I’M NOT BEAUTIFUL

Can you believe that headline? “I’m not beautiful”! Let it sink in.

It’s kind of unsettling to read those words and then look at the image of a stunningly beautiful young woman, because it just doesn’t make any sense. But that’s exactly what I hear from women all the time.

Of all the women I have photographed, not one of them says, “I love having my photo taken” or “I really like the way I look” before they come to my studio for a photo shoot. How can women actually believe they’re not beautiful? They weren’t born thinking that. So when did they swallow that pill of toxic self image?

I was speaking to a group of about 100 women not long ago, and I asked them to hold up their hands if they loved having their photos taken. One brave soul held up her hand and we all had a chuckle. Then I asked them to hold up their hands if they thought they were photogenic. Same woman held up her hand (she’s got moxy). Shocking! Why do we feel this way about ourselves? It’s madness

My business card is an accordian-folded collection of photos I’ve taken of gorgeous women. Every time I hand one out, people pay me compliments about how good I make everyone look, and I love that but I can only take a small part of the credit for it. Yes, they’re wearing beautiful makeup. Yes, their hair is styled. Yes, they’re wearing gorgeous clothes. But I don’t make them “look” gorgeous. They’re ordinary women who ARE gorgeous. It’s their heart light shining through their eyes that makes them gorgeous. And yet, before I photograph them, every woman tells me they don’t like having their picture taken and they aren’t photogenic.

And that is exactly why I am a glamour portrait photographer for women. I absolutely know that all of us are beautiful. I don’t care what size, shape, colour, disfigurement, or physical challenge you may be or have, you ARE beautiful. And if you need to see it to believe it, I can show you. My clients reactions to their portraits are amazing. It’s emotional and many of them get teary, because they start to see themselves the way everybody else sees them…beautiful.