My clients often tell me that the idea of sitting for a photography portrait for themselves grew slowly over time. They had put it off because they felt like they couldn’t spare the time. Or they wanted to lose a few pounds first. Or they weren’t sure they could justify the cost because, you know, their brother was handy with a camera.
In fact, all these anxieties express the same thing: a fear of valuing yourself. A fear of putting yourself first. Ever.
Choosing to have a photography portrait of yourself done is about valuing yourself! – And it creates a set of wonderful images for you and your loved ones. Also gifting a portrait shoot is a great way to encourage someone you love to value themselves. The experience and images will be with them forever.
What happens at a personal portrait shoot?
Ahead of the shoot, you’ll have a consultation with me where I’ll help you choose the right clothing.
If you’re bringing someone with you, I’ll talk with you both to coordinate your clothing, hair and makeup. This helps create a harmonious final image. We’ll discuss hair and makeup and I’ll arrange for a stylist and makeup artist to be there for the shoot. Attention to these details will really make the images shine.
On the day of the shoot, I’ll welcome you to my warm home studio with a glass of champagne. We’ll have a brief chat about the kind of poses you’ll be doing and then you can sit back while your hair and makeup is done. If you feel like you’re carrying a few extra pounds, just tell me where you want to lose them from, and I’ll give you poses that’ll help you do that. If you want to add some weight to a particular area, I can help there too. There is no need to wait until you’re “the perfect weight”.
Don’t worry if you’ve never posed for a professional shoot before. I’ll ease you gently into the experience by doing lots of test shots to get you used to the lights and poses.
I don’t show you images during the shoot because I don’t want you to be anxious about small blemishes that won’t show in the final images.
After we’ve finished your session, I select the best 20-30 images from the shoot. Then I do some retouching, which includes removing blemishes and anything else you ask me to remove. I’ll also tweak clothing and hair and adjust the colour.
I would love to help you see just how beautiful you are. Please email me to request your free consultation.
