Why You Deserve a Portrait Experience
When I talk with people about having a portrait session I often hear all kinds of excuses.
I get it - schedules can be overwhelming with work or family, we’re all juggling a lot on our plates. And, we all make excuses to not love ourselves or take care of ourselves. Sometimes it is because life is just busy, we are too crazy at work, or always have to drive someone somewhere. Sometimes it’s more important to spend time with our family. We also use excuses like, “I wanna lose 15 lbs first!” and “I just don’t have the money right now!”
But between now and that elusive date of a potential photo session you will find a new reason to not get those images of yourself. More importantly, one day your kids and grandchildren will go looking for portraits of you. What will they find? Your senior portrait? Wedding photos? Or will it be images where you’re represented exactly the way you want and need to be seen? When we choose to take a moment and reflect on ourselves and capture how amazing we are right now, the only thing that can occur is self-appreciation and growth.
“I don’t have enough time for myself.”
That is a phrase I am well aware of in my own life. I’m a workaholic, project-driven artist that would always rather be doing something creative or doing for someone other than myself. As women, we are often raised to put others before ourselves and our own needs. But there comes a point when enough is enough and we hear that voice inside us say, “I am worth it.”
We all get our hair done. Maybe our nails or go shopping. Those are things we find the time to do for ourselves. But there are also deeper things to help us connect with our inner selves: meditation, coaching, therapy, etc. Having a beautiful portrait of yourself is another one of those meaningful experiences – it is a powerful reminder of the amazing woman that you have become…for yourself and your loved ones.
“I’m not where I want to be weight-wise/I don’t fit the media’s idea of a good size.”
None of us are ever happy with our weight, are we? And who told us it has to be a certain number to be beautiful? Who is the “media” to decide whether or not we are valuable as human beings?
No two women are the same, literally and figuratively. The standard of beauty we have been raised with exists in maybe 5% of women in the entire world. Stop thinking like that right now! You deserve to be seen and loved exactly as you are today! Do not let your body composition determine your worth and value. The person who is showing up to care for herself and others, building a career, or raising a family is far more valuable because of her choices and not diminished because she is aging or of a specific metric of beauty from strangers. She is beautiful yesterday, today, and again tomorrow.
As for that weight you think you should lose before a shot? We got you covered with flattering posing, lighting, and help choosing the right clothing to capture the most beautiful you.
“I feel old and unattractive, so a portrait session may not be for me.”
Let’s completely turn that statement around. I turned 60 this year – that’s a BIG number! I struggle with aging just like everyone else. There is no handbook for getting older, especially in our youth-oriented culture. I’m struggling with whether I should grow out my gray hair or not. But, every day I’m learning to love and care for this “new” me, instead of trying to retain some remnant of who I was at 35 or 40. Hence, I’m taking lots of self-portraits these days, because seeing myself in a beautiful image IS empowering!
Having a professional makeover and a photo session is a form of self-love that can jump-start your self-confidence and get you out of your funk. During the pandemic, women were flocking to the studio for makeovers because they hadn’t been out of sweatpants and a ponytail for months! “I forgot I could look good…for myself,” one client squealed with joy to me. We are all beautiful in our unique way – no one else can be you – and I believe in empowering and loving ourselves for who we are right now, not how the media or our younger programming has told us we should be. Your experience at the studio is one of self-discovery an self-love.
“I don’t need a bunch of photos of myself.”
“What would I do with photos of myself? It seems so selfish.” I hear that sometimes at consultations. Women feel it’s ok if it’s a headshot for work or a personal branding session. But I ask you this: why wouldn’t you want beautiful photos of yourself?
So many women have told me they have tons of photos of their children and loved ones, but none of themselves. Maybe they were taking the snapshots, but the truth is many of them didn’t like how they looked and didn’t want to be seen.
Who are they cheating in that scenario? Their children and loved ones! They want photos of you! When do we finally say to ourselves that we deserve to exist in photographs? When do we love ourselves enough to be present and accepting of who we are? Right now. At this very moment.
One day, 20 or 30 years from now, your portrait will mean more to your children and grandchildren than anything else they own. Genealogy is one of my past times. Images of my grandparents and great-grandparents mean more to me than anything. Portraits are legacy. One of the top-selling products at the studio is custom-designed albums of your images along with your thoughts on life. Many of my clients have these made as gifts for their children. Think about that for a moment!
“A portrait session is an investment and I don’t have all the money right now.”
A photo shoot is an investment, no doubt. But, that investment isn’t solely based on the art of photography. It’s also an investment in yourself. You are investing in your confidence, self-worth, and your legacy. The price tag should not be what keeps you from an experience like this. We offer payment plans and will be happy to discuss these options with you during your consultation.
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