Freedom
to Thrive
Collective
Women who chose freedom.
Women rising from the ashes of their yesterdays with purpose and grace.
A Gallery Exhibition & Portrait Experience
In the fire. In the forge.
Who will you be?
Buried in the embers, we can't see anything beyond the pain. We can't find the beauty. We can't see the bigger picture. We just take one sweltering breath after another, waiting for the heat to subside.
As the Maker pulls you from the flame… who will you be? A nail? A shard? A sword?
You are a
masterpiece
I see it. and I want to show you
September 19, 2026 • Des Moines, IA
Your story is worth celebrating
At the end of this project, your portrait and story will be featured in a public gallery exhibition right here in Des Moines. A room full of real women, real strength, and real beauty on display together.Imagine walking into that space. Champagne raised. Your story on the wall, not as a wound, but as a victory. Because in a world where the embers feel lonely, we were never alone.Live music. Champagne. Speakers. Women rising from the ashes of their yesterdays with purpose and grace.
After the Exhibit
Wake up to your strength, every day
After the celebration, take your custom framed wall portrait home. A permanent reminder of who you truly are. The woman who walked through the fire. The woman who came out forged.
The Experience
Everything that's included.
25
Women Selected
A curated, intimate collective. Each woman chosen. Each story celebrated.
3
Phases
Your consultation, your session, your celebration
Sept 19
Gallery Exhibition
Des Moines, 2026. Your portrait, your story, on display for the world to witness.
What you receive
As a featured woman in the collective
A relaxed intro session with Andrea where we discuss how to make you feel at home in front of the camera.
A personal style and concept consultation before your session to help plan your shoot.
Professional hair and makeup services by MK Artistry to look your absolute best.
A fully-guided carefree photo session in our stunning studio space.
A custom framed wall portrait to showcase your beauty and strength forever!
One completely unique and uplifting experience where you show up and shine.
Investment
$690
Total value over $2,300
This is a luxury portrait experience offered at an intentional investment — because your story deserves to be told, and cost shouldn't be what stands between you and seeing yourself clearly.
Spots are limited to 25 women. Sessions begin immediately.
Who this is for
Women in Central Iowa who are re-emerging.
Women who have navigated significant hurdles and are stepping into what comes next. If you've walked through the fire, this is your invitation to be seen on the other side.
Examples include, but are certainly not limited to:
Mothers & Single Mothers
Who continue to raise their children and hold their families together despite every adversity thrown at them.
Survivors
Of abuse, cancer, or any traumatic hardship. Your healing is worthy of witness.
Women of Faith
Who continue their work in ministry and community, even when carrying the weight of their own battles.
Professional & Entrepreneurs
Who still work to shatter the glass ceiling, even when their own world is falling apart around them.
Any Woman
Yourself or someone you know whose ability to anchor the storm and find joy on the other side is an inspiration to others.
Why your story matters
The heat you walked through
was not wasted.
It forged something incredible. You are beautiful, strong, and worthy. And there is something powerful about standing in that knowledge, in that freedom. Standing in the permission to see yourself through a lens of grace.When you claim your story, something happens naturally. Hope travels, and your courage becomes contagious. The woman standing next to you at that gallery sees you, and something stirs. She exhales. Like she'd been holding her breath and didn't know it.Your story isn't just about the past you've overcome. It's the anchor that holds you steady the next time life heats up. And it will. But you'll already know what you're made of.
This project is deeply personal
Andrea Mathes
with light & lens photography, Des Moines, IA
I came to know God when I was sixteen. And over the years, he's been patiently refining and undoing some deep, ingrained worldviews and lies that formed long before I had the language for them.I thought I'd walked through most of it. And then the cancer came. Everything I thought was healed, it came back. The fears and the lies. The old questions about my worth.But so did my people. My husband. My family. Women who held me up while my body shifted, my emotions stumbled, and my energy waned. They didn't fix it. They just refused to let me disappear into it.Three days after my diagnosis, this photo was taken. That image is still my favorite to this day. You can see the fear I had then. But you can also see the strength and the beauty and the vulnerability. When I look back at her now, I am proud of her. I'm proud of me.That's where this passion was planted. A deep pull toward helping women notice the beliefs they've been carrying, especially the ones rooted in fear and shame and survival. The ones that feel true even when they are not.Because God never intended us to carry it alone.So join me. This is your invitation.
With all my love,
Andrea
25 spots. limited time.
Girl.
You are a masterpiece.
I see it. And I want to show you.
Sessions begin immediately • Exhibition September 19, 2026 • Des Moines, Iowa
Ready to claim your spot?
Fill out the form below and Andrea will reach out to you personally. Spots are limited to 25 women.
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Des Moines, Iowa
©2026 With Light & Lens Photography • Freedom to Thrive Collective