How to prepare for your photo session? Start with self-compassion

A friend recently told me that she had been putting off scheduling a session with me because she doesn’t really want to be in pictures. She likes the idea of having photos of the family that include her, but still has some hesitations about being photographed.

And I get it. I don’t love being photographed either. I’m always afraid of looking fat or splotchy or blah. But I also think it’s important to be included in the visual record of my life. And I know how important it is for my business to show my face online.

So I try to remember that we are all our own worst critics. Most people are more concerned about themselves and their own lives to bother to pick apart my photo. They’d never say or even think the mean things I’m thinking about myself.

I hate to admit that once I saw some photos of myself and thought, “Is that what I walk around looking like? Ugh.” And then I heard my friend Stephanie’s voice: “Would you say that to a friend? No? Then why would you say it to yourself???” She helped me realize how unkind I was being to myself and how toxic that kind of thinking can be.

Now when those thoughts come up, I do my best to replace them with more compassionate ones. Because our thoughts create our feelings and it’s always worth the effort to focus on the positive.

Let’s all do our best to love ourselves the way our friends and family do, okay???

Most people haven’t experienced a documentary photo session to know how different it is from a traditional portrait session. Not only is it easier to forget about being self-conscious when you’re doing something, but that’s when true moments happen. And most of my clients like these kinds of photos better.

My top priority during any photo session is to make the people I’m photographing feel comfortable. And I always do my best to make sure no one sees the “bad” photos. Especially in my newspaper days, I was careful to apply the golden rule to photos I considered publishing. And if my judgment isn’t perfect (guess what, it’s not!) you don’t have to share or print any photos you don’t like.

If you know you need new headshots, visuals for your website or documentary family photos and have been putting it off, just get in touch. I’d love to chat about what you need and make a plan to take some pictures you'll love. And I promise to make the process as comfortable as possible.

Take care and remember to love yourself. ❤️