Seattle 1999

In 1999, in Seattle's hip, post-grunge era, I stood at the edge of something entirely new. It was my first photo shoot for my new venture in sex work, and I was trembling inside as I prepared to pose naked in front of a stranger’s lens. Until then, I had only imagined what it might feel like to be seen that way—exposed, unarmored, unsure of myself and my newfound role as a 'Strap-Om' Goddess. My dear friend Jana had agreed to pose with me, a lifeline in the midst of my nerves. Having her there softened the fear, gave me a sense of safety and solidarity, something I would find unfold through my years with fellow sisters in crime...

What unfolded surprised me. The images we created together were unexpectedly erotic and achingly vulnerable. Looking back now, I see that shoot as a quiet initiation. In my first 'Boudoir Photography Studio' in the industrial area near Pioneer Square, with the misty port clanging outside, ferry horns on the distant bay, I began to claim my own body and my own story, not as an object but as an artist. That first shoot in Seattle wasn’t just for advertising; it was the beginning of a deeper reclamation, a moment where nervousness and self-doubt started to transmute into creative power.