Behind the Shot: Ozzie Osborne : RISE

Confession: I am that girl who is a sucker for tattoos. I don’t think I can pull off the human canvas look for myself but I’m in awe of anyone who can. When it’s done right, it’s beautiful.

Personally for me, tattoos should mean something or be inspired by something. The dove with an olive brand I have on my hip was inspired by my newfound love of the culture of Woodstock when I was in high school. The astronaut I plan to get stems from my childhood desire of wanting to become one when I grew up. The semicolon I will have on my foot will be a symbol of making it through one of the darkest periods of my life by just taking steps, one foot in front of the other, no matter how small.

So, if I see a tattoo on you during our brand shoot, the journalist in me can’t help but ask what it means and what inclined you to get it.

THE BACKSTORY:

I photographed Ozzie Osborne (yes that’s her real name) on the eve of her RISE program launch. Ozzie is a Heart & Mind coach who specializes in redefining masculinity so that men and women can have better relationships. She developed the program after going through a divorce, trying to figure out how she could bounce herself back and let go of patterns and habits that no longer served her when it came to having a good relationship.

I spotted the writing on the back of Ozzie’s arm while we were focused on capturing a series of photos for the reflection part of her story.

“That’s a beautiful tattoo,” I said, mesmerized by the strokes of the writing. It reminded me of the waves on an electrocardiogram — a glimpse into someone’s lifeline. Little did I know how much it was a glimpse into hers.

“Oh my gosh,” she exclaimed. “It’s from Maya Angelou and her poem ‘And Still I Rise.’”

Bingo.

We both saw the light bulb go off. That poem was the epitome of Ozzie’s personal transformation and now professional program. It is all about overcoming darkness by letting go of things that don’t serve you and elevating yourself to the next level. It couldn’t have been more serendipitous than if I had asked Ozzie to get herself inked with that message in mind.

I took two versions of the photo, one with the focus being on her in the mirror, the second being on just the writing on her arm. There are a lot of ways to play with this, such as focusing on your rise, for example. She could also use each photo separately on social at different times, while keeping a consistent look.

When you work with a brand photographer that pays attention to little details like that (thanks, wedding photography days), you get to tell your story in super unique ways that will undoubtedly grab the attention of your audience.

That’s what it’ll take to stand out in a sea of social media saturation.