How to make the most of your portrait session (self-love edition)

I tell my Self-Love Portrait clients that they’re fire.

Not to stroke their ego, but because every woman who steps in front of my camera has a fire inside them that is burning beautifully, waiting to be stoked and allowed to blaze. My job isn’t to make you feel pretty for an afternoon. My job is to stoke that fire, remind you of the blazing heat that lies within, and leave you feeling worthy and gorgeous in your own body, even after our session has ended. I aim to leave you walking on air for a few days, and even longer when you get your pictures back and realize you’re a badass goddess of beauty and fire.

That’s the vibe I’m going for.

But when most women book a session with me, they don’t come into it feeling that fire.

Typically they come into it uncertain, nervous, excited, and slightly embarrassed to show off their personality in front of a camera.

So how do I get them from that bundle of nerves to the aforementioned goddess?

I won’t give away all my secrets, but I’ll tell you here some steps you can take before your portrait session to ease your worry and help you feel your best while the camera is clicking away.

Start a practice of positive affirmations.

I know, I know. This is super woo-woo. But the experts don’t play. Positive affirmations change your mindset, and there’s quite a bit of neuroscience to back that up. If you want to dive deep into the science of it, here’s an article to get you started.

The key here is that you can’t wait to say positive affirmations the day of your session. Or even just do it for a few days beforehand and then stop when it doesn’t “work”. This is one of those things that takes repetition and long-term commitment. You have to make it a daily thing.

• Set a mantra for your day every morning and write it on your planner.

• Speak positive affirmations into the mirror as you’re getting ready.

• Give yourself compliments on the way to work.

• Set your intention for your mindset and repeat it 10 times.

There are so many ways you can start this, it only takes a couple of minutes a day, and it can be done WHILE you do other things. Win win win. If you do it for long enough, by the time you get in front of a camera you’ll feel more confident and comfortable showing your true self.

Pick a wardrobe that makes you feel good

There’s a reason high schools have “dress for success” days. While their target is off (not everyone’s chosen career requires a suit and tie or a pencil skirt 🙄), in theory it’s spot on. The way you dress influences how you feel. But it’s not as black and white as sleepwear makes you feel frumpy and a ballgown makes you feel glamorous. You have to take into account your personality, your chosen lifestyle, and your clothing budget.

If you feel your absolute best while you’re working out and kicking ass, that workout gear might be exactly the right thing for you to wear for your photos. If you love getting dressed up in skinny jeans, heels, and a crop top and you can’t imagine anything else making you feel sexier, then you’ve found your outfit! Or maybe you’re a dreamy boho type and a flowing dress with no shoes is where it’s at for you. Some women like to go out and shop for the perfect outfit, while others already have that amazing number that makes them feel like their best selves every time they wear it. If you have the budget to go shopping, by all means go out and find yourself the perfect outfit. If you can’t pay for a portrait session and new clothes, then go through your closet and put something together that makes you happy.

The cool thing about my sessions is that I want to help you feel good, so if you need help with wardrobe selection I’m there. I’ll go shopping with you, I’ll come to your home and we can have a little fashion show, or you can send me pictures of outfits you like. I’ll give you my honest opinion on what looks best on you, not just at face value but also at what you seem most confident wearing. I gotchu boo.

Figure out your vibe

What style of pictures are you hoping to get from your photos? Do dreamy nature scenes speak to you, or do you prefer edgy/urban? Do you want to lounge around on your bed feeling sexy, or would you prefer to be a hipster in a coffee shop?

My pre-session questionnaire serves as a starting point to curate the perfect session for you. What location, clothing, activities, food, etc. make you feel like your best self? What would be your dream session? Picture yourself in your favorite spot, where are you? These things help me plan your session in a way that brings out your personality and the unique quirks that make you YOU.

Find your power pose

We’ve all seen these poses as we scroll through social media. The ones that make you think “wow, that woman is a badass” or “holy shit she’s awesome”. It’s not the same for everyone. Sometimes a pose or stance that makes one woman seem like she’s got the whole world figured out can make another woman look confused or twisted. Our bodies and personalities are all different, so our power poses are going to be too. Take some time before your session to do some Google image searches. Type in things like “female power pose” and “powerful pictures of women” and see what speaks to you.

During my sessions I have you move around, shake off your nerves, and experiment with different poses in different spots. I may have you sit strong on a cool chair we find, take a few pictures, and then say “you know what, I’m going to have you do this instead” and move you. This is because I’m responding to the pose and your body language and finding things that bring out the best in you. Don’t worry if you don’t start out strong, the first few poses in a session are testers anyway. 😉

Have any questions about my self-love portraits? Reach out!

Want to book a consultation? Click here!

I can’t wait to bring out the fire burning inside you.