“I want, just once, to wear a bright red, strapless ball gown with no apologies.  I want to be shocking, and vivid and wear a dress as intensely amazing as the person I so want to be.  And the more I thought about it the more I realized how often we deny ourselves that red dress and all the other capricious, ridiculous, overindulgent and silly things that we desperately want but never let ourselves have because they are simply ‘not sensible’.”

The above quote is from Jenny (aka “The Bloggess“) and it sparked a movement, called the Traveling Red Dress Movement, that is incredibly close to my heart.

Jenny bought a gorgeous, red, strapless ball gown and wore it proudly. And then, having accomplished what she needed out of it, she sent the red dress off to someone else who needed a “red dress experience”. And that person sent it on to someone else, and the experience has continued for over a year.

“This week the red dress will begin a journey, traveling from city to city so that other people can wear it and love it and feel as special and vivid and dynamic as they already are.  Because sometimes we all need a little red dress to remind us of that.  So today, think about what it is you need and were too embarrassed to ask for.  And then go f*cking do it. Wear a ball gown to the grocery store.  Invite the neighbors to have a picnic on the front lawn.  Get that novel out of your sock drawer and publish it yourself.  Stand on a bus stop bench and belt out a song for the waiting strangers.  Find a playground swing and remember how it felt to fly.  Find your red dress. And wear the hell out of it.”

You can read more about the Traveling Red Dress Movement, and the amazing things that are happening as a result of it, here.

Red Dress Sessions are all about celebrating you, and the beauty of who you are, where you are, just the way you are, right here and right now. Red Dress Sessions are about putting on a gorgeous, stunning, over-the-top gown and strutting your stuff. Red Dress Sessions are about taking a day out of your life to declare to the world “This is ME, and I am proud of it!”

I offer Red Dress Sessions free of charge. Sessions typically last about 2 hours, and you’ll also receive a small print product as a token of your special day. Further print products will also be available to you at 20% off regular print prices.

If you want to try a Red Dress Session but don’t have a red dress, I encourage you to check out the flickr group set up by The Bloggess to help those offering and those seeking red dresses to connect with each other. You can also contact me – I may be able to put you in touch with a past Red Dress Session client looking to pass on their gown.

If you do have a red dress, I encourage you to pass it on to someone else in need of a Red Dress Experience after your session. If you prefer, you can leave the dress with me (I’ll trade you an extra 8×10 print of your favorite photo for it) and I’ll make sure it finds a new home with someone who needs it.