In the summer of 2006 I entered a self-portrait contest for Marie Claire magazine. The idea was to capture yourself in a unique pose and send it in for a chance to win a trip to New York for a photoshoot. Two months passed by and I hadn't heard anything until I came home one friday night and got the news that I was a top ten finalist! I was so excited to have made it that far. The top ten photos were placed online for everyone to cast their votes. After about three weeks I finally got the news that I was the grand prize winner! Special thank you to all my friends!

I got the call from the editor of Marie Claire to arrange for my visit to New York. A week later I was taken by car to the airport and about forty-five minutes later I was in New York City. I checked in to the Hudson Hotel which is near central park and it was amazing. The views were unbelievable. About thirty minutes later I was escorted by the editor to the Hearst building, where Marie Claire magazine is published. This is where all of the action took place. I traveled up and down many floors to meet the stylist, photographer, and make-up artist. I got to try on many different outfits and finally they picked a "New York" style for me. From there I got my hair and make-up done and before you know it I was posing. So many photos were taken! Being a model is very hard work if you're not used to it. I don't think i could deal with that everyday unless of course I was being paid well! After the photos, the editor for Marie Claire let me pick from thousands of beauty items. It was an amazing shopping spree.

I never got to see the final product until it hit stores in the January 2007 issue. Overall I was pleased with it and the whole experience. Hope you enjoy some of the photos from my NY experience.