Why I Created the World’s First Endometriosis Empowerment Photoshoot

Honouring the bodies that carry us through it all

In a weird way it kind of feels like my life has been leading this. This very, beautiful thing that combines my decades of pain, struggle and loss and turns it into something powerful, helpful and moving. To me this new adventure feels like all those years have finally meant something. If I can help one other person struggling with endo, adeno or period issues, to reframe how they see themselves, to find the beauty in their “broken” body, to feel comfortable at ease and reconnected to their skin, then it all feels like this journey makes sense.

Living with endometriosis is a deeply personal and often invisible experience. It’s full of contradictions: strength and vulnerability, beauty and grief, silence and resilience. For many of us, it can feel like a quiet battle—one we fight within our own bodies every day.

As a photographer and someone who believes fiercely in the power of storytelling, I wanted to create something more than just a photoshoot. I wanted to create a safe, empowering space where people living with endo could feel seen, celebrated, and in control of how their stories are told. That’s how the Endometriosis Empowerment Photoshoot was born.

Here are seven reasons why I have brought this package to life:

1. To Make the Invisible Visible

To raise awareness. Although it is very common (affecting one in ten people assigned female at birth) due to a lack of research and understanding about the disease (and a dash of medical misogyny), it takes an average of ten years to get a diagnosis, which means many of us are living with crippling pain and symptoms without answers for many years. Endometriosis also, isn’t always obvious. It is an invisible disease and it doesn’t always look like pain. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. I created this shoot to give a face—and a voice—to an often overlooked experience. Every image becomes a statement: I exist. My story matters.

2. To Reclaim the Body

I want to empower people to feel comfortable and reconnected to their bodies. Endo is a debilitating disease that can affect all aspects of our lives, including our physical appearance, mental health and our connection with our bodies and sense of self, relationships, carers, and our income.

For many with endo, the body becomes a battleground. Procedures, trauma, misdiagnoses, and pain can lead to a disconnect from the self. This photoshoot is about reconnection—standing in front of the lens not just to be photographed, but to reclaim ownership of your body, on your terms.

3. To Create Space for Healing

I want to provide a safe and comfortable space for endo warriors. Getting your photo taken can be nerve wracking for some people, but add in years of pain, body dysmorphia, weight gain and scars- it can be hard to find a photographer who you know will make you feel at ease. I aim to provide a safe space for anyone wanting to shed their insecurities.

4. To Heal Myself

As endo took over my life more and more the last few years I found photography an incredibly healing practice. The more I photograph myself and people with endo the more connected to myself, and to others. Photography can be powerful and cathartic. These sessions are not just about looking beautiful—they’re about feeling safe in your skin again. There’s something transformative about being witnessed in your truth and reflected back with compassion and strength.

5. To Show That Endo Does Not Discriminate

Endometriosis affects all types of bodies. Endo does not discriminate, no matter your age, size, ethnicity, or gender endo can take over your life. I want to show a diverse range of bodies can be affected by this disease and that endo looks different for everyone. It might be surgery scars, fertility challenges, hormonal rollercoasters, or years of gaslighting and silence. These shoots are a way to honour every step—to hold space for the complexity, the courage, and the quiet victories and to show that all bodies are unique.

6. To Build Community

Endo can be a lonely disease and sometimes it feels like nobody gets you. Offering this kind of shoot helps build connections and create a little endo community with like minded people. When we share our stories, we create space for others to do the same. This shoot isn’t just for you—it’s also for the next person scrolling Instagram, wondering if they’re alone. Through these portraits, we remind each other: we are not alone in this.

7. To Raise Funding For an Incredible NZ charity.

In order to continue empowering people with endo, $50 from every shoot goes to supporting Endo Warriors Aotearoa- a registered charity dedicated to empowering individuals with endometriosis and fighting period poverty.

This isn’t just a photoshoot. It’s a love letter to the body that carries you, even when it hurts. A celebration of your resilience. And a reminder that you are worthy of being seen—fully, bravely, beautifully.

If this speaks to you, I’d be honoured to create something together. Get in touch!

xx Ainsley