"I don't photograph well."
I have heard this defensive line more times then I can count. It's usually one of the first things people say when they meet me. Its definitely uttered consistently on the phone when future clients are booking me for portrait sessions.
Here's the thing guys - in bad lighting, with a wide angle iPhone or in mediocre lighting with a mediocre photographer - we ALL have the potential to photograph poorly. Being the subject of a photo is NOT an easy thing to do. Our bodies were made to move. They were made to function and protect us. They were made to get us through long work days and consume beautiful meals - they were not meant to stand static in front of a lens and be frozen in time.
So when someone says, "I don't photograph well," I have only one response. "That's OK! I do!!"
I do photograph well. I have spent the last ten years photographing every single type of person you can imagine. No one's face is a challenge. No one's body is a mystery. I truly love the uniqueness of every person - of getting to show someone who "doesn't photograph well" just how untrue that mantra is.
Kim was an amazing example of this sentiment. If you have ever met Kim - even in passing, you know that she shines. She is positively vibrant with energy and beauty. Her perfect porcelain skin and gorgeous red hair, combined with her bright style and fabulous glasses make her immediately memorable. So when Kim told me she didn't photograph well, I just chuckled and thought - we'll see about that!
As you might have guessed by now - I have proven Kim wrong. Not only does she photograph well - she photographs brilliantly. Her confidence shines through in EVERY SINGLE photo. And if that's not true beauty - I don't know what is. This is exactly why I'm doing an Empowerment Portrait for one truly amazing lady. Nominate a woman who is beautiful inside and out. Tell me how she has inspired you. She could end up with a complimentary Empowerment Portrait Session!
Hear from Kim on how she felt about her portrait session:
It's amazing how empowering it can be to see yourself through someone else's eyes. Someone who doesn't share your self-doubt, but instead sees your best self.
Before my shoot with Whitney, I was nervous. While I know I'm a strong, powerful and dynamic woman, I don't usually like photos of myself. I'm not quite where I want to be fitness-wise at the moment so I beat myself up for that. I don't always like my smile because I have a noticeable-only-to-me crooked thing happening so I hold my face weird. The negative self-talk overrides my otherwise confident self in photos - and I know it. So it's no surprise that I overthink things during photos and awkwardness ensues. I'm a work in progress, actively banishing the negative from my life. But it creeps in there sometimes.
Whitney was able to guide me from start to finish in every aspect of the shoot, leaving nothing for me to overthink. The experience was actually super fun! She instinctively knows how to make what's inside shine on the outside. She understands a woman's body and accentuates what's uniquely beautiful without hiding what's real.
The result? Photos that capture me - the real me. I'm strong, I'm confident, my personality comes out and slaps you in the face and, most importantly, I see my beauty and strength both inside and out. Notice I didn't say "you see." I see it for myself which is the biggest win of all.
Peace out, self-doubt.
