This past weekend, I had the honor of photographing the Alaska Miss Amazing pageant and to say it was fun would be a total understatement! These young, genuine, confident and fearless ladies totally ROCKED my world!!

In a world where their uniqueness is looked down upon, the Alaska Miss Amazing pageant is part of the national Miss Amazing organization that provides opportunities to girls and women with disabilities to build their confidence and self-esteem in a supportive environment. It’s a brilliant celebration of diversity and to see their smiles as they took the stage and walked the red carpet truly made me smile from the inside out.

I had the pleasure of meeting some of these beauties at the Night to Shine event a few months back and it was so good to see them on stage singing, dancing and smiling from ear to ear! Seeing their joy…their sweet pure joy…it reminds you how precious all of our lives are and just how beautiful and talented we all are.

I believe when God gives us talents and passions, He doesn’t just give them to us so that we are the only ones that can benefit from them. We have a responsibility to give back and bless as many people as we can and can I be honest?? I HAD A BLAST!! Everyone there was a winner that night and to see their hearts shine so bright was so empowering.

What I love about this organization is that they are uplifting and celebrating a community. They’re helping so many girls and women feel beautiful and as a photographer who loves to show women the beauty they already have inside, I love supporting them and every other organization like it. Capturing the beauty of this event left me feeling so empowered…so inspired. Each one of these young women uplifted me and because of them, my world is definitely brighter.

Angela and the rest of Miss Amazing organization, thank you for allowing me to capture such a beautiful event. What you all are doing is life changing! 

Cheers to BEing YOUnique! 🙂