Tania | A Celebration of Phenomenal Women

“She remembered who she was…and the game changed.”

-author unknown

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I have known Tania for awhile now, but it wasn’t until she came in for her own photoshoot that I got to really learn more about her own personal story - as a woman, a wife, and a mother.

I think as women, we can relate to one another on a unique level with regards to what it is like when hit hard with the coldest challenges of life, witness the bliss that comes from the peaks of victories, and shed tears of relief when God’s beautiful and constant feed of grace sustains us through it all.

Tania is not hesitant to share all about her faith and how she has seen God transform and strengthen her and her family.

It is beautiful and nothing short of a miracle.

Like every mother and every woman I have photographed, she is understandably hesitant and shy to step out in front of my camera - because she, like all of us as women if we’re honest, sometimes wonder about what the camera will show us about ourselves.

Will it be critical?

Will it be kind?

Or really…should it even matter to us?

One of my favorite things about seeing a client’s transformation is the look that changes in her eyes from when she first comes in for her shoot compared to the last image captured.

It’s almost as if you can see that smile from within that steps out, hesitantly at first, but later with a reassured confidence once it sees that it is more than safe to come out.

That smile, that strength, that unique creation of who Tania is as a person is exactly what I saw emerge in her eyes in these images and I am so very proud to share them with you all here.

Images | Heartbox Photography

Hair & makeup | Daisy Gonzalez-Duarte of Beautiful One Makeup Artistry

Jeannette | A Celebration of Phenomenal Women | 2020

Did I mention I get to work with awesome women who are doing awesome things in their field and community? :)

Jeannette Marsala is an estate planning attorney and owner of Marsala Law Firm here in San Jose. Prior to embarking on her journey as an attorney, she was a medical dispatcher and also worked with special needs adults with developmental disabilities. This San Jose native has a deep passion for helping families and it is evident by not only her work as an attorney but as a volunteer in her community.

It is always an honor to work with other women who are leading the way in serving others with the gifts and skills they have been given. Thank you, Jeannette, for allowing me to capture just a glimpse of who you are in these photos!

Images | Heartbox Photography

Hair/makeup | Becky Lau

Jennifer | A Celebration of Phenomenal Women

“You don't manage people; you manage things. You lead people.”

-Grace Hopper

American computer scientist & United States Navy rear admiral

Meeting boss women leaders in fields like technology is simply whole new level of cool.

Jennifer is a Director of User Experience Design at Glassdoor as well as mentor, speaker, and leader with TechWomen. I had the privilege of hearing her speak in San Francisco at an event that TechWomen was hosting to share about the work being done in mentoring other young women in the areas of techpreneurship in Sierra Leone.

Jennifer is one of the many leaders representing women in technology and I am excited to share with you all these final images (and her insight!) from her photoshoot with Heartbox Photography.

Happy Wednesday!

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Images by Heartbox Photography

Hair & makeup by Daisy Gonzalez-Duarte of Beautiful One Makeup Artistry

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Can you tell me a bit about you as a person and what you find most rewarding about your work?

I work in user experience design for the software industry. I’ve been doing this for at least 15 years - I’ve kind of lost track at this point. It’s a career I sort of stumbled into - I’d never heard of user experience design when I was in school.

My first job out of college was at a software consulting company, and to be honest, I didn’t love it. When I joined a project with a guy in this new role of user experience design, I realized why. Despite our best intentions, we weren’t delivering a good product because we weren’t thinking about how people actually use software, just what the programs needed to do. So I made the switch and never looked back. 

Today, I lead a team of 6 designers at Glassdoor, with the goal of creating tools for job seekers and employers that are as intuitive and enjoyable to use as possible. The hiring process is stressful enough for everyone already, so we feel really good when we can deliver a product that in some way helps. But what I find most rewarding these days is the chance I have to mentor my team and help my organization strive for the best experience possible.

What are some things that you would want women to know with regards to any of the following topics: self-confidence, beauty, education, women in the tech and science fields?

Beauty is very personal. It’s more than a cliche when they say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, because it’s not just about what one personally think is beautiful, it’s also what you focus on. So when you feel ugly and your inner critic is stomping on your self confidence, try changing your focus. No matter how much of a mess you think you are, there is always something beautiful about you. 

Bad hair day?

Focus on how your eyes sparkle. 

Puffy eyes from lack of sleep?

Think about how engaging your smile is. 

Focus on the things you like about yourself, not the things you hate. And remind yourself that just because you couldn’t stop thinking about that pimple, other people are just as likely to have missed it because your eyes were sparkling or smile was so engaging.

When it comes to women in tech and science, especially here in Silicon Valley, I think it’s important to know that the first computer programmers were women.

In fact, programming languages as we know them today were first invented by a woman, Grace Hopper. Women can absolutely be successful in a field that was started in large part by women.

Best advice you ever received?

Whenever you’re upset with someone in your life, a coworker that you think is working against you or a family member you think has been thoughtless, remember to stop and ask yourself what you really, truly know about the situation.

Our brains love stories, and they are hard wired to fill in gaps and create those stories. But the story your mind creates might be wrong. So hold off on judging someone else’s motivations. Tell them what you see and ask them to fill in the gaps for you.

What do you appreciate most about your life now?

I am fortunate to have the opportunity and ability to travel. Not just because I get to take great vacations, but also because I get to meet and connect with new people and different cultures.

Sometimes you see better ways of doing something. Sometimes you realize how much worse things could be than the life you were granted.

And sometimes it’s just a different lens on the same situation that makes you see something in a new light. 

Seeing first hand the variety of experience others have of the world has made me both grateful for what I have and mindful of what I might be able to do better.

A First Try and Reflection Back

This past weekend a friend of mine celebrated the fourth year anniversary surviving a brain aneurysm. Back when it happened, I wasn’t as close to her as I am now and to put it bluntly, I am thankful to God for allowing her to miraculously survive and heal from that - to live today. I would not have known her had she gone home so to speak. :)

As part of celebrating her (and her brain!), she invited a group of us to join her for a hike that, truly had it not been for love for my friend, I would NOT have done. Give up chocolate for a day, yes. Climb up a hill for fun, no. But alas, friendship and love makes you do some weird things.

It was long, it was warm day, and there was an incline towards the end I wasn’t a huge fan of. BUT! We all made it! And yes, indeed it was beautiful and also so interesting to physically look back at the path and think “Seriously? We went and surivived ALL that way?!?”

I think that as much as being in the present and hoping for the future, it is equally important to look back. It makes the entire endeavor that much more meaningful, that much more sweet, that much more interesting, really.

I got to thinking about this as I looked at archives of past work. Below is one of the first photos I ever took when setting out to be a photographer of contemporary and glamour portraiture. I barely knew my camera, barely knew what I was aiming for, barely knew what it was like to create something without fear. I only knew that I wanted to create. That’s all.

And while it shows indications of a newbie just starting out, to me, it’s an image I am proud to share with you all and proud to say I created, even while still learning so many things.

Happy Wednesday!

Image | Heartbox Photography

Hair/makeup | Julieta Camacho

Celebrate Daughters, Celebrate Legacy

I love when clients bring in their daughters to also be photographed - because she is essentially shaping the life of a human that will grow into a young lady one day knowing it is absolutely awesome to celebrate every year of your life, whether you are 8 or 80 years old.

Celebrate the legacy of girls and women in your family with a portrait to last a lifetime - there’s something beautiful and powerful that is beyond the images itself.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Image by | Heartbox Photography

Hair & makeup | Katie Pheneger