Featured Senior Portraits, Uncategorized

Bullying is a tremendous issue which is frequently not taken as seriously as it should be. Three of my 2015 senior models and 4 of my 2016 senior models got together with me for a photo shoot with Anti-bullying as our theme to help draw awareness to this issue. There are kids hurting, losing their self-esteem, and some even wanting to take their own lives due to degrading comments being made to them every day. NOBODY deserves to be treated like this, EVER.

One of my senior models has given me permission to share her story with you. It rips my heart to shreds to think anyone could ever treat her, or anyone else this way. She is a smart, talented, incredible person, and along with all 6 of these other girls, she is not only beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside as well, which is what really counts.

“Bullying is such a huge issue that I have always felt has never been taken serious enough. I wanted to share not only this picture with everyone, but my story. I’ve been bullied for so many things for as long as I can remember. “You’re fat”, “you’re ugly”, “no one likes you”. I’ve been bullied on social media to the point of tears, etc. I have always been very open about my past & current struggles with anxiety & depression, & I have to say bullying is the biggest cause of all my sadness. A lot of times myself & many others put on a front that the things people say to them don’t bother them, but trust me they do. WORDS HURT. & I replay them in my mind over & over again. My confidence & happiness was taken by bullying long ago, because when people constantly tear you down, you start to believe these things yourself. This past April I faced my biggest battle with depression yet. I had gotten into an argument with some girls that led to them saying “you’re so f*cked up in the head”, “you’re psycho”, “you need to be put on something you depressed b*tch”. Knowing about my years of struggling, I had felt like they we’re right. Not even an hour after the argument, my mom walked in on me trying to take my own life. I was so sad from all the things people had said to me that I believed my life was no longer worth living. I was sent to a psychiatric hospital for one week to get the help I needed. I am not sharing my story for pity, or to make people feel sorry for me. I do not want to be told how strong and courageous I am for opening up about my past. I am only sharing my story because the thought of someone else going through what I’ve been through breaks my heart. Even after the hospital I continued to get bullied. The event led to comments like “you’re a suicidal freak”, “go cry some more”, & the hardest one of all “go back to the crazy hospital”. I would like to be the first to tell anyone DO NOT BE ASHAMED TO ASK FOR OR GET HELP! You are not crazy, you are not psycho and your life is NOT worthless. STAND UP & SPEAK OUT AGAINST BULLYING.” ~Alexis

#STAYSTRONG #STOPBULLYING