It’s time to reframe it! How to radically accept and love who you are before your portrait or personal branding shoot.
I always see your beauty, but I totally get how difficult it can be to see your own. I, like many of us, struggle with self acceptance let alone self love. It's really tricky to extend the kindness and compassion to ourselves that we readily offer to other people. We reduce ourselves to our perceived imperfections and that's understandable given the messages we internalise on a daily basis around what it means to be beautiful.
Is it any surprise that the thought of the things we don't love about ourselves being captured on camera feels a little anxiety inducing? Photography and brand shoots can feel exposing, I get it, I know how vulnerable you can feel (I feel it too when I'm in front of the camera) but the simple truth is liking yourself in photos starts with liking yourself in real life.
The good news is that a little preparation can help you to embrace the process and feel a whole load calmer on the day of your shoot. Taking some time to connect with yourself before your shoot can help you to get into the right head space, be kinder to yourself, and like yourself a little bit more.
So what can you do to prepare for your portrait or personal branding shoot?
There are a whole host of things you can do to prepare yourself and support your nervous system. The first thing to say is that my meditation teacher and counselling training means I have a bunch of tools to help you to feel calm and grounded on the day. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or like your lizard brain is running the show during the shoot just let me know. We can stop, pause and use some mindfulness or breathing techniques to bring you back to centre. I’m also sharing some ways you can prepare for your shoot below.
4 ways you can prepare for our shoot, so you see your own beauty and feel your most grounded self.
1: Give your body some gratitude: spend 15 mins moisturising your body each day in the run up to your shoot. Take the time to really connect with it and appreciate it. As you moisturise really try to connect with feeling grateful for your body.
2: Stop and take a daily look at yourself in the mirror. Do this for a full 5 mins. Really take some time to notice what your face and body look like and write down some of the things you love about yourself.
3: Pick out the outfits that make you feel comfortable AND confident in advance of your shoot. You might want to wear something new, or something that feels special.
4: Take some selfies from different angles. You can set your camera on timer, or use an app like CLOS. Familiarising yourself with your body from different angles will mean it's not a surprise when you get your images back.
I'll see your magic when we shoot together, but I want you to feel it too.
Getting comfortable with yourself before the shoot even starts is a great way to feel more connected with yourself on the day.