It all begins before we were even aware of what is going on. As children, we start to yearn to look different, to have different hair, different eyes, different bodies. This feeling takes root and lives within us always reminding us that we aren’t quite what we think is perfect. The media continues to to give us these images that we fear we will never attain. We tell ourselves that maybe someday we will get there, but deep down we know these insecurities will burrow their way into how we feel about ourselves. We start to grow up and maybe even learn to celebrate ourselves, we might acknowledge that our imperfection is beauty, and that the reflection that looks back at us is filled with wisdom, abilities, life experience. This little urge to be different, to not accept ourselves works its way through every aspect of our lives… but I am here to change that.

As a photographer I want to make you feel like a movie star, I want you to feel stunning, hopelessly in love, and free to be authentic. I want you to forget about the camera and be in the moment, but lately I am finding that the simple goal I have is a bit of a challenge for many. Let me be the first to say that I am the guiltiest… I could sit in front of a mirror and tell you piece by piece what is wrong with me… my arms are too big, my scar is ugly, I have a wide face, my skin isn’t perfect, and I have a big bum. Here I am, doing exactly what I don’t want my clients to think or feel. (Like I said, I am guilty.) I have been noticing that we as humans love to point out our personal flaws, it is like we are self-sabotaging in fear that someone might actually say what we are thinking about ourselves. Chances are, no one even thought twice about your insecurities, instead they probably saw your beauty shining through. 

A lot of times while I am shooting I will tell you how beautiful you are. I want to give you full on permission to feel it, to unleash your inner super model and to allow your inner beauty to seep through every inch of the frame. A lot of my clients think I am just fluffing their feathers, they think I say the same thing to every one… that couldn’t be farther from the truth. As a story teller, I am constantly looking around, seeing beautiful things, finding perfection in the imperfection, and living to tell the moment. I see how perfectly made you are, how enchanting you look, how your love for one another oozes through every pore. I want you to fully trust that I will get a “good shot” and that you will look like the beautiful thing I see you as. When I look at you, I celebrate your features – your wide eyes, your gorgeous smile, those little freckles, the way your dimples show. I see your story, your strength, your love. 

One day after a tough workout a group of us ladies were sitting around. We literally went in a circle saying what we hated about our bodies. I was astounded by what some of the women said they hated because honestly, it was things I had never even given a second glance to. I thought a lot about how naturally negative we are, how we don’t celebrate our differences and our abilities and instead how we focus on the things that we feel don’t measure up. I went on a run and each step of it I thought about how my big bum helps push me ahead, how my strong arms make my body move faster, how my scars tell stories that make me smile… I celebrated the fact that my body can accomplish amazing things like running marathons and doing pushups. I wanted to shout from the rooftops that my friends were beautiful, that they were stunning, fearfully and wonderfully made. 

I started to pay mind to what people would say about themselves, how they described them. I dreamed of writing a post as this but didn’t know how to approach it gracefully, but yesterday I got the push I needed. This Dove ad landed on my timeline and as I watched it, tears filled my eyes. Listening to people describe themselves reminded me of what I can so easily do, what we so easily do. Hearing the way that others saw them was exactly how I see my clients and want to capture the essence of them. What a beautiful reminder to let go of those insecurities, to celebrate our lives, to emphasize what makes us different and beautiful. Watch this: 

What a powerful reminder, amazing work Dove. 

Related articles

• I Believe
• Checklist
• Compare: Part II
• 30