My Turn

My, my, my, it has been such a long time since my last post! But I am so excited to share an experience I had a few weeks ago - the other side of the lens!

As you know I am a contemporary glamour portrait and boudoir photographer. My clients, mostly women, come into my studio, their hair and makeup is done and we shoot for a few hours.

It may not seem like it, but for some, this can be quite a daunting experience!

Women who aren't normally comfortable in front of a camera suddenly have one pointing in their face for the better part of two hours. They are asked to do strange things like, "smile with your eyes," and, "do Barbie hands," and, "I want more body language, make me believe it," like what does that even mean? They are suddenly doing things professional models do: working their bodies, finding their best angles, pushing this forward, pushing that back, etc. It can feel quite strange indeed!

The Photographer

So a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing a young woman named Jessica Shepherd who also happens to be a local photographer. She was keen to try out some new equipment that she had purchased, so I volunteered to 'model' for her. Thus began my experience as the client in front of the lens, rather than the photographer behind it.

The Location

We decided to shoot in an old, abandoned wreck of a house in outer Geelong. We drove out, chased some sheep away and began the shoot, hoping not to step on any rusty nails or broken glass.. or sheep's poo!

The Experience

I have been photographing women for just over a year now, and I can now say that I sympathise with all my previous clients! Suddenly I was the one with the camera in my face, the stunned mullet who didn't know what to do, who felt completely self conscious and vulnerable and awkward..!

I didn't know how I looked, I couldn't tell if I was showing double chin or stomach bumps (aka flab) or if my pose looked right or if my hair was big enough or if my makeup was still all there. I had to put my complete trust in Jess. I had to trust in her ability to create a beautiful photograph of me.

The Photos
In all honesty, it was tough at first. It can be confronting! I think we all have an idea in our minds of what we look like. Then somebody shows us a photo and we're shown a different version of ourselves and we think, "So this is how other people perceive me. I'm not as [insert adjective] as I thought I was."

When I received the photos from that day, I couldn't stop staring at them. I looked so different! I took a good, long look at myself. I saw a young woman approaching her 30th birthday. A woman who's been around the world. A woman who has touched lives. A woman loved by family and friends. A woman about to get married. A woman with a smile that brightens her whole face.

This is me. This is how the world sees me. This is who I am. 

I am beautiful.

It shows in my eyes, my smile, my face, my hands.

I'd like to thank Jess for giving me this experience, and for the lovely photographs that I will cherish always. And I just hope I can give my clients what she gave to me that day: the realisation that I am truly beautiful.

If you ever get the opportunity to be photographed, take it. You may just get to know yourself a little better.

Poser!