Niya | Mom. Dancer. Cancer Fighter.

Meet Niya Kight. She is a woman that wears many hats. Mother. Dancer. Cancer fighter. And as for me, I would also call her a dear friend. I first met her three years ago when I shot her maternity photography session when she was expecting her first son. She became pregnant again—and later learned she had stage 2 cancer. She decided that she would take both of those life changing situations and handle them the Niya way, with a smile. She decided to continue treatment until a month before her due date to make sure she kept both baby and herself safe. This portrait is part of Portrait of Strength—our ongoing series celebrating inspiring women in the DC area.

Life Inspiration.

The Session: Bright, Feminine & Joyful

For the shoot, we wanted everything to be bright, beautiful, and feminine. Because she’s a queen, Niya chose an assortment of colorful floral crowns—so perfectly her.

First, we began with a forest-green, off-the-shoulder maxi dress with a center slit. It framed her baby bump beautifully and set a calm, confident tone.

Next, she changed into a golden-yellow gown—stunning, and it made her pregnancy glow shine even more.

Then, we moved to purple and white lace gowns. The textures added a soft, romantic touch, and the breeze lifted the train for a bit of magic.

A Dance Tribute

Finally, Niya paid homage to her roots in dance. I love that she keeps her passion alive—her movement brought the portraits to life.

Portrait of Strength: A Birth Story to Remember

For a woman with such an outstanding personality, she now has a labor story as unique as she is. It just so happens that Niya gave birth at home in an emergency to her second child at home with the help of her neighbor. True to form, Niya was in high spirits the whole time.
You can see the full story on fox5dc.com.