“They are so powerful. It invites you to talk in a way that you wouldn’t normally.”
"The images alone definitely had an impact before I dug deeper. Initially, I was overwhelmed, and I cried, when looking at the group of pictures together laid out. It was honestly just love, I think her love and your love, and also just the feeling of being OK loving myself. But I think putting my own words on paper (and then typed to you) was absolutely essential for me. Having the images to physically hold was really helpful, I was able to move them in different sequences that helped my processing."
"I am holding my loneliness and she is a teenage girl with puffy eyes, and I love her more than I have ever loved anyone."
“at first it feels like you are finding yourself in the photograph, and that you are not alone in your story,”
"It is a relief to see this physically - and get it out of just my head. And that it can be seen visually by someone else. Like I am not making it up. Because I still struggle with trusting that these things or emotions are true. That I am making too big of a deal of things or I’m not remembering correctly. But I don’t think that matters. Because the emotions and feelings are true to me. And seeing this visually is very validating. And I love her. Seeing her, yes makes me sad, but as I continue this work - it’s less sad and shameful. I want to take care of her. Because I am earning the trust of these parts of me with this work. That I am able to be in charge and be less protected."
"You know how much I've struggled to articulate what this entire process has meant to me, but I think maybe it's as simple (and profound) as this:
When I look at the finished images you shared with me, I feel whole.
There's no way to properly or adequately say thank you for a gift of this magnitude. I just close my eyes and hold my hand to my heart."
-Kim
"Words cannot express how thankful I am for my friend, Leslie, and her incredible spirit and impeccable eye for creating amazing images. What she did for Taiya in this session is something I cannot even describe.
XOXO Leslie!"
-Nikki
"Leslie photographed me with my dad for her ‘Women of Strength Project’. My dad suffered a stroke when I was in college and my sister and I were his caregivers for the next 15 years. Leslie perfectly captured not only the bond between a father, his daughter, and his grandchildren but also the incredible heartbreak that comes with loving someone through their pain and hardship. She has a way of photographing the most authentic moments without anyone even realizing she is standing there, in the shadows, with a camera. Even my dad, who had major anxiety and depression, was calm and at ease in her presence. My dad has since passed away, and I will never be able to repay Leslie for the cherished gift of this photo shoot that helps me remember my relationship with him."
-Brooke
