"You can take my picture if you can make me look 20 years younger!”  “Now isn’t a good time, let’s wait until I lose 15 pounds.” “You can touch up those wrinkles, right?”

Every time I hear these statements from clients, my heart winces.

When I look at you, I see beauty. I see strength. I see resilience. You may see a less-than-flat stomach. I see a mother who has carried life. You see “age” manifested in smile lines and wrinkles. I see wisdom and a life filled with joy and laughter.

I get it. Society is constantly telling us that we are supposed to look a certain way. That we are not enough. We need to buy the latest cream, do the latest diet, or “be” some other way.

I completely understand. In fact, my very first blog post was about my own fear and insecurities around being photographed. You can click here to read it.

If I had taken my own advice and turned down the opportunity to be photographed, I would not be as passionate as I am today about my own art.

The best thing about my job is showing my clients what we created together. The looks on their faces as they have prints in hand is priceless. I often hear, “I didn’t know I could look like that!”

Well, my dear, I saw it in you all along.