I tend to consider myself pretty good at being able to read people right up front, knowing the type of client they will be for me, if they will need some tough love during their session or just kind of go with the flow and trust me 100%. I really thought Stephanie would be the former.
I have to say, I have never been more wrong. Stephanie came in for her session calm and cool and collected and I assumed she would be riddled with nerves, but she wasn’t. I assumed she would need help learning to be comfortable in her skin, and she didn’t. I assumed she would struggle with a few of the tougher poses and she held them without batting an eye. No Stephanie wasn’t the one who needed a little tough love during her session…it was me. This woman came in so calm and within herself and her moment that I learned from her even more so not to have pre-concieved notions about anyone.
During our reveal session, I asked, as I always do, the level of retouching she wanted for her session and she said to me so matter of factly “I don’t really need much, I am comfortable with my body.” I agreed that she didn’t really need much with her session, aside from little things like fixing creases from sitting on the ledge or marks on the skin from previous outfits..(now I personally love retouching, I think it is just like polishing a nice car, we don’t change anything, just clean the image up and make it sparkle) I admired her for knowing so matter of factly what she wanted for herself. My admiration has 0 to do with whether she had a full editorial retoutch or not an ounce of editing, but had everything to do with how matter of fact she was in knowing what she wanted.
I know I say this in all of my blogs, but the truth of the matter is that I really do learn from each of my clients. I pull just a little bit from each of you to build myself into a stronger and more refined version of me. A dash of confidence from here, a bit of self worth from here, a bit of how to overcome anxieties from there…it is amazing what you ladies do for me by simply being true to yourselves and allowing me to be an active observer.
I really love this session and Stephanie’s transformation and will share again her before and after image. Her before image isn’t stripped of makeup and taken before the shoot, but it is one of her favorite selfies, an image that represents what she loves about herself and the after is simply the moment of vulnerability and sensuality that she allowed me to capture. I also am proud to say that we won an AIBP Award for one of Stephanie’s image too! Look for the teal badge to know which one!
Thank you to Cassandra McKenna for the beautiful hair and makeup!
