Self Portrait vs Customer Portrait

I look at my self portrait and what do I see? Am I self critical do I see the perfection of time and the remembrance of what use to be? I remember silly things my mom use to say when she’d stand next to me in the mirror as we were both getting ready for the day. There are day’s I look at the photographs and think nothing. There are day’s I look at the photographs and think of all the imperfection time has brought. Either day I am okay with it. That’s just being a woman, I use to tell myself. Then I met other woman and matured in my way of thinking. Now I look at photographs and am free to think of what was happening, what I was doing, what I felt like. I look at photography differently.

Customers Portraits are different. When I first begin it about getting to know the person. What makes them smile. What can I say to help them be comfortable? How can I use my camera to take a photograph they will enjoy looking at and think good things about the day? How does a photographer take a good photograph?

One of the things that I enjoy is trying to take a photograph I have to do the least amount of editing to. I laugh…at myself, of corse. Due to the fact that I have discovered the art of editing. It’s a “rabbit hole” of seeing how much can be done to a photograph to make it look perfect. Then a discovery, realization the level of perfection can be so great the photograph looks nothing like you started with. Then another level of realization happens. What style is “my style”. What is too much and what is too little? I think each photographer discovers that for themselves.

My favorite way to edit a photograph is different from another photographer. Each photographer finds their own style with experience, time and effort put into editing the photographs taken. My customers/clients tend to enjoy the more natural look I am giving my photographs these days. It’s less obvious and more realistic to whom my customer is. If you like the way my photographs look then make an appointment. If not, I totally understand.