Own every last laugh line on your face

Obsessed with staring at your laugh lines in your photos?

This article was written for you :)

“The expression is great, but the only thing I’m staring at are my laugh lines.”

A client remarked the other day during her branded lifestyle portrait session while reviewing a photo.

Truth is, laugh lines around the eyes is one of the biggest issues for many of my clients who step in front of the camera. Their obsession with the wrinkles then leads them to ask if I can retouch out those lines.

And, as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, I respond to that comment and question with the talk.

The talk is not a fully-canned and reproduced response - it is tailored to the specific person to whom I’m addressing, but basically, the gist is always the same. 

First, I ask them if they ever plan to smile in front of their audience or clients. Clearly, that’s a yes.

Then, I ask them if they’re looking to build long-term relationships with their audiences and clients. Generally, that also leads to a “yes” response.

Next, I point out that based on the fact that you said you want to develop relationships and not just sell them stuff, that means you need to build and maintain trust. 

That is followed up with another important point: 

The moment that people see your photos, they have this perception of who you are in real life. And if you’ve retouched 30 years off your face in your photos, and then meet your people in real life who see how you really look, that will greatly affect the way they see you from that point forward. 

The trust that you’ve built up has been affected, or worst case, gone.

Why?

It’s jarring to see someone who looks very different in person than the way they do in their image content. It invites people to question who you really are, and those are questions that you don’t want potential clients thinking about when looking around your online presence.  

Aside from that, here is another way to reframe the way you feel about your laugh lines:

If someone enters into your world to learn more about how you can help them, they’re in a vulnerable spot. They’re thinking all about themselves. 

As a result, do you really think they give a shit about your laugh lines? Do you honestly think that those are going to dissuade someone from paying you to help them? 

Now, it’s one thing to completely eliminate the lines and quite another to massage them a bit in post-production.

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t lighten that area up a bit to make them less prominent. There’s nothing wrong with mimicking what an excellent makeup job doesn’t already do on it’s own. 

But to completely eliminate lines is going too far in the wrong direction. 

And, quite frankly, it’s unnecessary. 

To have laugh lines means you’ve lived a life where you’ve had many moments of joy. Own them proudly and without hesitation as you do while living in those wonderful moments.

Rather than look at your photos and zero in on your perceived imperfections and blemishes, be grateful that you’re in a position to invest in yourself and your business in order to serve those who need your guidance, expertise and wisdom to get them over the hump.

There’s only one you - so, let who you are shine brightly because you deserve it!

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