Aruna Minhas Empowering portrait experience

When I first met Aruna Minhas, it was clear that she was a woman on a mission to pursue her dreams and focus on herself. She had traveled all the way from Ashburn Virginia to my studio in Smithsburg Md for her professional headshot and to be part of a fun and empowering portrait experience. Aruna absolutely rocked her 40-over-40 portrait session - exuding confidence, strength, and grace throughout every shot.

Being able to retire already! There is none other such joy!

~Aruna Minhas

I asked Aruna what she enjoys most now that she is in the later stages of her life. She responded by saying that after retiring from her job a year ago and downsizing, she is able to afford to pursue her passion for traveling the world. Throughout her life, this has been a passion, but due to family obligations and financial constraints, it was not always feasible. However, now that her children have grown up and left home, she is an empty nester with more time and resources to focus on her aspirations. Seeing the excitement in her eyes as she talked about this made me even more excited to capture her great joy through my lens.

“ We recently retired a year ago from a job, took early retirement and now I downsized, definitely got rid of the big bills and so now I can afford to do what I really wanted to do and that is basically travel the world. That has been a passion throughout my life. But based on what our kids and our family situation we had to kind of watch how we spend our money and everything. So now the kids are gone and I'm an empty nester now. I have time to focus on myself and pursue those interests and do the things that I've already wanted to do. For example, I've also gotten after my retirement I pursued a real estate degree, and I got a license and that’s something I wanted to do for a long time. But because I was full-time employed and doing a lot of volunteer work and helping out with my daughters, didn't have time for that.

So now I am doing the things that I always wanted to do for myself. The focus is basically on me and that's my advice. Take the time back while you still can. Don't wait too long because we don’t know what's in store for us. So whenever, if you have a chance or if you're able to scale down once you are an empty nester then take the time for yourself and pursue your own interests and spend time together as a couple and do things together. We definitely feel that this is really the golden period of our life because we've done what we were supposed to do as a family, as parents of course we are still worried, but we are very happy.

Our kids are well-settled and pursuing what they in their own fields and careers and that is a blessing in itself. Now it's a different type of worry. You don't have to put them on the school bus or anything or take them to their games but it's just worrying that they find their partners. So, it's those types of worries and making sure that they are able to lead a happy, successful, and safe life.”

Aruna is a true inspiration in this world, with her unwavering positive outlook on life. She knows that time is precious, and every single day should be cherished to the fullest. That's why she always pursues what she loves, focusing on her passions and doing things that bring joy to her heart.

Aruna, one of the many women interested in joining my 40-over-40 portrait project, shared her reasons for participation. She expressed a fondness for the concept of capturing individuals over 40 years old. What particularly drew her to it was the potential gallery exhibition at the end featuring all of the portraits taken. This idea resonated with her and served as a reminder to prioritize herself instead of always putting others first. Overall, this project provided an opportunity for Aruna to explore new possibilities and perspectives on herself.

“I really like the idea of 40 over 40. I think that's what got me interested. One of the things that it highlighted was that there was going to be an exhibition at the end of the pictures that are taken and for some reason that really appealed to me and again putting the focus back on myself. You’re used to doing things for others and for your family members and you kind of put yourself on the backseat. So, this was like, okay, let me explore this and then get the pictures done at this stage of my life and see how I come out and kind of talk about it and hopefully go to the exhibition and take my friends along to see it. It just felt really glamorous at this point.”

Aruna shared her plans for her photos, mentioning how she intends to use them in her new real estate career by including some on her business cards, portfolio, and website to create a unique brand image. She also mentioned that she will decide what to do with the rest of the pictures later. However, she does plan on sharing some with her daughters and using others for business purposes depending on what she sees fit in the future.

“Some of them I want to use for my new career in real estate. I was hoping to put some on my business cards or in my portfolio or in my website as I create my branding. So, I thought some would come in handy. I might not put them all together, but one by one, I can turn them around. So, we'll see how that goes. The other pictures, I think I'll see how they come out, and then I'll probably plan something, maybe something for my daughters that I can give to and then one or two for ourselves. But it all depends on what I choose or what I see. Yeah, but I definitely plan to give some to my daughters and then use some for my business and then some at home. “

It's time to celebrate yourself and your achievements by being a part of the 40-over-40 photography session showcasing women like you. This is not just any ordinary photo shoot; it's an opportunity to be featured in an empowering gallery of successful women. Don't let this chance slip away from you - Book your session now!

 Let us capture the essence of your strength, grace, and resilience through our lens. We promise to make you feel comfortable and confident throughout the entire process while creating stunning portraits that will last a lifetime. So, what are you waiting for? Step out of your comfort zone and join us on this journey toward celebrating womanhood at its finest.

All the best,

 Diana