The Weigh it is...
portrait images are empowering...
But..
If there’s one thing that my clients are never short on, it’s complaints about their appearances in those same portrait images.
“Ugh, I can’t stand how my left eye is smaller than my right eye...oh jeez, my wrinkles are killing me...I hate how many veins are in my hands...my skin looks terrible today...Please don’t shoot me so close, it makes my face look older…Wow, I look soooooo fat, I hate myself right now.”
Now, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of complaints that I’ve heard, but, you get the point.
And, this is not me beating up on the vulnerabilities of my clients either - I totally get this line of thinking.
I literally sprinted away from cameras for the first 25 years of my life because I was obese and hated to be reminded of it by seeing myself in portrait images. It was a shitty place to be emotionally.
Eventually, I broke out of it, and now, I use my experiences to empathize with my thought leader clients as I guide them to focus less on their hang-ups and more on the value these portrait images will provide their tribes.
Recently, I had a lifestyle portrait session with Tricia Kallmeyer. Not only is she a nutrition and wellness coach, but, she is currently practicing what she preaches.
At present, she has lost over 80 pounds during the past 24 months.
During our pre-session strategy call, Tricia stressed to me the importance of capturing candid, portrait photos of her working out.
Here is a photo from our session:
Now, I could've Photoshopped her arms to be tighter, or we could’ve deleted this image from the pile, but, as Tricia explains, this would’ve not been authentic to her experience or her brand:
“This picture is so important to me because it shows that while I am still work in progress, I have come a VERY long way and I am absolutely proud of myself. I want people to see my photo and think “I can do that!” or “I can do better!” and find the motivation to make a positive change in their lifestyle.
(This photo) absolutely makes me relatable to (my followers and clients) because they can see that I’m human. I’m not perfect, and that’s perfectly ok. I face the same obstacles that my clients face everyday. They know that not only do I understand and empathize with their struggles, but I can completely support them on their road to wellness and a healthier lifestyle because I’ve been there myself. I’m living it daily. I am healthier now than I ever was in my 20’s and 30’s. I want people to see that it’s never too late to start.”
Understanding the bigger picture allowed Tricia to let go of whatever vanity issues she harbors as she progresses through her body transformation, because she clearly understands the immense impact these portrait images will provide her tribe as they strive to achieve their own health goals
And, who better to lead them down that path then someone who is going through the exact process at the same time?
To see more photos from Tricia’s session, click here.
Are your hangups about your appearance delaying your need to update your image content library?
Set up for a time to chat with me here, and let’s see if I can help you with that.
PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you...because I care, :)