Getting your photo taken by someone else is not for everyone. I am aware I am very photogenic but try telling my brain that when my anxiety is getting the best of me. It is already hard enough wanting to document anything with a photo when you aren’t your ideal weight or having a good hair day. This has been a seasonably warm winter to begin with. BUT of course… It’s a cold day come the photoshoot, rainy, and I am starting to get big sick. Like upper respiratory kind of sick, on this day that you scheduled.
So, you rally, fight your hair in the bathroom in tears. Run out of paper on your lint roller for all the dog hair. Can’t find the clothes you wanted to wear most, trying to hide the pale and rosy cheeks with layer upon layer of makeup. When you finally get the pictures back and the first picture you happen to see shows how sick you truly are….
The fear and defeat that ran through my body. It was of our only indoor pictures, maybe the outdoor pictures are better? But you give yourself a second to catch your breath, the overwhelming fear I ruined the photoshoot because I chose to try to rally. We are a day away from the goal of launching, and don’t have time to reshoot. Ok ready…. Let’s flip through all of them.
PHEW! Lighting was a much better friend outside. Flip through a couple more pictures….
Why did I freak out over all this? These came out so great! Our photographer did a great job getting all different angles and compositions.
FUN FACT: At this point of the photoshoot…. I could feel Lauren’s uncertainty building. There was sooo much going on around us, we were both getting uncomfortable in our own skin… She was also doubting her outfit choices, but honestly neither one of us really planned for it. It was all an after thought when it came to the clothing.
There was some kind of drama going on around us, the police and Coroner were all present. She was also walking around with a broken toe, and a 9 year old. Naturally she was on protective mama bear overload with that many people around us.
He was able to get into a few shots with us, and even on his own as well, because our photographer Annabelle is just as kind as she is talented. She was the same photographer I used for my Engagement photos and my wedding. She was the only person who saw me cry on my wedding day. I made it clear I am ugly crier and I need to get it out and keep it out, so I am not red faced and runny makeup.
Here we are 3 weeks after the shoot, finally looking at our pictures impressed with how great they came out. And I realizing how anxious I was for the last 3 weeks over them. How I doubted how I looked, my clothes, my poses, our locations. Getting your picture taken is stressful. Getting out of your head is hard.
My biggest take away is we need to do this more often. Just for fun, for business, for our families, and for ourselves. Remind ourselves how beautiful we are, and not let it stress us out. Maybe get together and plan out clothing beforehand. Take away that stress… Trusting the scenery, and the process. Easier said than done with anxiety but we need to work on this.
PS. My hair ended up looking great!