Thumb Injury, Surgery & Staying Behind the Lens — A Wicked Wise Woman Moment
By Heather Mladek
Last Friday changed things — at least for a little while.
I ended up with a thumb injury that stopped me in my tracks. The diagnosis came fast, and so did the news: surgery is on the horizon. My dominant hand — the one that's held a camera for over 20 years — is going to need some time to heal.
And honestly? My first thought wasn't about the pain. It was about you. About the women waiting for their Wicked Wise Women sessions. About the shoots I have planned. About the work that lights me up every single day.
The Year I Turned 50
This is already a big year for me. I turned 50 — and I'll be honest, there's something about that number that makes you look at your life differently. More clearly. With more gratitude, more intention, and a whole lot less patience for playing small.
The last few days I've been thinking about what it means to truly be seen — not just the polished, camera-ready version, but the real, full, complicated, beautiful version. The one who might have a brace on her wrist, but still has the fire in her eyes.
Fifty looks like showing up anyway. And that's exactly what I'm doing.
The Wrist Brace I Didn't Plan On Wearing
There's something humbling about being the person behind the camera — the one who helps everyone else feel strong, beautiful, and seen — and suddenly finding yourself a little vulnerable. A little wobbly. A little human.
But here's what I know after 20+ years of doing this work: resilience isn't the absence of hard moments. It's what you do inside them.
So I ordered a vertical grip for my camera.
Adapting, Not Stopping
A vertical grip attaches to the base of the camera body and allows me to shoot in portrait orientation — the way I photograph most of my clients — using my left hand as the dominant grip. It's not how I learned. It's not how I've worked for two decades. But it works.
And you know what? There's something kind of beautiful about that.
I've spent years telling women in my studio that they are more capable than they believe. That the version of themselves they're afraid to show the world is often the most powerful one. That transformation doesn't always look the way you planned.
Apparently, the universe decided it was my turn to live that lesson — right here, in my 50th year.
What This Means for Sessions
I want to be fully transparent with you: I am still shooting. Sessions are still happening. The Wicked Wise Women project is still moving forward, full steam, toward our October gala benefiting the Hope and Justice Project.
I may be wearing a brace. I may be holding my camera a little differently. But my eye is the same. My heart is the same. And my commitment to making you feel like the most beautiful, powerful version of yourself — that hasn't changed one bit.
A Wicked Wise Woman Moment of My Own
I've been thinking a lot about doing my own Wicked Wise Women session. Turning 50 has a way of reminding you that you are worth celebrating too — not someday, not when things settle down, but now.
Because if this year has taught me anything, it's that we all need to be seen — even the woman behind the camera. Especially her.
There's something about sitting in that chair, letting someone else do your hair and makeup, wrapping yourself in something beautiful, and just being — that I think I need right now. A reminder that I, too, deserve to be celebrated. Not in spite of the hard season, but because of it.
Fifty, brace and all. I'm ready.
Thank You
To every client who has trusted me with their story — thank you. You are the reason I adapt. You are the reason I show up, brace and all.
And to anyone who's been on the fence about booking a session: let this be your sign. Life is short, unexpected, and wildly beautiful. You deserve to be photographed in it.
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Heather Mladek Photography LLC — Beauty, Boudoir & Branding Photography serving all of Aroostook County, Maine.
