I had no energy and didn’t feel too great, but then I met Riley. Within minutes of meeting her, she got me to settle into comfort and made a series of photos that *felt* like me. Riley didn’t just talk photos, she tried to get to know me and help me through the “what should I do with my hands?” awkwardness. We talked about where I grew up, our families, our lives in Austin, our dogs, and so much work ahead of all of us to make the world more inclusive.

SAM

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The time the rain stopped just long enough for Riley to show me a field of flowers at the heart of the city. We talked about relationships and our changing bodies and food and writing during this time—things I think about often. As I stood on this hill, a woman passing by shouted at the top of her lungs, You look f*cking gorgeous! and blew me a kiss. Then she was gone. Like a fairy godmother checking in with some encouragement. I had been feeling unsure of myself and my writing before this session (how I feel about one inevitably affects the other), and it was a wake up call to have a stranger be kinder to me than I was being to myself in that moment. It changed my whole demeanor. As she disappeared over the hill, we laughed about wishing she could pass by us on the street every day. Maybe she can, if we let her.

RACHAEL

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About a year ago, I met a woman named Riley at a friend’s birthday celebration. Truth be told, I’d been following her artistic work before we’d met, so I was already a fan by the time we said “hello.” Since then, we’ve worked together on my business and branding, and I feel more honest in my work than ever. I feel clearer in my purpose. Delightfully, we’ve also created a friendship over the course of this otherwise tumultuous and physically-distant year from behind computer screens and camera lenses. When she asked me to be on her podcast and if I’d be open to talking about my life/work philosophy, miscarriage, and motherhood, I was beyond honored. Her space is a safe space.

HEIDI

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I told my partner one day that most photos of me are blurry or I have wolf eyes. Not only does Riley have STUNNING portrait work but she has this incredible warmth and ability to disarm anyone, allowing their inner beauty to shine through with each photo she takes! I’ve always been pretty self-conscious, especially in front of a camera. But Riley was such a great coach on what to do with my face and an all-around blast to work with!

BRONTË

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Yesterday I went on a walk and I did something I never do. I listened to myself on a podcast, the podcast I did with Woke Beauty to be exact. I’ve been nervous to hear it because she and I went deep and I talked about a lot of things I’ve never talked about before in public, particularly college, leaving evangelicalism, and finding myself all over again. Yesterday while I listened to myself in conversation with my dear friend, my nerves melted. I was proud of my story. I was proud of being able to say it out loud in the space Riley invited me into.

CHELSEA

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Over the course of the last 18 months, I've done 4 photoshoots with Riley and each has had its own fruit to bear. The most recent photo set I got back from her has been the most profound for me yet. As soon as I opened the album, I started to cry. Somehow, she'd managed to capture my full expression. It was like being reunited with someone I'd lost and been searching for in the dark for years. Finally, after decades of looking, I'd found her. I spent an hour receiving myself, releasing the grief of having missed her for so long, and welcoming her home.

LIV

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