Bold Beautiful Perfect: Dominique
Bold Beautiful Perfect
“Beauty has various stages: bare as a seed, budding with innocence, tattered/weathered, flowering with confidence, or beginning to wilt.” – Dominique
Meet Dominique, our first pregnant woman to feature in the Bold Beautiful Perfect series!
My name is Dominique Murphy; I’m 31 years old and 30 weeks pregnant with our first child. My husband and I are celebrating our first year of marriage October 5, 2020 and “Mini Murph,” since the gender won’t be revealed until birth, is due December 5, 2020! I am an eight-and-a-half year combat Navy veteran (as of August 2020), Tulane Alumna (Class of 2020), and first-time homeowner (as of May 2020) living in Biloxi. I say 2020 A LOT to demonstrate that A LOT can happen in a YEAR… and, for me, it ALL happened AFTER 30!
What parts of your story can you share to help women to understand their own beauty?
As we grow our perceptions change, and with each decade of life that has passed, I’ve matured and valued different things. I find when we’re younger, we want to fit in and we value materialistic beauty. As we age and through our life experiences, we become wiser and value deeper characteristics of beauty that make each of us unique. Socially experiencing these changes mold our perceptions and alters our beauty to ourselves and others. The lovely thing is that it’s ever-changing and we are always growing!
It gives us ALL an opportunity to bloom. Rather than compare and stunt our growth, we should all recognize the journey and help others along to discover their beauty… grow and flower together in a garden of love that includes beauty in all stages: bare as a seed, budding with innocence, tattered/weathered, flowering with confidence, or beginning to wilt… it’s all part of the experience and journey through a beautiful life! ♥
How did it feel to be selected for the Bold Beautiful + Perfect project?
Being selected was such an honor and privilege! Honestly, I didn’t think I was worthy of the opportunity… GUILTY of reading the blog and comparing myself to the incredible women chosen before me with such incredible stories! For those familiar with the children’s movie Inside Out, this photo shoot is a “core memory” for me. It captured a moment in time for me that is so pivotal in a woman’s existence: pregnancy. Being able to share that moment with my husband and child in utero, and to see our growing family through Brandi’s perspective is something that can NEVER be replaced! I will be forever grateful to Brandi for giving me the opportunity to be featured as the first pregnant woman in the Bold, Beautiful + Perfect Project!
What was your experience with the photo shoot?
First off, Heather ensured I had everything I needed before the shoot and was available to answer any and all questions to prepare me for the big day! At first I felt nervous and intimidated – getting in front of a camera pregnant, when I felt anything but confident! After meeting Kasper, my anxiety quickly faded. He’s the kind of person who has never met a stranger, and we had a blast getting ready! That man’s make-up skills could make any girl jealous, but he didn’t just prep my face for a photoshoot; he polished my confidence by showering me with compliments and by the time I saw myself in the mirror, I felt like the best version of myself!
Meeting BRANDI… I can’t say enough about her and her work; the woman has a heart of gold and talent beyond belief! She’s so passionate about what she does, seeing her work empowers you to give 110% effort and when she shows you what SHE SEES through that lens… girllllll, fighting the urge to ugly cry and ruin all of Kasper’s hard work will be your biggest challenge of the day!
By the end of the shoot, Kasper lathered my entire body with lotion and glitter and Brandi was photographing me in undergarments and a robe, boudoir-style showing off my baby bump… something I would have NEVER imagined myself doing! Brandi guided me out of my comfort zone, and the results were breath taking! I will cherish her photos and the experience for the rest of my life!! ♥ If you’ve made it to this point and are still reading… go ahead a fill out the questionnaire, be raw and honest with your answers, to be considering for an opportunity of a lifetime! Be as vulnerable as I was ‘almost naked’ in front of Brandi’s camera… Even if you aren’t selected, if you’re ever looking for a ‘pick me up’ her blog and the women featured in it is a fabulous place to get inspiration, motivation, and empowerment!
Celebrate your beauty, whatever stage of life you’re in!
To book your own Portrait Session, contact us through the inquiry form below.
Much love,
Brandi
International Award-Winning Portrait Photographer
Brandi Stage is an international award-winning portrait photographer based in Bay St. Louis, MS. She creates an exceptional magazine-style photo shoot and timeless heirloom portraits for women, men, children and pets in her studio or on location.