My name is Courtney Elizabeth Young, two time triple negative breast cancer killer, solo traveler of over 30 countries across 6 continents [sadly, not too much of Europe — saving that for when I get older!] author, artist, activist & animal.
I am an internationally published photographer and writer, a crocodile-riding, cage-free-shark-diving, skydiving and marathon-running wild woman.
As of late I have been polishing people's narratives through imagery, but I am forever in search of stuffed grape leaves, clients who I really connect with, and the cure for cancer.
I love photographing movement artists and portraits with an emphasis on culture.
I do not tell stories.
I let stories tell me what needs to be told.
about my mission
full bloom photo is a humanitarian- and equity-driven art project as much as it is a service that believes in societal reparations at large being made by those who are fortunate enough to come from a place of privilege!
Driven with a passion to support the voices of populations that have consistently been ignored in society — or, stories that are often left untold: specifically those who society has pushed to the margins — means discounts on packages may be available for those who identify with items listed below:
BIPOC: (black, indigenous, latinx, people of color) • LGBTQIA2S+: (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer-identifying, two-spirited, and any and all other gender identities) • Muslim • biracial//interracial//intercultural couples.
and/or: limited physical mobility • limited mental disability • debilitating mental health issues • chronic illness • non-English speaking • deaf/HOH • insufficient means of “valid identification” • felony conviction • first- or second-generation American • low-income-status // or (other) events that have impacted your financial status: (i.e.: widowed)
Anything not listed here, please feel free to let me know so that I can make appropriate accommodations!
In the questionnaire I send you before each shoot, you will be asked this question, but are not required to answer if you are not comfortable doing so. I ask because I believe that people with limited resources or who have faced disadvantages in life should still be able to receive professionally curated images of the life they have created for themselves despite the odds they have faced.
Your memories should be affordable & accessible!
staunch anti-racist & LGBTQIA2S+ ally
a little more about me...
My background is in human services: responding to crisis and providing court and police advocacy and legal support to those who have survived sexual violence. Before that I worked in social services as a family stabilization specialist, and prior to that, in education.
I believe one of the most telling things about a person are the things they love.
Some of mine happen to be:
being alive, adventure travel, bareback horsehides on the beach in some far flung land... meeting strangers on the road — any road, any country, anywhere — that become friends, animals [any animal, ever], cool castles, learning new dances at camel beauty pageants in the Middle East, or riding crocodiles at the rural edges of West Africa.
Books... so, so, so many books... dogs... literally everyone's dog... people standing up for justice, my faith, my camera clicking off the side of some tuk-tuk that's going too fast for me to get a good shot, the wind in my hair, rock-climbing [even if I'm bald but wearing a wig for helmet padding — and still more terrified of heights than of cancer] and most importantly, my family:
My two cats Tuna and Darling, my boyfriend Brad who met me at no eyelashes, no breasts, and no hair who fell in love with me anyway, [we are getting married 08/08/2026! WHAAAT!] his parents and sister, my parents and my sister, my hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, and everyone who has cheered for me along the way to make it this far.
Thank you for being a part of what I love.
a little about my adventures...
Cancer is usually the worst thing that can happen to a woman in her 20's, but that was not the case for me.
Getting it again in my 30's was also not the worst thing that ever happened to me.
Life was pretty rough for a long time before then, but I made it!
Across 6 continents and over 30 countries solo, I made it!
Now I even have an amazing guy to drag along with me!
I am in long-term recovery of over 15 years and have had some wild adventures since then. From stashing dollar bills into a mason jar to stamps on the passport, somehow, I made it!
coffee with courtney?
it's imperative for me to know what it is specifically that my clients are looking to get out of their photos and precious memories, and it's just as important for me to drink coffee. Let me get you a cup sometime, and we can talk ideas and get to know each other :) Don't drink coffee? That's fine. There is always tea or vegan water! Let's dream bigger and do bigger, together! :)