Karlee Prins | Genuine Portait Series

 Hi Friends!!  I am so excited to share another set of images from Genuine Portrait Series! I would like you to meet Karlee Prins.  Karlee is one of those women who light up the room with her kindness and confidence.  She is a HARD-working Mama of 4 who left her psychiatric nursing career to become an entrepreneur and she is absolutely crushing it, if I do say so myself!!  If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you probably already know, but Karlee is also the talented Make-up artist for all of my Boudoir Marathons!!  I am honestly so glad to have her on our team.  If Karlee had a superpower, it would probably be making others feel absolutely amazing!!I asked Karlee if she wouldn't mind sharing a little about herself, so here she is!"When a women is deemed to be confident its perceived that she must be conceited, or self-centered! Our society in general has made a confident women seen this way! And because of this, we choose to dim our lights, to make others feel more comfortable.Let me tell you what gaining more confidence has done for me....I used to be the type that would walk into a room and feel like people were judging me, were talking about me, or didn't want me to be around me. In fact I felt nervous and would stutter more. I used to look in the mirror and feel that without makeup, I wasn't beautiful. I used to feel that my dress size reflected me as a person, and that I had to fit a certain mould to be beautiful. You see I, like so many women, cared more what others thought than what I believed or thought of myself. It wasn't until I began on my journey with Younique that I realized you can walk into a room full of women you have never met, and not feel like you're being judged. And in fact, leave that room with life long friendships. I realized that pouring more into myself through personal development and surrounding myself with women who are constantly lifting you up, has been the biggest contributor to me finally realizing I'm worthy. I'm enough. I can walk into a room now and not care if people are judging or talking about me. Why? Cause I'm confident in who I am and know I can't control what other people's perceptions are! It doesn't bother me like it used to. It has made me love myself more, and genuinely have a sense of peace inside me. And that sense of peace is like no other! Can you honestly say you're happy? I can!So the next time you see a confident women, instead of being intimidated by her, be inspired. Be inspired to find yourself enough that you can truly say you are content with who you are and who you were created to be! My goal is to help as many women as possible know how amazing they are, how WORTHY they are, despite their looks or pant size! My goal is for my kids to know they can literally do anything they put their minds to, to follow what their hearts are telling them, and to NEVER dim their light to make someone else feel more comfortable! We each have a path, and we each have many gifts and talents! My hope is that you can be confident enough to realize your own, to embrace who you are, and let you light shine so bright the world will have to wear sunglasses!Be Confident. Be You! Cause you're amazing! And my gosh girl, you are so so WORTH IT!!" If you guys want to chat more with this fantastic chick, find her on Facebook!  You can also check out her website, www.youniquebykarlee.com.  Thanks so much for hanging out guys!!  Have a great week!!!Warmly,Karmen 

Rebecca | Genuine Portrait Series

I have always been drawn to simple portraits.  You know the kind that pull you in a hold you there.  Somehow frozen in time, is this person and their personality.  No distractions, no bells and whistles.  It's genuine and it's  pretty wonderful.  I have known for a while that I wanted to start a project like the #GenuinePortraitSeries, but I wasn't really sure how to go about it.  But, I finally decided that couldn't just wait around for the perfect idea to formulate, if I want to start a simple portrait series, well then I should just do it!  Sometimes the best things just happen organically, you know what I mean?So I hauled out my lighting equipment and set-up for weeks in my living room (Ok it's still up, but I have taken it down a couple times lol).  I started photographing woman after woman (men are welcome too haha, just hasn't happened yet) and started to really, truly fall in love with the project.  I am so excited by not only the beauty of the portraits, but also their potential!  These people are all so unique and amazing, and, WOW, am I ever excited to tell their story through portraiture!!  And I honestly can't wait to see how each person uses their new photos to develop their brand or to hang in their house or to give to their Moms or to freshen up their Instagram feed or, well you get the point =)!Annnnnyways, it is about time that I start sharing them with you all here on the blog!!  And I am really excited about it (don't suppose you can tell?)! So without further ado.  Here is Rebecca.  She is incredibly passionate about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the strength that she has found within the sport!

"Hi, it's me Rebecca.  I started jiu jitsu in January of 2015.  I learned about this particular martial art through a good friend of mine who had started jiu jitsu the summer we met.  After just a few months of training in jiu jitsu she knew enough to show me some moves on her basement floor. The technique is one I will never forget (arm lock series from side control.) Up until that moment I had never felt truly empowered by what my small 115lb frame could do. With a sort of fragile physical history, (having crushed my T9 vertebrae in 2012 while cliff jumping) I was surprised to understand that with proper leverage I could not only break someone's arm but that I could actually hold a grown man's life in my own two hands.  Once unlocking this new found strength, there was no turning back. I moved to Calgary the next month and found the gym closets to my home. Since that day I have been training, traveling, and competing for jiu jitsu. It has taken me places I thought were out of my reach. That’s what jiu jitsu will do. It will bring you places that you didn’t even knew existed within yourself and the world. But that’s for you to find out.

I am passionate about helping others learn and love welcoming new people to the sport.  You should try it, I guarantee you will love it.  Here are 5 things you need to know before your first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class:

• You are not an inconvenience to anybody. Every single person on the mat has been exactly we're you are right now. Even world champions.
• You are not going to be good at it. But after your first class you will feel happy. No matter what you'll love it.
• Yes people sweat and it's ok if you do too. Jiu jitsu is cardio x1000. Bring a small hand towel or face towel if you are really worried.
• What to wear. Regardless of what Academy you are planning to attend most Jiujitsu players dress the same. We will start with the gi. A gi is a garment worn in jiujitsu that looks like a judo or karate kimono but is very different. It's used to grip, control, and to submit your opponent. Call the gym you are planning to attend and ask if they provide a rental gi. If not that's ok! Under the gi we wear a rash-guard and spats. A rash-guard is a top that does exactly what the name insinuates, provides a layer of protection from bacteria for your skin and from the friction of your gi. You can buy special jiujitsu brand but it's not necessary, it needs to be tight fitting and breathable (anything but cotton). Next are spats or tights. I know you're thinking "but I'm not Peter Pan." It's okay you can wear shorts overtop or most likely gi bottoms. Trust me, rash-guard and spats are life savers. Pro-tip: TAKE OFF YOUR SOCKS!
• Information overload is a real thing.

You are not alone. Nerves are real and we all have them to a certain degree."

  I hope you enjoyed learning more about the #genuineportraitseries and this spit-fire of a woman!  If you are interested you can follow her journey on Instagram @beansofnebula.Warmly,Karmen