“I have looked at them many times and they have sent my imagination into overdrive as to what could be.” Karen

Could you choose not to live your authentic life. How would it feel to be 60 years old and to still be trapped in the wrong body, living a lie? Why might someone choose to do that? What if you had a business, a wife, children and grand children and you knew that to live authentically may destroy your family? Would you be brave to protect them or braver to live as you needed to?

Would you spend your life wondering what it would be like to live as a woman, knowing that you are a woman and pretending to be a man? Gender is a performance we act masculine or feminine. It must be very painful to act all day every day. 

Karen came to me because she wrestles with these choices. She found my website and read about my work, she got in touch to find out if I was trustworthy and sensitive. Could I provide a make-up artist who would respect her privacy. Could we let her become the woman that she is and photograph Karen so that she could take those images home and think about her life? She asked me to post this blog. 

Many transgendered people live this way, many “come out” at the Sparkle weekend in Manchester each July. But if you cannot face hurting your family you can come to me for portraits and to see your authentic self. It may stir your imagination too.