WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO (& how we came about doing it!)

Focus on Fabulous, LLC consists of two companies. It started in 2009 as Focus on Fabulous Creative Photography, as a special segment of a specified photography to a company once called “reflections photography.” The title “Focus on Fabulous” came to be after two years of mi being a divorced, over fifty, chunky chick feeling like I had nothing left to offer the dating pool. It was originally given to the art of photos of women in the same scenario who needed a lift in their confidence and purpose.

Although an award-winning photographer for many subject matters, I felt a calling for the boudoir-style of photography and believed that a woman’s image of herself is something most men don’t typically understand as women, no matter their age, shape or size will always find some flaw with their body. I pride myself on capturing the beauty that lies within each client and transforming their confidence & self-image.  As a photographer, I felt anyone with talent could take a good photo of a twenty-year-old blonde bombshell in a bikini and make her look good. But it took someone who really understood that beauty is more than what we “see.” A great photographer needs to be able to reveal the unseen beauty and bring it to light.

After various shoots over the years, it came to my attention that anything we photograph be it a flower, woman, baby, tree, mountain, etc. as a photographer we have focused on or captured what is beautiful about THAT subject. It is that lovliness which is revealed to others looking at the image. Therefore, in 2011, Focus on Fabulous became the sole name of the company no matter what I shot.

Since 2011, I have been blessed to reveal that unseen beauty in subjects of all shapes, sizes, and ages. In fact, one of the best compliments I ever received was when a client told mi (after seeing her images), “you brought my inside to the outside.”

It is through observing beauty in various ways that I began to focus on noticing beauty all around mi. In my daily activities, in small blessings, in my situations, surroundings and circumstances. I started making it a point of noticing the good and lovely and exquisiteness in everything. This totally changed my general mindset and my overall outlook in life.

In fact, the biggest catapult was at a photo shoot of a young woman joining the Navy who wanted images for her fiancé to have in a book while she attended boot camp. At that shoot I took a patriotic pin up style image and thought to myself,  “This would look great on a magazine cover.” I’d had images published in magazines before, won numerous awards for images and even have images available as stock photos for public purchase but for some reason that thought went out of my mind as fast as it came in and I immediately thought, “I’ve been writing since I could pick up a pencil. I was a graphic designer for 25 years. I’m already a photographer. I should just start my OWN magazine.” Thus, on a whim, with a mission and a dream Focus on Fabulous magazine was launched September 8, 2015 as a small 20-page quarterly publication in Charleston, South Carolina. Now in our third year, we are steady between 32 and 36 pages, available in both digital and print formats, have paid subscribers in 19 states, have traveled the globe to places like Philippines, Cancun Mexico, Germany and Canada and offer luxury subscription boxes filled with the publication and various goodies delivered to doorsteps around the globe.

Despite the challenges I face every day of running two businesses, I do this because I feel this is my sole mission and purpose for my existence on this earth. I believe this is the mark I am supposed to leave as a result of helping others make their mark, toot their horns and celebrate the wonderful things in their lives through this publication.

At Focus on Fabulous magazine we believe that our days are plummeted enough with what is negative and ugly in the world. Every page of every issue reminds our readers and writers to focus on the good and lovely and to be inspired.

As with our photography, we also know there truly is plenty of beauty that surrounds us if we merely take notice and focus. As well, we believe that every day is a gift and we all (despite what may) have loveliness that needs to be shared (in some way, form or fashion). In fact, it is through the sharing of stories, reviews, referrals, testimonies, and comments that we have witnessed such accuracy in that truth.

It is our mission at Focus on Fabulous, and my personal mission that no matter how you encounter Focus on Fabulous, you WILL be reminded of what is beautiful, lovely, wonderful and fabulous in you and around you. Each and every day.