Self-Love and Body Image: Why You Don’t Have to Wait to Be Photographed

When I first started my photography business, I wasn’t quite sure what direction I wanted to take or what I wanted to focus on. During that time, as I spoke with people about booking sessions, I began hearing many of the same comments over and over again, “I’ll book photos when my body looks better.” “I’m too old for photos, my skin is wrinkled, and my body isn’t what it used to be.”

I’ve even had someone jokingly say they would break my lens if I tried to photograph them.

In a way, I began to feel frustrated, because when I look at people, I see them as beautiful and worthy exactly as they are. It made me start asking myself: how can I help change this way of thinking?

Our bodies carry us through everyday life, through the hard days, the joyful days, and everything in between. Yet one of the things we often forget to do is honor our bodies just as they are. They hold our stories. They carry our experiences. They are what keep us moving forward, every single day.

And the truth is, I’ve been exactly where you are.

I’ve told myself, “I need to lose this weight first,” or, “I need to get my psoriasis under control before I could ever step in front of a camera.” I feel embarrassed by my skin, always worried that people were noticing it and judging me. Psoriasis is itchy, it flakes, it bleeds, and for a long time, it was something I wanted to hide from the world… and even from myself.

But I realized something important.

I was wrong.

My body deserves to be honored now, not later. My psoriasis, my weight, my changes, they are all part of my story, and it's worth being loved! With my skin the way it was, I chose to step in front of the camera myself, as an act of self-love and a commitment to healing my body image.

Becoming a mother had also opened my eyes.

We live in a world where society constantly tells us how we should look. Many of us grew up being judged or even bullied because of our bodies or our appearance. Those messages don’t just disappear, and unfortunately, they can be passed down without us even realizing it.

One day, my daughter at the age of 3 said something I will never forget. She told me not to get fat, if I got fat, I would be ugly.

She was told this by someone, and hearing those words broke my heart. It also made me realize something important, I am not much better when I tell myself that I am fat and unattractive, or call myself down because I don't look a certain way. What is this really teaching her?

That moment hit me hard.

If I wanted her to grow up loving her body no matter what it looked like, I needed to start showing her what that looks like. I needed to show her that no matter what stage my body is in, it is worthy of love and respect.

Our children are always watching us.

They learn how to see themselves by the way we speak about and treat our own bodies. We need to show them that every stage of life is beautiful, for both women and men. Our bodies change as we age. That is natural. While women may talk about it more openly, body image struggles affect everyone.

If we want our children to grow up confident, it starts with us.

Let’s change the narrative of our story. Let’s stop fighting our bodies and start appreciating them for everything they’ve carried us through. And who knows, when we begin treating our bodies with kindness, we may just start to see positive changes, both inside and out.

With all of this in mind, there is no perfect time to get photos, the right time is now. Life is happening in this moment, and you deserve to be remembered exactly as you are.

Live your life. Accept yourself for who you are today.

Take the photos with your family. Step in front of the camera for yourself. Whether it’s a relaxed portrait session, a family session, or even a boudoir experience, this is your permission to celebrate yourself.

And trust me, you are never too old for a boudoir session. One of the most unforgettable sessions I’ve ever photographed was with a 79-year-old woman who was going through breast cancer. She chose to celebrate her body and her strength, and we had so much fun during her session. She truly lived life to the fullest.

She was, and still is, an inspiration to me.

You are not behind. You are not broken. You are becoming.

What could happen if you stopped waiting and started believing?