Julia Mae Photography, LLC

Julia Mae Photography, LLC Branding, headshot & senior photography for humans building businesses and lives in real bodies. Parkinson’s doesn’t define me, but it’s always here.

Showing up anyway. 💖

06/11/2026

How to open a tofu package when you’re having Parkinson’s symptoms:

Step 1: Consider stabbing it dramatically. 🔪😂

(Just kidding.)

Today my dominant right hand wasn’t cooperating, and even my left hand couldn’t get the package open the usual way.

So I adapted.

A quick slice around the edge with a knife, peel back the top, and dinner was saved.

Living with Parkinson’s means finding a different way to do things over and over again. Some days it’s frustrating. Some days it’s funny. Most days it’s both.

The goal isn’t doing things perfectly. The goal is continuing to do the things you enjoy.

And besides… we were hungry. What was I supposed to do, NOT make dinner? 🤷‍♀️🤣

06/11/2026

I was feeling pretty good. Playing with a scarf. Trying a new look. Having fun.

Then came one of those Parkinson’s moments.

The coordination needed to fold, hold, and tie a slippery scarf just wasn’t there today. What should have taken seconds took multiple attempts, a few adaptations, and more determination than I expected.

That’s the thing about Parkinson’s. Sometimes it interrupts a perfectly good moment with a reminder that life has changed.

FOREVER.

But it’s also teaching me something:

Adaptability. Determination. Acceptance.

Maybe success isn’t doing things the way we used to. Maybe success is finding another way.

(And maybe success is finally getting the scarf on before melting and needing to turn on the fan. 😂)

06/10/2026

Parkinson’s hasn’t changed my cooking much.

I can still throw together a pretty amazing vegetable stir fry with coconut milk sauce. 😋

But cleaning as I go? That’s become a little more… optional.

Craig and I have always had a deal: I cook, he does the dishes. I used to leave him a few dishes. Now I leave him a crime scene. 😂

Some days there just aren’t enough spoons left for cleanup.

Thankfully, he still shows up for dish duty. 💖😘

06/10/2026

Fun challenge at Occupational Therapy this morning! This exercise was designed to tease my brain and keep the pathways to my camera trigger finger fresh and sharp. I loved the basket of colored balls, too.
As usual I thought I’d stay slow, but as I practiced over and over I got faster and faster.
On With Life

06/09/2026

A surprise visit from my niece and her adorable 2-year-old daughter turned out to be exactly the gift I needed. 💖

So proud of you both!💖🥹
As we played, she reminded me of something simple: when life doesn’t go your way, stop and take a breath. Then take another.

We can’t control what happens to us, Parkinson’s or otherwise, but we can choose how we respond. As someone with Parkinson’s (and a lifetime of anxiety), I know that’s easier said than done. Even though I’ve practiced breathing techniques for years, I still forget when I’m overwhelmed.

A few days later, I was stressed and heading to a photo shoot, heavy camera bag in tow. My car was parked two blocks away because of construction, my symptoms were flaring, and panic was starting to take over. Then I remembered this little moment.

So I stopped.

And I took a deep breath. 🥹

Sometimes the lessons we need most come from the smallest teachers. 💖

06/09/2026

I was so excited once I realized I felt good enough to get lost in playing around.
I wasn’t thinking about Parkinson’s. Or kidney stones. Or wondering if this is the best I’m going to get and it’s all downhill from here.
It was a welcomed break. 🥹💖 ’s

06/08/2026

I had an important a-HA realization I wanted to share with you.

So I brushed my hair, set up a light, clipped on my mic, and hit record.

Immediately, dyskinesia took over my leg and arm.

I adjusted my pump settings and started again.

Then my microphone died.

Seven minutes of talking. Zero audio. 😂

The irony is that I was trying to talk about how I don’t always win. That I’m learning a lesson about surrendering. Parkinson’s has taken away a lot of the control I used to try to have over my life.

The goals. The time blocking. The to do lists.

But somewhere in all of this, I’ve discovered that surrender isn’t the same as giving up.

The more I stop fighting reality, the more space I have for the things I’m actually here to do: encourage people, build community, create, uplift, empower, learn, teach, and serve.

Learning to get out of my own way has done more for my life than trying to control every outcome ever did.

And apparently, today’s lesson came with a practical demonstration. 🤦‍♀️😂💖

06/07/2026

Here’s what doing ordinary things like grocery shopping looks like for me.
When I’m pushing a cart I look very normal. But I move slightly slower than everyone else. like I either have all the time in the world, or I’m hesitant. People bob and weave around me. Some get a little impatient. After all, I look way too young to be moving so slowly.
I know I could order groceries and have them delivered. But I still like going and picking everything out, looking for specials and remembering something I didn’t put on the list when I see it.
It’s good for me to get out and walk. Push the cart. Carry the groceries.
’s

06/07/2026

Jiminy Christmas! I’ve been laughing about this for a month! Ever since the first time Alyssa set up something crazy for me to do at PT!

06/06/2026

Congratulations to my nephew Sean!

Address

Des Moines, IA
50310

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15157836292

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Julia Mae Photography, LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Julia Mae Photography, LLC:

Shortcuts

Share

Category