliver’s trans joy. The growth that he’s had since coming out and starting his journey. He said that he’s finally starting to see the man he is on the inside, on the outside. He’s blooming. I wanted this to be the essence behind this concept. The long stems on the flowers I want to represent this journey that he’s been on and the blooming flowers to represent his achievements in this journey. So hitting 6 months on T, facial hair growth, voice dropping, working out, etc. He is finally thriving in his identity. He’s had struggles with embracing his masculine side so I'm hoping to reject this toxic masculinity with the use of pink flowers around him. Pink is often perceived as very feminine, but I want these to showcase that no matter where he’s come from or what he’s gone through on his journey, at the end of the day he’s still standing here as a man, fighting for the trans community.

Fresh Start

Lucas said he moved out of his parents place in 2020, started his transition on his own and his family till this day hasn't been supportive. He gets the most euphoria from knowing the people who have hurt him and tried to break him down in the past won't be able to reach that old version of himself. All of the past experiences and trauma are being cleansed by this feeling of self confidence and euphoria in his new skin. The task of doing laundry and cleaning sheets can often be associated with this idea of "purification" or cleansing yourself from past experiences. I used pink, white, and blue sheets to symbolize his euphoria since transitioning. I wanted this to capture the process of him "changing the sheets" and moving away from the things and people that hurt him the most. I wanted to create this "clean space" for me to capture his overall growth. We wrote “TransitioningSavesLives” on his arm to capture his passion for human rights activism and the fact that he wants to be a tattoo artist one day!

Refreshed

I wanted this shoot to really encompass Elliot’s growth over the past year. He’s turning into the man he’s always known himself to be. He said all of the pain that he’s been through has led him to a lot of discoveries about himself. He learned who to let in his life and he’s found the support that he needed after a long journey of pain and loss to find it. He’s LOVINN himself this year so I really wanna show that. After watching him for the past year since our first shoot he’s regained such strength and confidence in himself and his journey. I wanted to capture this confidence with a concept of him in the water. Water is used as a symbol for power and essentially he’s in the stage of your life where he’s becoming himself. Free and refreshed in his own journey. I also included newspapers floating around him in reference to his recovering from his past. (See Burning Bridges )

Taking Aim

Kris mentioned to me that he found himself through archery and that it's where he goes to let out all his feelings. We used arrows and a bow for symbolism in his journey. I wanted to use an old photograph of him pre-transition and pin it on a tree. Since an arrow can only go forward when it's shot it's often a symbol for moving forward from something either mentally or physically. So for Kris, this is moving forward from his past self. He said he’s gone through a lot of his journey alone. Arrows represent achievements of peace and calm. I essentially used each arrow as a symbol for each step in his journey that he’s achieved that's gotten him to where he is today. Despite everything he’s been through I wanted this to represent his ability to "create his own path" even if it felt like he was just taking shots in the dark his whole life.

Framed Growth

I wanted to give Dre something to look at and remind himself of who he is. Picture frames are reminders of moments and memories in your life so I used an actual picture frame to help remind him of the man that he is. He’s also a photographer so I I thought that would be another good connection for the use of the frame. He used a rose and it's thorns to talk about testosterone and the changes he’s experienced. I then used an actual rose as a symbol for growth and love in his shoot. I wanted it to ultimately represent this journey of self-love that he’s on. I wanted to bring out the confidence in him and capture those feelings of euphoria that will remind him to be proud of his trans identity.

Self-Made

Jakob asked me to do a shoot with him to celebrate his 5 years post top surgery. We did it outside in the snow which made it more special because it actually snowed the day after top surgery. I took shots of him building a snowman to highlight his self-made journey and the fact that he was able to create and literally build a body that’s true to who he is. We added blue and pink smoke powder as a way to celebrate this milestone for him. I let him have fun in the snow and captured shots of him celebrating trans joy.

Reconnection

Sol booked a shoot with me exactly a year after our last shoot. We set up at Beavertail State Park, a place special to him and set up overlooking the cliffs. He told me that he’s been feeling disconnected recently and wanted to reconnect through art. I brought an old phone to symbolize that disconnection and a glass frame with water droplets to represent this dissociation and loneliness from life. We added lilies to represent this rebirth and new life that he’s been living since starting testosterone. I wanted to give him an opportunity to really see himself and his growth since last year. Everyone grows at different paces. This was a reminder to him to celebrate how far he’s come even if it might feel like he’s stuck sitting in one place.

Cloud of Joy

I did a shoot with Bobbie to celebrate them getting top surgery. I wanted to create something that would be a celebration of them. We chose an abandoned building for the location as a way to symbolize this feeling of peace in an empty space. The top surgery process was hard for them. They had to change surgeons, lost a deposit and got their date pushed back. They told me it’s put a cloud on the whole experience for them. I wanted to put a positive spin on this and use color powder/smoke to create a cloud of joy around them and their new scars. We use yellow and purple to raise awareness for getting gender affirming surgery as someone who is non-binary. Yellow clouds represent accomplishment while purple clouds represent embracing positive energy. They’re also a rock climber so we covered their body in the powder to symbolize the climbing chalk they use. I wanted to capture the overall trans joy they’ve worked so hard to finally experience.

Blooming Faith

Xander booked session with me wanting o capture his experience with his Christianity as a trans man. He learned he could be in a Christian community that does not judge or care how you identify. We displayed a blue cross above him to symbolize this acceptance. I created a flower bed below him as a way to resemble this new community he’s found within the church. We used red/white flowers to honor his journey of self love and a pink rose with a candle to honor his mom. I used mylar to give off this reflection of light on water to symbolize his recent baptism and return to church. We then poured water over him to highlight that experience for him.

“I’ve been on this journey for 3 years now, although I’m still growing and learning to love myself, I’ve never been more proud of myself. I talk a lot about how good it feels to be able to be my true self, but the hardships that come with that need to be addressed too. Not many people realize how hard it is to be trans in todays society. I’ve been kicked out of clubs for using the men’s restroom, been forced out of a job due to transphobic management, and forced to make a decision of whether I wanted to be myself or hide who iI was to be able stay in the Air Force, leaving something behind that iI worked hard for. Sam did such an amazing job at capturing the inside look at the mental hardships we have as trans men.”

“The session was everything Sam promised. I felt utterly comfortable. All insecurity was checked at the door. As much as I'd like to comment on the end result, I'll let Sam's art speak for itself. I am in awe of our collaboration. Sam captured all the things: vulnerability, strength, beauty, peace, queerness, joy, struggle - my soul. He delivered on his promise to make me art, and made me feel good about myself in the process. I'm proud to be part of his effort to capture the trans experience.”

“When it comes to the concept of this shoot, coming up with ideas initially was a struggle. Of course the pieces of yourself that you are dysphoric about are the parts that you don’t want people to see. After getting top surgery all of the chest dysphoria that I experienced immediately went towards my hips. I feel like hip dysphoria in itself isn’t talked about enough, regardless of the countless trans individuals I have come across that also experience it. Along with that I wanted to also show the growth that I have experienced throughout my 6 years of transitioning, both medically and socially. Considering I am also wanting to be a gender and sexuality therapist, I loved the idea of capturing the experience through photography so I just HAD to be a part of it and I’m so happy that I got to be.”

“Working with Sam was such an amazing experience, being able to be vulnerable in a safe space is something so crucial in todays climate. I’ve known I was trans since I was young but didn’t come out until I was a teen, I grew up in a small rural town where toxic masculinity was the most prominent example of what manhood was. I constantly heard the phrase “man up”. Sam was able to capture the experience of trying to navigate manhood as a young trans person and my journey of the realization that simply being me is man enough, and that my masculinity doesn’t have to come from a place of anger, rather it can come from a softer place of kindness. I love these photos and now I have a tangible time stamp of this section of my journey. “

“I’ve done different photo shoots for various events in my life and they’re painful to look at it. Mostly because I look so miserable even if I am smiling. I know that there wasn’t joy in them. But working with Sam? That was life changing. I’m finally able to look at pictures of myself and find the joy with ease. Sam was amazing coming up with a concept that perfectly captures my experience of being trans non-binary. The hardships and the successes that I’ve been able to make becoming myself. These are pictures that I will treasure as I continue finding more of the joy in being trans.”

“This is the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done in my life. I never would’ve done this five years ago. I wouldn’t have even done it last year, I was still so uncertain about myself. I love everything these pictures show and the beauty that they represent. Sam did a tremendous job at mixing the hardships of being trans with the raw beauty and overall freeness that comes along with it.”

“I’ve been on my transition journey for about 5 years . This past year I’ve had top surgery and I’m finally able to see myself as i’m supposed to. Struggling with mental illness such as BPD and ADHD plus the anxiety/depression that comes with it all, made loving myself so much harder . After this past year, I’m getting a lot more confident in myself and also loving myself . Sam really helped capture the message that I’ve tried for years to explain. I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time and working with people who get it . works . I’m so grateful to work with Sam and have him help me tell my story and struggle to those who might relate to me .”

“During this shoot with Sam I was celebrating my six year T anniversary, which is such a wild concept to me. Every day I remind myself that it is so important to be open and vulnerable, cause I know as a trans man I keep a wall very high up. This shoot allowed me to open up about parts of myself that I didn’t know existed. Thank you Sam for making me feel like a beefy, macho, proud to be trans, man. Hahahah. Your ability to capture trans beauty will forever be admired. “

“I’m in my first year of transition, and it has been one of the most beautiful and brutal times of my life. I’ve always felt unheard, invisible, and straight uncomfortable. Sam was able to capture the true me. Through the art he created, I was able to grieve a piece of myself while also showing me that I can experience joy in my life, in myself. Words can’t express how amazing my experience was and how special Sam will always be to me.”

“The concept of these pictures that Sam took of me were to capture the extreme anxiety that I go through on shot day. HRT saved my life, and has saved many others. I encourage you to ALWAYS live your truth and always support your friends and family, because at the end of the day support means more than you know. Sam, I can’t thank you enough for this incredible experience. This shoot means the world to me.”

“It took me a long time to give myself permission to just be myself because I spent so much of my life seeking validation from others. When I stopped living my life for others and started living it for myself, I saw who I really am. I wanted to capture the resilience, strength, creativity, and joy that this journey has required of me and Sam did exactly that. When I was on location, I felt so incredibly seen. Sam took my initial story and ran with it to create a beautiful and deeply meaningful experience from being in the garden, to having the backdrop, down to the flowers he chose. He was incredibly kind and thoughtful, showing me what he hoped to capture in each pose while also letting me make it my own. There is so much fluidity in the trans experience and Sam honored that in the capturing and creating of these photos with a passion that empowers one to see uncertainty and recognize possibility.”

“I am beyond words for how euphoric this whole experience was, not to mention getting to see the trans joy portion of the shoot. I admit the hardships portion were hard to look at considering the memories of my past they envoke. That said, this brings me so much validation regarding my struggles. These are some amazing photos, and have helped me towards greater self-acceptance. I thank him a thousand times, from the bottom of my heart!!!”

Models: Shelby Waznia and Milah Ash

Models: Cordi Burns and Sarah Minery

Models: MJ Gotchu and Heather Garcia