I had been putting it off for a very very long time. I had come up with every excuse I could think of; every excuse that my own clients give me about not having their portrait made. “I don’t like how hair looks,” “I’d like to drop x lbs. before I take my picture,” “I have nothing to wear,” “It’s not in my budget;” the reasons could go on and on. But the time came and it had to be done. I had to step from behind the camera.
It was awkward standing on the other side. Being the subject and foolishly giggling to no one but a camera lens (that’s how you get those natural-looking smiles: just giggle to yourself!). It helped that I had guided dozens of people on how to pose, so I pretty much knew how to move.
My main source of anxiety was worrying about how the photos would look - how I would look. That’s something that most people fret. We can’t all be models, and don’t get me started on society’s perceptions of beauty (I’ll reserve that for a future blog post). But what we can do is learn to be comfortable with our appearances. It certainly helps when you have a photographer who knows how to take a great portrait, focus on your best assets and see you beyond your own internalized perceptions of yourself.
I was fortunate to find Natalie Cartz and her work. I trusted that she would do a great job with my head shots… which she did! I was most pleased with the amount of care and attention she gave me during our session.
The great thing about this experience was that I not only received beautiful, high quality and flattering portraits of myself, but I also gained tons of insight on how it really feels to be in front of the camera. It gave me the opportunity see photography from a different point of view and I intend to use my own portrait experience to improve the services I provide to my clients. And now I can personally attest to the excitement, empowerment, and gratification that you feel after a portrait session.
Thanks, Natalie!
Had to take some selfies during my session!
