Client Spotlight: Do It Before You Feel Ready

 Sometimes you don't realize how long you've been putting yourself last until you finally decide to do something that's just for you.

That was exactly where this beautiful woman found herself when she decided to book her boudoir session.

She had gotten so used to being everything for everyone else that she had forgotten what it felt like to do something simply because it made her feel good. She wanted to step outside of her comfort zone, reconnect with herself, and have a moment that wasn't about being someone's mom, partner, daughter, friend, or anything else.

It was just about her.

Of course, deciding to do something for yourself doesn't mean the insecurities magically disappear.

Her biggest fear was her body.

She worried about how she would look in the photos and whether she'd actually be able to enjoy the experience without picking herself apart. She had a list of things she wished were different and wondered if she would spend the entire session focusing on everything she didn't like.

But then she realized something.

If she waited until she felt completely confident... or until her body looked the way she thought it was supposed to look... she might keep waiting forever.

So she decided she deserved to experience this version of herself now.

And she trusted me enough to take that leap.

When she walked into the studio, the nerves were definitely there. Butterflies, self-consciousness, and all those thoughts that tend to creep in when we suddenly have a camera pointed at us.

But then we started shooting.

And something changed.

She went from feeling awkward and nervous to actually feeling confident. Once she trusted my direction and got comfortable with the posing, everything started feeling natural.

She said she was surprised by how quickly she was able to relax and how much a photographer could actually change the way she saw herself.

And then she saw her images.

"Wait... that's actually me."

Yep.

That's you.

The woman you have been so busy criticizing that you forgot to notice how beautiful she actually is.

She said seeing herself through someone else's eyes made her realize just how hard she'd been on herself. She had been so focused on the things she didn't like that she had forgotten to see everything she did like.

And THAT is one of my favorite parts of this job.

I don't create a different woman for you.

I don't need to.

I simply give you the opportunity to see the woman who's been there all along.

By the end of her session, she described herself as confident, comfortable, and honestly proud of herself for doing something that initially scared her.

And when I asked what she'd tell another woman who is nervous or unsure about booking, her answer was exactly what I hope every woman who reads this needs to hear:

Do it before you feel ready.

You don't have to lose weight.

You don't have to change your body.

You don't have to become a different version of yourself first.

You deserve beautiful photographs of yourself exactly as you are today.

Because there will always be something we think needs to change before we're "allowed" to feel beautiful.

A few more pounds.

A different body.

Better skin.

A little more confidence.

And if we're not careful, we'll spend our entire lives waiting for some imaginary version of ourselves to finally deserve the celebration.

You don't have to do that.

Your body doesn't have to earn the right to be photographed.

You don't have to be smaller, different, or perfect.

You just have to decide that you are worth celebrating now.

I'm so proud of this woman for stepping outside of her comfort zone and choosing herself. And even more proud that she walked away with a completely different perspective of the woman staring back at her in those photographs.

Sometimes the confidence you're waiting for doesn't come before you book.

Sometimes... you find it because you finally did.


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