The Best Thing About Being a Woman's Portrait Photographer

What I love most about being a portrait photographer for women is that the pictures I take have the power to help women realize how beautiful they are. I don't think women need to be transformed or have makeovers to be beautiful. I think the beauty is already there naturally - yes, even in those women that don't look beautiful at first glance. During my photo shoots with women, we use makeup and hairspray and fluffy ballgowns because most women enjoy playing dress up. This experience of getting all dolled-up magically seems to boost our confidence and we can't help but strut across the room. The same women who arrived hunched over like a little mouse with her pink tail between her legs, leaves with a little bounce in her step or sway in her hips. The confidence is beautiful. The photo shoot creates a safe-space where women are invited to explore how they feel about themselves. It's a full hour or two during which she is the center of attention and all the women around her are in awe of her beauty. She hears us repeatedly saying over and over... "You're so beautiful." "Oh my gosh, you look so pretty." "Wow, that pose is gorgeous." At first she shrugs it off but by the end of the photo shoot our words start to sink in and she starts to believe in her own beauty. Even if it's not obvious to her yet, she's now aware that it must exist because someone can see it. The best bit is that when we are telling her that she is beautiful, we mean it because our sole purpose and mission during that hour of OUR lives is to appreciate HER beauty. It's a way to honor other women and I love it. 

Dancing in a Tutu — The Importance of Capturing Personality in Your Portraits

Lorenna and I sat down in front of my big screen TV and I revealed these photographs that I'd taken of her daughter. She really liked them. She thought her daughter Angie looked absolutely gorgeous in the white tutu. But it wasn't until Lorenna asked to see the 'behind the scenes' photos that we discovered the real gemstones. I had originally chosen, edited and published the 'pretty poses' — the poses that resembled a fashion magazine. But when we scrolled through the behind the scenes photos, tears appeared in Lorenna's eyes. I heard her whisper, "Now, that's my Angie." These pictures of Angie laughing were Lorenna's favorites. These were the photos she loved. These were the images that Lorenna wanted to purchase. These were the images that captured her daughter's truest personality. They weren't he perfectly pretty poses that I'd tried so hard to memorize and coach Angie into. They were the moments in-between these awkward body-twisting positions, the moments that made Angie wiggle, giggle and shine (wiggle & giggle?...my apologies for such a sickly sweet phrase haha). Five months later, I've finally really embraced these in-between laughing snapshots of beautiful Angie. I am so excited to share this sequence with you today! Angie you are beautiful on the outside but especially on the inside! Thank you for sharing your light with me! And thank you Lorenna for reminding me of the real beauty that I want to search for and capture with my camera. 

These are the first set of images that I presented to Lorenna...

These are the behind-the-scenes images that Lorenna loved...

These two images below are my favorites :D I wanted to share them with you in BIG VERSION hehe! I love #1 because it's simple — no tutu, just Angie staring straight at me and I love #2 because her laugh is so genuine and I love the way her hands are placed on her knees, it just adds that little touch of vintage Hollywood sparkle...or something like that haha

Remember to capture the beauty of personality my friends!