I am 225: Adriana Carrier

She is a portrait photographer, but Adriana Carrier doesn’t just take photos. She helps boost her clients’ confidence.

Carrier’s subjects range from children to families, but women hold a special place in her heart. It’s her mission to make them feel empowered in front of the lens. At her studio in Central, her subjects are draped in goddess-like gowns, their eyes bright and focused.

Making everyday women feel like superstars is Carrier’s specialty. It’s why in March 2017, she started The Self-Esteem Sessions, a challenge to photograph 1,000 girls ages 7 to 14 to help elevate their self-esteem. Clients get to pose for photos that show off their individual styles and personalities. Carrier aims to complete the project within 10 years, photographing at least two girls a week.

As Carrier’s business grew, she found a new niche: capturing professional women of Baton Rouge. In January 2019, she launched The Boss Babes of BR, a project centered around photographing women in different industries. In these photos, she asks the women to swap work attire for their favorite ball gown or outfit that makes them feel the most confident. The experience is not only inspiring for clients but Carrier, too.

When the statewide stay-at-home order was enacted this March, Carrier began teaching online photography tutorials and participating in a nationwide movement called the Front Steps Project, taking photos of families in front of their home in exchange for the family purchasing a gift card to a local business. Carrier and other local photographers use the hashtag #TheFrontPorchProjectBR to support businesses during the trying times.

Whether photographing teen girls or families, Carrier’s objective is the same: to have her clients leave feeling better than they came. adrianaportraits.com

“The sad thing is a lot of girls often hear they’re not pretty enough. If you’re comparing yourself to the women in the magazines, that’s not a fair comparison at all. There are 20 to 30 people behind the scenes orchestrating those photos. I want to show them that you can have that type of shoot and look just as good as anyone on the magazine covers.”

This article was originally published in the May 2020 issue of 225 Magazine.