Driving to a care facility in a small Texas town, I expected the photo shoot to be a challenge. After all, the elderly subject’s husband recently had passed away. Still, I had been hopeful. The moment the nurse who escorted me to her room introduced us, I could tell she wasn’t doing well. She was just existing, in a room filled with pictures of her and her husband. The only ones without her in them were his military photos. It was plain to see they had been happy together, inseparable even.

We chatted for a while, and I had some doubt she was ready to do this. But she had a grit about her that you don’t see very often, and so I decided to show her the wardrobe I had brought with me from Chicago. Her face softened and her eyes began to light up as she saw the options and the care we took to find her the right look.

After her nurse helped her put on the outfit she chose, our hair and makeup stylist opened shop in her room. We completed her look with a few accessories and some flowers. As we were shooting, the light in her eyes grew stronger with each shutter-click. My team had transformed her back to her real, almost regal, self. The residents encircled her. She was not the same woman I met that morning. What an amazing experience to be a part of.

That right there is why I love what I do. I get to build and share connections that make mountains move.

See more work done for Baylor Scott & White Health