Why I Ask My Clients for the Before Shot

So for a while now, I have been asking my clients to do a Before and After shot to include in my marketing materials. Most of you have been incredibly gracious about them and some of you have been (understandably) hesitant. I realized that it's a bit unfair of me to ask for something that I myself have not yet done. So this post is about my own before and after. But, before you get to see me at my worst, (I deliberately chose a horrendous picture of myself to prove a point) I would like to walk you through what the Before picture is all about.

The Before

No, the point is not to showcase you at your worst. The point is to show you as a blank canvas, fresh faced and natural. I will grudgingly admit that I've done a few Before and After shots in my photography infancy where the woman looked much better in the Before shot simply because the makeup was too heavy or too fake looking, or she was uncomfortable during her session and I was unable to get her to open up. But the Before shot is simple. Big smile, straight on to the camera. Perfect!

Before I started showing the Before and Afters, I had many women tell me: "Well I could never look like that." or "I need to loose 20, 30, etc pounds before I let anyone photograph me."  "All these women in your portfolio are so photogenic! I look horrendous in pictures!" "You must photograph models." I needed a way to illustrate that ANYONE can look incredible in their portraits. That's when I decided to show a Before image.

I take portraits of regular, every day women and I show them they can be as stunning as any Hollywood star on the cover of a magazine. I DON'T photograph models. In fact it's boring to me. They know how to turn it on and look stunning in a portrait. I yearn to photograph the woman that has never seen a good picture of herself, the woman that doubts her own beauty, the woman who thinks that just because she is pounds heavier or years older she can no longer look appealing. I want to photograph the insecure teenager and the overtired new mother, the curvy women and the mature women and anything in between.

So many of my clients do not identify with the hollywood starlet. They do not believe they could ever look as good. When I only show the beautiful, finished images they can not even begin to imagine that that could be them. A client's Before shot is there so you can see yourself in her place and so that when you see her after images you start to wonder, Wow, could that be you?

And I ask you to pass it on. Let's do your own Before and After so that other women might see themselves in you and decide that maybe, just maybe, there is hidden beauty inside them too. And don't worry your Before will look much better than mine. I promise.

Alas, I can not put it off any longer. My own before image is a picture from high school. I was nerdy, insecure and had no idea how to put myself together. And yes this was a while ago, but trust me, I can still look JUST like this on bad days. And don't take a candid photo of me because this will be the result! The After was taken just a few weeks ago because I needed a good headshot.

Here's the thing though. Yes, this Before picture is me. But really and truly so is the After. I identify just as much with the before as I do with the after. We're all a complexity, a paradox but so many women choose to only focus on the things they hate about themselves. They choose to believe that a bad representation of their physical selves is actually the truth of who they are. And that is SO false! You have the potential to be STUNNING. You have beauty inside you that you have never seen! I challenge you to find it and embrace it.

The Mother-Daughter Session

"A daughter is God's way of saying 'I thought you could use a lifelong friend.'"

I had two beautiful, "lifelong friends" come into the studio for a shoot the other day and it made my heart so happy. Too often we forget to celebrate those who are closest to us. We get busy with life, maybe we live far away, or perhaps we think there are more pressing things to deal with right now.

And really, all of it is true and all of it is valid, but I think it's so important to take some time and spend it with the people that are most important to us. A Mother - Daughter bond is unlike any other. As a daughter, inevitably, there comes a time when you realize "Oh my God, I'm turning into my mother!" and then soon after you also realize that it's really a grand thing because you now recognize the strength and depth of character of the woman who raised you. As a mother, the years pass and you get to witness the seeds you've planted day after day take root and grow and blossom into this beautiful lady before you, and your heart is happy and proud.

It is a beautiful love to celebrate, and an important connection to capture in a portrait. This type of portrait only grows in value over time just as a mother-daughter relationship only grows in love. 

I love how alike these two are. They have an elegance about them that is in many ways identical. It's like their essence is the same. And really, when it comes down to it, I suppose it is...

Ahh... my darling Class of 2016 seniors with your vibrant eyes and glowing skin, you are a dream to photograph!!! You have excitement and restlessness permeating out of every cell in your body and I know you are off to do great things. Now pause for one second. Immortalize this youthful, vibrant beauty. One day, many years from now, when all your dreams will have come true, you will look at that young girl and smile at her kindly, wistfully, and with great love.

Timeless Children's Portraits

Your little adorable cherub? No, we won't REALLY glam her up. At least not in the '90s Glamour Shots kinda way. We will however make her feel like a little hollywood diva because let's face it, that's what she already thinks she is :)

Glamour! For any reason...

Weather it's sisters, best friends, mother-daughter, or just you wanting to do something amazing for yourself, there's always a reason for glamour. It will be my infinite pleasure to create timeless, stunning portraits of you and anyone you may want to bring along.

Maternity Portraiture - Let's glam you up!

I've met so many moms who have told me they never took any maternity pictures. It's understandable of course. There are plenty of reasons not to do it: You never find the time, or you feel tired and run down, or you wish you had that perfect pregnant mommy look but feel like you don't. After all you don't FEEL glowy. Well, they are all perfectly valid reasons not to do it. Now go hire a photographer and take those maternity pictures any way.

Your body is busy creating a little human so yeah, you may not have energy for much else but it's worth it! You are immortalizing a time of excitement, anticipation, and youth. You are a young mom. You are fabulous and though you may feel the opposite of glowy, there is an aura of love around you that should be captured in a beautiful portrait.

From soft and dreamy to simple and classic, Heart Photography will provide hair, makeup and a styling consultation to help you achieve the look you want and make you feel like one of those perfect pregnant mommies you so often see in magazines.

Modern Glamour Portraits - Baton Rouge

Heart Photography is launching it's Modern Glamour brand! If you've always wanted to do a boudoir shoot but could never bring yourself to do it, this is for you. If you have boudoir images but can't show them off to anyone other than your partner, this is for you. Your session will include gorgeous hair and makeup and a two hour glamour shoot. Unlike boudoir, this is for any woman who's ever wanted incredible images of themselves, any age, any size! Stay tuned for another gorgeous session next week!