I put unrealistic and unhealthy expectations on myself to be someone ‘perfect’ rather than learning to truly embrace and love who I was – for all I was.
Let’s face it ,we have all been there and know what it feels like to scroll through social media or to be flicking through a magazine and see what feels like a never ending supply of photos that our society has deemed to be the perfect man or woman, and naturally what do we do! I’ll tell you; we compare ourselves to them, wondering…what sets them apart from me, is it their size of their clothing, the volume of their hair. Allowing social media and other people’s opinions influence how we see and value our self.
If I were being completely frank with you and my clients about the reason my journey has led me to become a Boudoir Portraiture Photographer, well it was my own struggles with self-acceptance and self-love I went through growing up. I put unrealistic and unhealthy expectations on myself to be someone ‘perfect’ rather than learning to truly embrace and love who I was – for all I was.
At the age of 10, at a family gather a close relative made a comment about my body “You are getting fat”, that one simple comment had an overwhelming effect on the next four years of my life. I was an active kid growing up participating in school sports, I ran long distances, rode horses, danced and took gymnastic classes, I ate healthy and studied hard! But suddenly that was no longer good enough, that comment always lingered in the back of my head, like a bad small that just wouldn’t go away “you shouldn’t eat that”, “do you really need lunch today”, I began to cut back on my meals until I was down to one meal a day, dinner. I’d stop by the park near home to dispose of my food, to hide the fact I was not eating from my parents, teachers and friends. Naturally it was only a matter of time until my health was put at jeopardy, I began getting ill easier, fatigue to the point of passing out, sever vomiting and constipation, it took a toll on my mental health. Eventually the cat was out of the bag! For the better part of high school, I struggled with this battle, slipping in and out of those bad habits I had formed. I did stay active throughout high school, got a job, studied and tried to eat a normal balanced diet.
Through my photography I discovered my passion to empower other men and women to truly love and accept themselves and embrace their bodies through the most raw and vulnerable form of art, boudoir. It has also taught me what self-love really means.
Self-love, it can be hard at times and that’s OK, we are human after all! Self-love is learning to truly accept yourself, to be comfortable in your own skin, to stop comparing yourself to others, putting your health and well-being first and not sacrifice that to please others.
So, if you have a mummy tummy, stretch marks, scars, blemishes, birth marks, a dad bod, are a size 8 or size 22+, pear shape, hour glass STOP comparing yourself to other’s because YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! YOU ARE INCREDIBLE! YOU ARE YOU! BE DAM PROUD!
My clients chose to hire me for my reputation, my unique style and the experience I provide. The fact that I am not afraid to be real, raw and vulnerable with them, openly sharing in my childhood struggles, my successes, my failures and who I am, making me relatable.
Each session is tailored to the individual from the music that plays in the background, hair, make up, the style of the session and not to mention the ample amount of guidance I give in the lead up to the session and day of the session, with welcome guides, wardrobe guides, how to prep for your session, on the day posing guidance!
