Women’s bodies are complicated.  We are our own worst enemies.  
We can look at another woman and wish we had her “perfect” body, while the owner/occupant of that body secretly hates her __________ (fill in the blank).
We all have our thing. Almost every woman I know hates at least one part of her body.
For me it was my belly for years.  After having two babies 18 months apart, I still looked pregnant and would be crushed when someone exclaimed “Oh! You’re pregnant again!” My responses would vary depending on how I felt that day.  Sometimes it was a polite smile-not worth the conversation and sometimes it ended in tears-mine.  But over time, I’ve begun to love my belly.  It helped carry two babies, full term.  Resulting in two healthy babies.  
So for me, my least loved body part isn’t the most common reply to this question.
For me……it’s my knees.
Yup!  My knees.  What a silly part to be ashamed of.  To hide.  And hide I did.  
I went almost ten years without wearing shorts because I despised my knees.  
Almost ten brutal hot and humid Ontario summers spent in jeans or capris pants.
Sitting on the sidelines of many fun summer activities, family outings. 
Don’t even get me started on wearing a bathing suit.
Years of being uncomfortable.  Hot.  Sweaty.  Hiding.
But hiding from what?  
What I imagined others would say about my knees.  How stupid!
I’ve come to a few realizations after consuming A LOT of personal development books and podcasts.
1) What others think about me is none of my business.
2)They’re not even thinking about you! 
3)I am grateful for my healthy body as it is now.
Gratitude has helped me focus on all the things I can do with my knees.  
I can walk up and down stairs, hike, bike, swim, play tennis, volleyball and other sports I enjoy.  My knees are healthy and strong……for now.
A recent diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy has reinforced my gratitude for my current state of health.  No one knows what the future holds and one day I may be unable to use my knees as I do now.
So however I think my knees look….they work.  And they work well.
So, bring on the summer heat. Bring on the shorts!

- Katie

Just like the title says, I meet the most INCREDIBLE people, thanks to Lady Luck. Words can not express how grateful I am!
This incredible human came to see me for some headshots a few weeks ago. 
We had a GREAT time. 

Having your photos taken can sometimes be stressful. So I like to make sure the experience is a SUPER FUN one! 

At first Leela was unsure of how to feel about having her photos taken. This is a very common feeling for most of my clients. And boy do I ever understand this feeling. 
After receiving her preview gallery, Leela sent me this:
"There are so many good photos - something I have NEVER said before about photos of me!"
I jumped out of my chair and did a happy dance after reading this. I can not tell you how happy this made me! :D

MAN I LOVE what I do!
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I really wanted to take the opportunity to share with you all, more about this incredible woman and what she does, so I asked her to send me her bio so I could do just that!
Here is her bio and some of the photos we took on our day together!

Leela was born into a family that believed everyone needed to do their best to make the world a better place for all. She has depended on the wisdom of those ancestors and more recent mentors to develop a practice based on valuing each person's cultural and social wealth, honoring the earth on which we live, and working to acknowledge and rectify past wrongs committed in this world.
 
She has lived a life between cultures and countries, one of the few multiracial children born in 1960’s London (UK). She was taught she had a duty to work for justice and use what privilege she has for good. Leela immigrated with her family to Ontario in the 1970’s when “Where are you from” was one of the most common questions.  
 
For the past thirty years, she has worked on issues of equity and inclusion at universities in Canada and the United States. In March 2023, she was excited and privileged to be starting a new chapter with the opening of her independent consulting business. She looks forward to partnering with new people and institutions seeking to move their organizations beyond buzzwords to a holistic re-examination of their place in Canada today. It will require hard work, but in the words of Arundhati Roy “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
 
She loves to see these values reflected in her four children, now ages 22 through 29.
 
For more information: https://lmrconsulting.ca/

Thank you so much Leela for trusting me to do your photos for you! I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend time with you and I am so happy you like your photos!

​Jennifer

I never thought I would be ready to participate in a project like this. The thing is, I don’t always love the skin that I’m in. Doing these photos, participating in Jen’s very important and potentially life altering project, was a spur of the moment decision that I almost backed out of. I am very glad that I didn’t. At the same time, I don’t see myself this way all of the time. After a lifetime of putting this body down, acceptance is beyond difficult.

I have found it healing while on my journey recovering from depression to be a part of this project. When suffering from mental illness my struggle to turn self hate into self acceptance has been one of the largest battles I've faced, once I reached a point where I could function well enough to even consider doing so. I found that after years of unbearable depression that left me feeling nonhuman, immobile, at the bottom of a spiral that I felt had no end until I hit it and was literally unable to move or think or consider any options or ways to get out or make the feelings, or lack thereof, stop. After years of back and forth and fighting with my own mind, then came the anxiety.

Then came the neurotic thinking about what others thought of me. And as I was feeling a little bit better and trying to recover from the darkest place on earth, I couldn't help but worry constantly about what was going on around me. Why wouldn’t I hate myself when I constantly formulated terrible stories about how the world sees me?Fast forward many years. Feeling better feels amazing. It also causes guilt. Why wouldn’t I be working again if I’m feeling better? When will I be fully functioning?

​My family and friends are very loving when I express these concerns and tell me that this is all part of my recovery. But the stigma in society is there. “What do you do?” is a common question when meeting people and it is a loaded one for me. I often make a joke and hope they don’t persist but if it’s someone I want to meet again then my story usually comes out to some degree. I suppose it helps me weed out those individuals who are judgmental. Not caring what people think is something I still need to learn, in all regards.

And now, here I am posing for Jen. For myself. I look at these photos and I see the beauty of self acceptance. I wouldn't have been able to even entertain the idea of doing them, even just for myself, without it. My body bears the scars of a lifelong desire for an unattainable standard of beauty. The scars, stretch marks, and sagging skin are all the result of trying to attain an idea of perfection that I decided on back in grade nine. Standards I set when I was tired of being bullied about my weight and began my first battle with depression, body image and eating issues.
 
I have to credit self acceptance (and the help and kindness of innumerable professionals, friends and family) for the last couple of years of my life where I have made new friends and become so much less isolated. I certainly don’t accept everything. I am more accepting on some days, less on others. I accept that this body keeps me going. I’ve spent far too many years hating it, being angry with it for not living up to my standards. I try everyday not to do that. I try everyday to forget about those standards that are so very well ingrained. For so many years. A lifetime. Today, I am so happy to say, although I may not always fall into the category of “loving the skin I’m in”, I accept it and am happy with it more often than not. And that is probably the most monumental statement I have ever made.
Mollie

It's so easy To shrug off the depression of others until you experience it yourself. I think I've heard it all from.. "you're just having a bad day" Or "what could possibly be so horrible in your life to make you this sad" When in reality, sometimes, it's nothing at all. Mine started at a young age. I was 11, the first time I ran away.

1 year almost to the day, after I was molested by a family member. (Family, now there's a funny word). Cue the first time I remember the darkness, the sadness, the heaviness. I was constantly told, I should have been a boy, by my father. Hello Shame, sorriness You see, I was pregnancy number 6 for them. All before me, boys! All but 1 (who is severely mentally challenged Aldo with cerebral) were born stillborn or passed of SIDS. And although I made it kicking and screaming into this world, sometimes I wished they had just let me go too.

I could do nothing right in my father's eyes, and mom was a typical 50's wife who didn't question what hubby said. By grade 8 I had already tried to commit suicide with pills, how I'm still here is a mystery. How I was able to make them believe I was just not feeling well, as I was beyond messed up on t3's x 100. (Eventually throwing up and sleeping) said so much to me. I have By 15 I was out of the house permanently. Still the darkness followed.

Not long before leaving home for good, I met a woman, who appeared to really want to help me. She seemed to care and it felt good. It felt real. Little did I know, I was being groomed for hers and her bfs adult friends. I was introduced to acid, pot, booze and sex. I was sent home one night, with one of their friends, who I was just introduced to that day. I still asked myself some days why the hell I went or participated, even though I know many years later I was a naive 15 year old who wanted to feel love so bad I was willing to talk myself into anything.

Through the years, I just learnt to "deal" with the darkness..to mask how I was feeling, because I was tired of trying to explain or better yet, defend my thoughts, my feelings. So I went to school, had relationships, raised kids but was never really fully present, as I didn't know who, what or how. I just went through the motions that were accepted by society.  Because let's face it, in my 50 years and still today, mental health has such a stigma surrounding it, people are afraid to speak about it, for fear of being judged or having it used against them. Now don't get wrong, life isn't only filled with sadness and darkness, although some days it's hard to find light, it is there! It's always been there. Waiting, calling and waiting some more.

But once you find the strength to reach out for it, it's glorious. It proves that doom and gloom doesn't have to win. Life doesn't need to be filled with dread, worry, anger, sadness and even numbness. I mean, it's always going to be a part of me. How could it not, with everything I'd been through. At 28, I was diagnosed with bi polar and adhd and FINALLY, thongs started to make sense. The difference between life growing up, (which also includes my young adulthood right up to the here and now), and the present, is that..... I'VE learned to forgive myself and love ME. Read that again! I spent an entire lifetime chasing acceptance and love from anyone else, I forgot to learn to love me.

Once that became a part of my daily life, those crippling hands that held me back and kept me quiet, released their grip, became soft and caring. So please, reach out, to anyone! Seriously, if it takes talking to a complete stranger, to keep you here...DO IT IF you have no one to talk to, message me. I will talk to you for as long as it takes to help you get through but a dark moment.

Together we can all find our brightness, find the light outside of our own minds. So no matter what feeds your darkness, if we all step up, encourage, praise, build each other, we can crush the stigma. Let's do better before there's nothing better left.

- Amber
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#endthestigma #mentalhealth #depression #ptsd #bipolarar #bad #anxiety  #ladyluckphotographystudio #ridgeway #forterie #mentalhealthmatters 

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Survivor story:
From a young age, I grew up in a safe, loving home. Yet around me in the world outside my door, I was exposed constantly, to harassment. I was so used to having seeing men expose themselves to me, that I became afraid of the world. I was afraid to wear a dress. I hid my body behind baggy, men's clothes. One time in Mexico on a trip when I was 15, I was harassed so much I stopped wearing make up and doing my hair.

As time went on, I thankfully met some wonderful, respectful men who made me feel safe. Safe to be myself and express myself. I also did a lot of work therapy and work on healing my inner child.

Wearing this corset is my way of claiming my power. I wear this now after years of overcoming shame and guilt and fear. I wear it because I want to. Because I love leather and I want to be sexy and express myself. I'm holding my guitar and I feel powerful.

I wish for everyone that reads this to claim their power. Don't let anyone make you feel like you can't express your true self or be who you are. 🖤🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

I can’t put into words how grateful I am to Jennifer (Lady Luck) for giving me such an amazing experience! I had such a blast during my photo shoot. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed. I have always believed in staying body positive….we all have rolls, scars and oddities. When I was younger, over 20 years ago and 35 pounds lighter I modeled professionally. The reason why I stopped was because I was told that I was too fat. My response was “WTF!”

I ditched modelling and I have been happy with my decision ever since! My rolls, my scars and my slightly crooked nose and teeth are who I am. I am proud of my accomplishments and strength. I have no time for anyone who doesn’t accept me for me.

Jennifer made me feel so beautiful inside and out.

Recently I found out that I had a few cancerous moles. Two have been removed and the last one on my stomach is scheduled to be removed August 11th 2021.

Never in a million years did I think I would have done a topless photo, my trust in Jennifer allowed me to do so, and capture a photo of my remaining mole before removal. I can’t stress it enough how important it is to do regular body checks and breast examinations.

Early detection is key. My daily affirmation is: Stay strong, stay positive, stay happy Another reason why I wanted do a photo shoot with Lady Luck was to showcase the lingerie that I sell as a advanced pure romance consultant.

Jennifer really captured the elegance and beauty of each piece. Thank you Jennifer for an amazing day. I will definitely be doing another photo shoot in the future.

xoxo Tracey

​As far back as I can remember as a child. I struggled with my weight. I became my own worst enemy.

The way I spoke to myself daily. I was crueler, more intense and surely damaging then any person in my life. Along the way there were many individuals who added to the noise. Not leaving much room for
positive affirmation.

Life had a way of giving us exactly what we need, especially when we are not aware we need it.
The reasoning is not always clear. Its surely not always easy.
In 2018 I was involved in a MVA which I was ejected thru the windshield. Resulting in a closed brain injury, among other bodily injuries. Subsequent to this in 2010 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in
my frontal lobe, the same area where the impact of the windshield met my skull. Coincidence.

​That is yet to be determined.

In 2013 my marriage of a decade ended in betrayal, deceit and unimaginable events at the very hands of the same individual who vowed to protect me, to love me. In sickness or in health.

With no career, chronic illness, a brain injury and brain tumor. No marriage, loss of assets from divorce.
Hitting rock bottom was inevitable. In retrospect.
In 20015, unexpectedly added a 3rd baby to my life. A miracle in every sense of the word. Now a single mom to 3. Struggling had become normal life.

In 2016 a batch of cookies changed the projection of our lives. After comments about how delicious these decorative sugar cookies were, I brainstormed and devised a plan to take this hobby perhaps and market it, with the intent to make some money so I could provide for the kids, and not rely on the food
banks to feed us.

Fast forward to 2020, I now have a multi award winning brick and mortar bakery which in a few months is celebrating its 3rd year open. The ironic thing is I don’t even like to bake. I love the art of decorating.
Food is simply my canvas. I am now able to provide for my 3 kids.

I am able to employ others and I can give back to the community who gave me so much on my darkest days.

A lifetime of being overweight, with diagnosis of Asthma when I was 7, Combined has taken a toll on my health. In addition to the other chronic issues. At the age of 37, in 2020,I found myself in the ICU every couple months. The last few admissions, I had required Bicap and assistance breathing on a ventilator.

It was in March 2020, the same time Covid was really making it entrance into our lives. I was once again admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator. At 368lbs, 5’7 I was morbidly obese and my lungs were struggling. My respiratory team flat out told me, I am going to die. This weight. Being this unhealthy with the condition of my lungs. I will be on a ventilator and one day they will not be able to take me off. This was my light bulb moment.

I reached out to a private surgeon in Toronto, shortly there after and begun the process for bariatric surgery. I had saved a small nest egg from my business. With the intent to purchase a home again. I realized without taking care of my health. Finding wellness. There was no point to purchasing a home.

As I would not be around to pay for it, let alone enjoy it with my 3 amazing kids. I took the funds and invested into me. I booked my gastric bypass. On June 1st 2020 at 368lbs I began my pre OP regimen. And on June 22 2020 I had my surgery.

The date of this photo shoot is Nov 24th, 5 months post OP. And I am celebrating a weight loss of 100lbs.

I am not at my goal. I am half way there. I choose to celebrate my accomplishment as I continue my journey to health and wellness. I choose to document this milestone. And I now choose to publicly share my journey. I have struggled since I was a child with weight. I will continue to struggle with weight all my life. I have chosen to not allow this to define me. I have chosen to invest in me. I am worthy. I am on my journey now to health and wellness. I am on my journey to learn who I am, as Lisa.

These photos allowed me to let down the mask I wear. To show you me. Raw, real and me. The day spent with Lady Luck, I for the first time felt comfortable in my skin. The photos captured will forever be etched in my memory.

These serve as a symbol of celebration of life. A celebration of losing 100 damn lbs. Also a reminder of for the future me, to see myself at 268lbs. I do not know what the future me looks like. I am excited to meet her.

Each day is gift
This is my 2nd chance.

- Lisa Allain -   Owner of  Talent 2 Design in Welland, Ontario