It sounds counterintuitive for me, a branding & portrait photographer to bust this shiny bubble for you...because I DO want you to feel confident AF before, during, and after your photoshoot. But the harsh truth is, a portrait photoshoot - no matter how gorgeous the images are - won't GIVE you confidence. If you're truly struggling with body image, self-esteem, or any list of mental health struggles, no one or nothing outside of you can provide true confidence. Yeah, a genuine compliment, a great testimonial, or a 'flattering' image will give you a shot of momentary confidence. Take it! Because it's definitely true.
AND no amount of external validation will
help you see how fucking magical you are. That's gotta come from within. But that being said, a good photoshoot can help you SEE yourself differently. What we see in the mirror is a skewed reflection. We tend to hone in on the perceived flaws and we're really only looking at a one-dimensional view of ourselves. We're focusing on the untouched, unfiltered, hyper focused external factors that house WHO we are.
Because you're a WHO and not a WHAT. Your soul, your essence, your being is what a great photograph will capture and that reaches far beyond your physical attributes. I have plenty of clients who come to me saying they don't feel as confident as they would like to - "if only I could have dropped those pounds" "I'm seeing my age in my face" "I just don't feel quite like myself". And truthfully, there is a line we don't cross - sometimes you AREN'T ready for that photoshoot and that's ok. But 99.9% of the time, after the photos are delivered something major shifts for my clients. And it's NOT because I'm changing someone's body size or retouching faces into oblivion. Cause I don't fuck with that shit. And it's not even because the photos themselves are beautiful. The shift from feeling a little less than confident about being capture to feeling totally blown away by the final images is because you've been captured for WHO you are, not what you look like. Each brand or personal photoshoot is created for and with you - we hone in on the vision for what story you want to tell and we create the visuals to bring that to life. We decide every factor from location, outfits, posing, and all the little nuances of posing, storytelling, and vibes. I'm here to get to know you, to observe you, and capture that essence in a mind-blowing image.
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