Here's to Beauty.

When I saw this shoot in my mind, I envisioned sweet Belle seeing herself in a dream. She's battling a war within herself as she lets go of ideals and expectations. She welcomes love, peace and understanding as she tries to make sense of her life which once seemed so simple. The yellow smoke is an extension of Belle, the light breaks through the trees to reach her and ground her. I needed to set everything down and shoot for myself this week. This vision has been on my mind for several months and I knew I had to create this for many reasons. I remember when Beauty and the Beast came out the first time. My favorite outfit was a Beauty and the Beast stirrup pant and sweater set I got for Christmas and I wore it as often as I could. I look forward to seeing the upcoming release of Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson.

Here's to Beauty.

My ballerina is Katie Smith, a seasoned dancer and instructor. I knew Katie was the right dancer for this project because she is pretty much Belle in real life, a true beauty and a lady of class.

Photography by myself: Melinda Pike.

Special thanks to Kelsey Schmidt for assistance with this project.
All images are copyright Melinda Pike Photo of Pike Media LLC. Do not download, alter, or reproduce these images without my consent. 

All images are copyright Melinda Pike Photo of Pike Media LLC. Do not download, alter, or reproduce these images without my consent. Media: contact hello (at) melindapike (.) com for use.