“I’m not pretty enough because…” A photographer’s perspective

I know I was not going to post any more model images this week, but I have been recieving a few messages from women out there who think they are not pretty enough because….”I have had children, I am too old, I am not tall enough, I am not thin enough or skinny enough…etc..etc..” Ladies (and gentlemen), when the photographer really cares about the portrait work he or she is doing, and YOU care enough to give it your best shot, then yes, you ARE sexy enough, beautiful enough, tall enough, thin enough, whatever your reasons are (or you think they are), CAN BE overcome with trust, care, confidence..and, a little skillfull use of lenses, angles, depth of field, lighting, and a pinch of photoshop.  This topic is of great importance to me because I see and meet women daily who hurry along with thier lives, never stopping to take a few moments for themselves. Never taking the time to capture thier glow, thier smile, their looks, or even thier unique ability to turn the heads of strangers by the simple way the stand or walk. Women, as absolutely amazing as you are, are always pointing out and highlighting thier faults, imperfections, and even insecurities instead of just taking a look around . To see that in fact, they ARE getting “those looks” from across the room, they ARE turning heads, you ARE getting attention! Ladies, you ARE attractive regardless of all those flaws that only you can see (or, pay attention to).

To showcase this point, I would like to present to you Nicole. Nicole contacted me because she wanted to get some images for her husband to re-kindle the fire (so to speak). But she just didnt think she could go through with it and pull off the images she was hoping for.  “after all”, she said, “I have had 4 children and I have not had the time to go to the gym as much as I have wanted to”. She proceeded to list off several of her “flaws”, it took some time. When she was finished, I asked her if she would mind trying one of my favorite styles of imagery; “country glamor”, to see if we could build a set of photographs she would be happy with. On the day of the shoot, she brought a suitecase full of wardrobe, make up, hair stuff, another bag full of shoes, and two of the most important items to ANY photoshoot…a smile, and her courage.  We spent a couple of hours just playing around with poses, looks, wardrobe, ideas, and just talking about her personality, what she liked, what made her laugh. Soon, I began to show her a couple of the images as we went through the shoot. Her self confidence grew by leaps and bounds, and her trust in me to capture her images as she was hoping for (and not judge her by her flaws) was validated. Below are a few of the images we came up with.

And once we got her confidence and trust up there where it SHOULD have been, we decided to head for the river. Now country folks really do love to head for the river so I figured this would go just fine. Little did I know that when a woman with her confidence restored is unleashed, well..you be the judge.

Nicole was very happy with the images we took, and there are MANY others not posted here. These images were taken right after I got back into photography and I was having to learn how to shoot digital (yeah, I am an ole’ film guy), and I had no REAL editing soft ware. These are the pure images after some resizing in photoshop elements (the only thing I could afford back then, and I was using the trial version!), All of this is to show that the most import part about being sexy…is THINKING and KNOWING that you really ARE! And when your photographer cares enough  to bring out that confidence, builds that trust, and shows you that “here, look, that is really you!” Then you will end up with wonderful photographs that you (and that special someone) will cherish for a lifetime. This shoot, as all really good photoshoots go, was fun for all and from what I hear, her husband was also quite happy with the results. And Nicole, if you guys are reading this, THANK YOU for having the faith and confidence in me to capture these images for you!

Now my gear, lenses, software, and lighting equipment have been greatly update (and my software and skills have too) since this shoot. But the fact remains, this woman was worried because she had given birth to 4 children and didnt think she could look hot anymore. I for one beg to differ. So get up, get out there, and be confident! YES you can. If nothing else, it can be the most fun you’ve had with your clothes on..or barely, on, or implied…well, it’s ALL about you, play dress up, dress down, just HAVE FUN and stay safe!

AGE??  Well, a gentleman never asks, and a lady never tells….

TIP: Please make sure you take the time to research your photographer. Check for references, check with his/ her previous clients, look at thier portfolio, and spend some time discussing your goals and objectives for the photoshoot, the location(s), wardrobe. Spend some time on this, the rewards are well worth it! And finally, a note about bringing an escort or someone with you to the photoshoot: as a general rule, by all means bring someone! But also use comon sense, make sure whoever you bring is someone you trust, someone you are comfortable posing in front of this way. They can come along, but remain outside of the actual proximity of the shoot. The options are endless, but your safety is paramount at all times! And always, always, always, …make sure someone you trust knows where you are, let them know if there are any delays (sometime the shoot takes longer than expected), and lastly, let them know when you are safely back home or at least finished with the photoshoot.

Technical update: To make sure your images DO NOT get out where they are not suppose to be; make SURE your photographer has a written model release or contract that is specific on when, where, how, and who will have access to these images. Before you book your session, review the contract and/ or the model release. I require the contract/ release to be signed prior to taking any images: That (for me) is the first step in establishing trust with you, the client. This way you can be confident that any images of you, including any “wardrobe malfunctions” are safe and protected by law against release. The model I have featured here had signed her model release and is fully aware her images will be featured on several of my websites or posts, and she is pretty proud of it! Even though this session was shot in 2007. but several of our images were personal to her, and I respect that. We also allowed for it in the model release and she can remain confident that none of those images will ever be released (except to her).

All of the images displayed here, featured in my blog posts, and posted anywhere are copyright protected. Please do not reproduce without my written consent.

Hope this helps, take care, and stay safe!

April 5, 2012 | Categories: art, artistic, commercial, fitness, freelance, gallery, health, image, location, NIKON GEAR, outdoors, outside, photographer, photography, photos, professional, Uncategorized, women's health | Tags: beauty, compassion, confidence, country, courage, diet, family, flaws, freindship, glmaour, health, human, interest, lady, lifestyle, marriage, married, me, photos, relationship, romance, self esteem, sexy, southern, trust, woman, women, women's health | 44 Comments