Being in front of the camera is hard. It’s hard for me, and I literally do this for a living. Well, the camera part, not the “in front of it” part. But because we’re so hard on ourselves (especially women, am I right?) it’s really difficult not to see all of the things we DON’T like about ourselves when we’re faced with pictures that focus on us. Or even pictures that DON’T focus on us! You’ve seen group pictures you’re in and only seen that ONE thing you hate about your body, right? I definitely have, that’s for sure.

If I had a nickel for every person who apologized to me before a session about how “unphotogenic” they are, or joked that they might break my camera… I wouldn’t have to keep working, I would be on a boat in the Caribbean right now. But truly, and I mean this from the BOTTOM of my heart – you don’t have to feel that way. And I don’t WANT you to feel that way.

I get it, being in front of the camera is NERVE WRECKING.

I’m pretty comfy in front of the camera now, but I was NOT always this way. Picking on my own flaws is something I’m super familiar with, and so I do completely get it. And sometimes it’s not even thinking about the camera itself, it’s thinking about what people will see when you actually post the pictures after you have them. Will they be looking at that ONE THING that bothers you the most about your body? Will they judge the amount of makeup you wore? Or didn’t wear? What about the outfits you chose? There’s so many things that we (especially us women) think about even if we’re not THINKING that we’re thinking it. (You’re still with me, right? I’m making sense?)

What I’m trying to say, is the nerves that come with having a camera pointed at you aren’t even always about actually having a camera pointed at you. They’re about everything that comes after. Looking at the photos yourself. Or OTHER people looking at the photos. Or both. Both is always an option.

Body positivity is all the rage, but we’re trained to be kinda rude to ourselves.

Even though it’s 2024 and like, we all see the “natural beauty” campaigns by different companies, and the efforts to be more inclusive with models… it’s hard not to make comparisons. And even though there’s an emphasis on authenticity going on in the media now, on the flip side, TikTok filters exist. As if we needed to feel any worse about our bodies, and our faces.

Growing up seeing models and actors and now having the filters to contend with, we’ve basically been trained to just judge ourselves ALL the time!

Basically, you’re your own worst critic!

What I’m saying, is that little critical voice in your head? It’s IN YOUR HEAD. We are always our own worst critics.

You know those moments when you look back at photos and you’re like “wow, I looked SO GREAT” but you remember thinking the exact opposite at the time? Photos from your teens, or your twenties, or your thirties. And then that voice in your head is like “if only I could look like THAT again.” Back then… you DID look like that. And you still felt like you weren’t enough, because again: the little voice. Well the little voice is an asshole, and it’s time to quiet it down. Because that voice isn’t something that pops up when you’re looking at pics of OTHER people, right?

When you see pictures of your best friend, what do you notice? Her gorgeous smile, right? How HAPPY she looks? Or maybe it’s their wedding pictures, and you notice all the LOVE in their faces. But you know what it ISN’T? All of those tiny details we pick on about ourselves. Because the little voice is just about US. And you know what that means, right? Other people’s little voices are about them, too. Not about you. When people see images of you, they’re not thinking about that one thing you don’t like about your body. Or the multiple things you don’t like about your body. They’re thinking about the warmth of your smile, or how cute your nose is when you laugh.

Working with the RIGHT photographer can solve MOST of these problems.

Part of my job as a photographer is to help make sure that while we’re in your session, I’m highlighting all of those things. The happiness. The laughter. All of the things that make you so uniquely, imperfectly perfect. My job while we’re working together is to make you feel most like yourself. Super comfortable, and able to be YOU. And also to cheerlead like your bestie, because in front of the camera… we all need that.

And what that means, is when you look back on your images, you’re going to remember me talking about your smile. You’re going to remember how badass you felt. And that’s one of the things that makes all of this different. If you’ve been looking back at your photos from professional sessions and endlessly critiquing yourself… it’s not that you’re unphotogenic. It’s not that you’re not good at being photographed. It might just be that you haven’t been working with a photographer that made you feel SEEN as who you truly are. And that’s my job: making you feel seen, and capturing that feeling.

If you feel like you need to lose that last ten pounds before your session… we should talk.

I would be honored to be the photographer who changes your mind about… well, yourself. The photographer who shows you how the world sees you. Who lets you know about exactly how gorgeous you are, AS you are. So if you’ve been thinking to yourself that you really want to book a photo session, but only AFTER you lose ten pounds, or AFTER you refresh your wardrobe, or AFTER… well, anything… we should talk. Because that little voice is wrong, and you are enough just as you are, and your enoughness? It deserves to be documented!!