The Portrait That Fights Back: Photographing Resilience, Healing, and Hope
As photographers, we know how powerful a portrait can be. It’s more than a snapshot, it’s an image of identity, strength…and sometimes survival. I recently had the incredible honor of flying to Germany to photograph a woman whose story redefines what it means to fight and to live.
Her name is Argiro.
And her story? It’s one of the brutal diagnoses, heartbreak, and three rounds of cancer. But also one of courage, stubborn joy, and the love that pulled her back from the edge, again and again.
Portraiture as Healing
She fought with unwavering resilience. She emerged scarred but strong, metastasis-free, finally free of a toxic marriage, and more determined than ever to live, love, and give back.
The session was more than a photo shoot. It was a reclamation. Of her body. Of her story. Of her right to be seen in her strength, not just in spite of her scars, but because of them.
Portraiture can be deeply therapeutic for clients who have endured trauma, illness, or loss. It gives them a visual narrative that they control, a way to rewrite how they see themselves.
Argiro didn’t want pity in her photos. She wanted power. And that’s what we captured.
Trauma-Informed Photography: 5 Essentials
Photographing someone with a history like Argiro’s isn’t about posing perfectly or obsessing over light. It’s about human connection. Here are five principles I live by when working with clients who’ve endured trauma or illness:
1. Create emotional safety.
Build trust before you build the shot. Whether that means a long pre-session call, a playlist they love, or just sitting with them in silence for a while, do it.
2. Let them lead.
Ask open-ended questions and follow their cues. What parts of their story do they want to show? Which parts do they want to protect?
3. Be ready to pause.
Tears may come. So might laughter. Let them. You’re not just making photos, you’re holding space.
4. Don’t touch without permission.
Even the most well-meaning adjustment can feel intrusive. Always ask first. Every time.
5. Know their “why”.
This one is huge. Are they doing this for themselves? Their kids? A partner who stood by them? Or one who didn’t? Knowing their why shapes the entire experience.
Behind the Scenes: Argiro’s Story
Argiro first found a tumor in 2008. She was a single mom to two kids, just 9 and 14. She underwent a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and intense chemo. Her mother stepped in to care for the kids. Without her, they might have ended up in foster care.
She beat it. Life resumed. In 2012, she met someone new and married him. But five years later, the cancer returned, more aggressive, and again in the removed breast. More surgery. More chemo. Her kids, now grown, rallied around her. Unfortunately, her new husband was less supportive, exposing cracks between them that would only widen later.
By 2019, she was cancer-free again. She trained to become a certified geriatric nurse, so she could help both others and herself navigate this difficult medical journey. Then, in 2024, came the gut punch: metastases in the sternum, ribs, and soft tissue. She was classified as ‘palliative,’ which is reserved for the seriously ill in need of special care.
This wasn’t just a medical blow, it was emotional. Her husband was now openly checking out, waiting for what he saw as the inevitable. Argiro left him and moved in with her ill mother. The woman who had already fought so hard now felt all alone…again. But she wasn’t alone. Her children supported her. Her friend rushed to her side and never left. Reminded of why she was fighting, Argiro chose to battle her cancer again.
In early 2025, doctors attempted a rare surgery: removing her entire sternum, sections of ribs and collarbone, and her silicone implants. A nine-hour procedure. Life-threatening. And yet, she made it.
No breast. Huge scars. A pending divorce. But also: hope.
As of today, Argiro remains metastasis-free in the ribs and soft tissue. Her sternum area still shows signs of cancer, but she’s undergoing lifelong therapy and refusing to back down.
When she told me her story, I knew one thing immediately: she had to be seen.
And not just seen as a patient, but as the fierce, loving, battle-scarred mother, daughter, friend, and fighter that she is.
So I packed my camera and flew to Germany.
Empathy Meets Intention
The shoot was quiet and emotional. We shot in natural light, focusing on her face, her hands, the curve of her body where her scars now live. At one point, she looked directly at me and said:
“If even one woman finds strength from these pictures and doesn’t give up, then it was all worth it.”
We made sure those words didn’t stay invisible. They’re part of the images now.
This was not a “look how strong she is” session. This was “look how human she is.”
There’s a difference.
As photographers, we often focus on beauty. But sometimes, the greatest beauty is found in resilience. In the shadows, the cracks, the fight.
Portraiture has the power to give back what illness tries to steal: identity, dignity, and voice.
I’ll never forget this shoot. And I hope other photographers remember: sometimes, it’s not about the perfect lighting or the flawless pose. It’s about helping someone see themselves as whole again.
Even if their story is still being written.
Words and Photos by Ute-Christin Photography
