Its always a pleasure to be around people who are enjoying themselves. This is probably why I love photographing Aysha Thoen so much. Aysha has overcome plenty of adversity in her life and still keeps on smiling. While photographing all these beautiful women, I have encountered many interesting and sometimes tragic backstories. One girl (not Aysha) witnessed her father beaten to death in front of her own eyes as a child. She became a stripper, a drug addict, and had a tendency to attach herself to abusive males. Nonetheless, her smile continues to beam bright and she has made strides to a better future for herself and the children she hopes to raise. Not sure where I am going with this. Perhaps I just want to point out that plenty of these girls inspire yours truly. Sometimes their appearance may seem vulnerable, but that seldom matches their character.
