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Body positive photography: You’re NOT too fat to do this! I promise.

Body positive photography

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll take the photo..you don’t want me and my chins to spoil it” – family vacation, December 2007

“I really want some beautiful photos of me and my family, but I’m going to hate the way I look in the photos…” – at lunch with a friend, March 2010

” I’ll just wait untill next year and by then I’d have lost all this extra weight” – June 2012

” BAD HAIR DECADE” – last day of high school, December 2006

“I don’t really have the perfect outfit right this minute, but it will in a few – – – -‘s time” – January 2009

“I don’t have anything to wear to the shoot because I’m fat and nothing fits me and I shouldn’t have had that pack oforeosandthecokeafterwardsIreallyshouldlosesomeweight!!! Ok let’s do it next year” – August 2013

“My face does this weird thing when I smile” – Yesterday

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DON’T DISSAPEAR FROM YOUR HISTORY

If all of the above sounds familiar it means that you are a totally normal human being. Body positive photography is still a modern concept and it seems that a few more years of evolution are needed to have us be totally comfortable with any kind of photo of ourselves. But, here’s the thing, you actually need photos to document your life. To show who you really are…to make YOUR history! How would you have been able to establish that your nose, the one you might think is way too big for your face, is actually the nose of your great grandfather who fought in some war or freed some slaves or invented Oreos. What would’ve happened if your great grandfather had refused to go to picture day?

“I say Martha, this is quite the predicament. I seem to have misplaced my mustache clippers and now will unfortunately not be able to attend my portrait session, for fear of looking like a ninny”

This is you! Only about a 100 years in the past…but this is you! How will your children’s children know where they got their beautiful curly hair from, or those full lips, or heavens forbid, a slightly bigger than average nose.

funny Victorian photo

AN INTERESTING FACT

(you can use in a conversation to sound smart)

We are so used to seeing ourselves in the mirror and having this set idea of who we are and what we look like, that it’s only logical to feel totally confronted (and maybe a little offended) when we see a photo of ourselves taken by another person. That’s why selfies are so popular. We can manipulate the way the world sees us, by taking the photo exactly the way we want to and (at least try) to project the way we see ourselves onto the world.

SELFIES DON’T COUNT!

That’s great! But can you take a carefully posed selfie while hugging your grandmother? Seems a bit…vain…doesn’t it? Do you have your phone ready when you’re sharing a fun moment with your kids ? Or how about sharing an intimate moment with your partner? We’ve all been there.

Ugh, ok let’s swap sides. No, no wait, you go down, I’ll come up. Ok now kiss. No hold on, you have something in your teeth, Yeah ok now. Ugh it’s horrible! Why can’t I be normal!!!?

Is this the way you want to remember your life? With a bunch of awkwardly posed, poorly lit, bad quality photos?

IT’S OKAY NOT TO LIKE PARTS OF YOURSELF,

…BUT TRY TO LOVE THE REST…

It’s hard to look past our imperfections and actually see something good. We would rather talk about our faults than actually admit that we might be beautiful, or sexy, or just plain hot as fuuuuuuck. Accepting what you have, accepting that this is you, in your truest form, is a step towards loving yourself in photos. I think it also makes a difference how you approach having your photo taken in general. I like to think of photos as my legacy. Something I’ll leave behind for my children’s children to look at and think: “dang, great grandma sure did some stupid stuff, but she seemed fun as hell.”

Let photos become a tool to show your personality. Leave a legacy worthy of yourself. You deserve to love your photos and love yourself!

Contact me if you’re interested in a relaxed, fun and body-postive photoshoot.

Photoshoot tips | Amsterdam photographer | Amsterdam photoshoot | Body positive photography

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