When a Photographer Gets Photographed

When I was 27, my sister Pia - currently our in-house stylist extraordinaire - thought it would be fun and a boost to my self-esteem if we did a little photoshoot with me as the subject. I had studied film photography in college but was mostly self-taught when I purchased my first digital Canon camera. I had been using it on family and friends for months when she suggested I point the lens at myself.

A talented and stylish woman, she took charge of my hair and makeup, and together we chose outfits we felt both reflected who I was and showed off a more exotic and feminine side. I’m in no way model-like, and will admit that having to release my inhibitions and channel some dormant form of vavoom-ness felt goofy and a little contrived. A feeling that has deepened my appreciation for what my subjects go through when they pose for me.

We had no idea how the images were going to turn out but the experience in-of-itself was empowering and a lot of fun. This was over 10 years ago and till this day, I’m so happy we did that little shoot. I have never and might never again, have those kinds of images taken of me. It was a revelation to see myself in all the ways we had captured certain facets of my personality, and I was stunned by how beautiful the images were. How beautiful I thought I was.

It was a modest shoot by two people with little experience but it ignited in me the passion for capturing a moment in time that honors who we are, how we are and perhaps helps redefine how we view and think of ourselves.

I’ve since turned my hobby into a vocation driven by the belief that we all deserve to have great photographs of ourselves; Ones that reveal our unique brand of charisma and sex appeal. No matter how old we are, what we weigh, whether or not we are shy or comfortable in front of the camera, everyone has that wow! factor. Everyone. That’s what I offer my clients, the experience of being uniquely captivating in this moment and the expertise to bring out your authentic brand of va-voom.