As I sat in my living room waiting for a woman I had never met, I imagined what I could say to put her at ease with me, my camera, and the home photo studio sprinkled with light stands, modifiers, and various flash units. Then I tried to figure out at what point I would instruct her to remove her shirt and expose her breasts.
The previous day I saw a message for help online, and my heart told me that this message was for me. A former co-worker let me know that her best friend’s niece recently moved to New Orleans from Philadelphia to become a teacher. She just turned 30. Shortly after her birthday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was scheduled to have a double mastectomy days later. It was very sudden, and she was far from home. She was trying to find a photographer to create tasteful and simple topless portraits before her surgery. This was a painful time for her, and she didn’t have much time to process everything. She was scheduled for surgery, then chemo and radiation. It would mean so much to her to be able to capture some images of her body before she underwent such a drastic, life-altering surgery, my friend pleaded.
This is where my journey with Morgan began. A beautiful soul. A warrior. A loving person. It has been a privilege to document her path. For me, Morgan represents the many breast cancer survivors that I know personally and those I have never met. This photo was taken hours after meeting Morgan. Stay tuned for more of the story.