The Loaded Lens

This is not  about 'selfies', that's a whole other story...

This is a story of camera fear to photo shoots, and why every one should have at least one professional photo shoot taken in their lifetime.

My first memory of a ‘professional photo’ comes from the early 80's.
 
I think my mother had a coupon, or maybe it was one of those gas station promos where you get a free studio photo taken with ten fill ups….
 
I can picture it now, straw bales, fake fence and bad lighting. All I can recall is feeling super uncomfortable, awkward and geeky. Maybe that was just teenage angst but either way, yuck.
 
Anyways, you'll never see those pictures because they deserve to be posted on "Family Photos Gone Bad." 
And...My sister would kill me.

So instead of leaving my children mother less, those pictures stay hidden.

Bad memory = dislike for future pictures.
 
So, how is it that a girl who's willing to wear an outfit that would fit into a Ziploc bag, NOT want to do a photo shoot?
 
Simple.
Having a photo shoot made me the lone subject. Being IN a photo is different than being the SUBJECT of the photo. 
Standing in front of the camera made me feel uncomfortable. 
Uncomfortable in the way others would judge me. 

The last thing I wanted to do, was step in front of the ‘loaded gun’ of a camera lens. In the back of my mind, the comfy image of myself would turn to shrapnel when the photo revealed that I looked nothing like what I perceived or expected. The image looking back at me, was not what I see in the mirror every morning. Worse yet, maybe it would reveal something I didn’t want the world to know. 

Ah ha moment...
It's not about the pictures. I was judging myself.
All these thoughts and perceptions came rolling back in...
"I saw her yesterday, she didn't look like that."
"I saw her last week, and she was all sweaty and hair a mess!"


So how did I go from the uncomfortable to the comfortable?

It's not about being perfect. It's about being perfectly happy in that moment.
It's about the photographer making you feel comfortable enough to see the real you!
 
I realized that photos are not just about appearances. They are not about ego.
They can be whatever we want them to be.

They are about celebrations and milestones. They are about feeling our best. They are time markers and memory triggers. They can be the quiet solitude and the gut bursting laughs and giggles. They can be about capturing FABULOUS moments in our life.
They become sacred over time. A picture may not be able to capture all of our unique awesomeness but it can be close. Why not put yourself in the best light and capture the sparkle that is you!
 
My journey to wellness is not a secret.
​But a photo shoot is about marking the journey - the mind, body, spirit and more!
Our latest adventure with all things empowering ends with a big finale and an opportunity to Strut Your Stuff! The photo shoot is something we won't forget. 

It’s about feeling good and celebrating this time in our life. It’s about marking that time so that we may look back and remember and celebrate all over again.  ​