I am so forever grateful for every opportunity that comes my way to capture important, intimate parts of humans’ lives. I will never take that for granted and it will always fulfill me wholly.

Alandra found me on Instagram after searching through hashtags for a Grand Rapids area photographer. She said she was from the east side of the state and would be coming to Grand Rapids for a solo trip to celebrate her birthday. The idea was to take photos at the Airbnb she was staying at.

The Airbnb was super cute and cozy. Located in the heart of Grand Rapids, it was a historic home in the Heritage Hill neighborhood that had been divided into multiple units. Alandra’s unit consisted of a cozy living room with a small kitchenette, a bedroom, and a bathroom. That’s it; cute and simple.

Alandra is the founder of The Sisters’ Couch, which is a safe space for black women. The mission is to create community for black women, eliminate mental health stigma, and provide mental health resources. We incorporated her brand in her photos with her sweatshirt and her business cards. The couch was also a happy accident, it works so well with her brand name!

I loved working one-on-one with Alandra. It’s hard to step in front of a camera alone, with a stranger, in a tiny little Airbnb, in a city that’s not your own. Soak that in. That’s tough! But she trusted me and I am so grateful for that. I worked to keep her comfortable throughout the session, encouraging her to be herself. She played her favorite music, wore her favorite clothes, danced in front of the mirror, and colored with her adult coloring books on the living room floor.

It was such a pleasure to get to know her warmth, confidence, and joy as we spent that hour together on a Wednesday afternoon.