Victoria speaks with Jen Rozenbaum! 

"Turning Tragedy Into Triumph and Using Photography as a Healing Tool" - Jen candidly shares with humor and compassion about one of her life's greatest struggles- her journey with breast cancer. She tells about the wisdom she has gained, the truth that she has found within and the incredible strength that she possesses and shares with other survivors. 

I was a stay at home mom in the process of trying to have another baby. After a miscarriage and a subsequent life threatening ectopic pregnancy, I found myself sad, frustrated and very alone.  I didn’t want to just wallow in my sadness, so I figured I needed a distraction. That is when I picked up a camera for the first time. I remember it clearly. I placed a glass on my coffee table and took a photo. Then I moved a knob and took another photo and so on.  Slowly but surely, I was teaching myself photography. In early 2009 I was invited by a photographer friend to assist her on a boudoir shoot.  I happily agreed. What a life-changing day that was. To this day I am not sure I can explain why, but I knew in my bones that boudoir was my calling.  I immediately started a boudoir photography business out of my bedroom and started feverishly marketing and in my first 2 years of business, I photographed more than 400 women!  Spoiler Alert: I also got pregnant with my second child!  Through my journey as a boudoir photographer, I have learned so much about women and myself. I learned that we all struggle with problems such as fertility, marriage issues, self-esteem and self-worth, body image issues, etc… Boudoir gave me a platform to start speaking about these topics publically. Out of that, the #ShamelesslyFeminine® movement was born. In 2017, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew once again it was time to be public and share my journey. I am still a boudoir photographer, but now I also turn the camera on myself to use art therapy as a way to heal from my cancer and to inspire women and men that are going through tough times in life.  Today, I spend my time shooting, teaching, writing, podcasting and working on another movement called Life After Breast Cancer to help women put their lives back together after cancer.  I am so grateful my camera has opened up opportunities for me that I never could have imagined existed. I am grateful my camera has been by my side through everything and has brought such amazing people into my life.