I am new to working this side of the camera, and must say it is MUCH harder than it looks in the movies. I am lucky to have access to a basic studio where I can use lights, set backdrops, listen to music, and control the environment a little. I started this project about a year ago and early shots were taken with a Nikon D300 and I now use a Canon 5D Mark III with a 20-70 Canon L series and a Canon 70-200 L series lens. I know it's not necessarily the most Art School Purist thing to say, but nice equipment does help -- and having more pixels to work with in post is an ego save for someone who can't seem to keep backdrop creases out of a shot.

As a policy, I crop, color-correct, and clean up images, but try not to create "photoshop victims" out of my subjects. I want the women to look like the people they are -- their expressions, their lines, their shapes. Every one of my volunteers stepped up and put themselves out there for me -- finding their own movement and poses, sharing their stories, and patiently waiting as I drag lights and change lenses. I owe each a special thanks.