Some women come to Lone Star Pin-up to try something completely outside their comfort zone. Jessica Pham came because she already knew she loved this world. Vintage style and pin-up culture had captured her heart long before she stepped into our studio. While visiting a friend in Texas around the summer of 2012, Jessica realized she had the perfect opportunity to experience vintage pin-up photography for herself. “I am absolutely obsessed with the vintage and pin up style, so when I stayed with a friend I took the opportunity to get photos done!” What began as a “just because” portrait session became one chapter in a love of pin-up that has continued for well over a decade.
Awkward? Not for Long
Jessica describes herself as an awkward person, but any nerves about being in front of the camera didn’t last long. She was surprised by just how comfortable and fun the experience felt. For someone who considered herself a little awkward in front of a camera, that was a pretty great surprise.
We wish we remembered every detail of every session we’ve photographed over the years, but after more than a decade, some of those little moments inevitably get fuzzy. What we do remember about Jessica is how incredibly sweet she was and how much fun she seemed to have embracing the experience. We wish we remembered every detail of every session we’ve photographed over the years, but after more than a decade, some of those little moments inevitably get fuzzy. What we do remember about Jessica is how incredibly sweet she was and how much fun she seemed to have embracing the experience. She even proudly rocked one of our official Lone Star Pin-up tank tops back when those were a thing!
When we asked Jessica about her favorite part of the day, her answer was wonderfully simple: “I absolutely loved getting dolled up!”
Her Favorite: The French Maid
Of all the different portraits Jessica created, there’s one playful little number that still stands out as a favorite: her French maid pin-up. “It was cute and fun!” she told us. We have to agree.
With the ruffled black-and-white maid costume, feather duster, sky-high heels, bright red lipstick, and a wonderfully cheeky pose, it’s pure pin-up fun. Nothing too serious or complicated, just an excuse to dress up, play a character, and have a fabulous time doing it. More than a decade later, it’s still one of the photographs Jessica remembers most fondly.
One Photo Shoot, Years of Pin-up
Jessica’s Lone Star Pin-up session wasn’t the end of her adventures with vintage pin-up photography. Back home in California, she found a local photographer and continued creating pin-up portraits. Over the years, those photographs have appeared in several magazines, and Jessica has even been featured in a book!
But she didn’t stay solely in front of the camera. She went on to host pin-up pageants at American Graffiti Night in Modesto, California, and was featured in her local newspaper discussing pin-up culture and lifestyle. She also became president of the CenCal chapter of a Greaser Social Club, something she remains especially proud of.
What we love about Jessica’s story is that pin-up wasn’t simply something she dressed up as for an afternoon. It was something she genuinely loved, and all these years later, that love is still part of her story.
A New Generation and Another Photograph
Quite a bit of life has happened since that summer in 2012. Jessica has become a mom, and fittingly, one of the things she’s looking forward to now involves getting back in front of a camera, this time with her son. “I’ve become a mom since and I think it be fun to do a shoot with my son!”
There’s something especially sweet about that when you look back at the young woman in those original Lone Star Pin-up portraits. Photography has continued to follow Jessica through different chapters of her life, and now she’s excited to preserve this one too.
Her Advice? Go for It!
Jessica also has a message for anyone looking at these photographs while quietly thinking, I could never do that. I’d be way too nervous. Her response? “Me too!!! But trust me, it’s all worth it!”
That’s coming from the woman who described herself as awkward before her session and then spent the day getting dolled up, playing French maid, and looking perfectly at home in front of the camera. When we asked whether the experience changed the way she sees herself or her photographs, Jessica summed it up simply: “Everyone is beautiful and unique in their own way.”
Fourteen years later, Jessica is still taking photographs, still celebrating the culture she loves, and still finding new reasons to step in front of the camera. We’re just glad Lone Star Pin-up got to be one little chapter along the way. And something tells us there are still plenty more photographs to come.
