she came in quiet

Her. She came to the studio feeling nervous, like most clients do. As soon as I saw her I knew she would be incredible. We shot. Her confidence grew. But she was still cautious. I know she was wondering… but also knew she knew. Deep down. She knew she was amazing. When she came in to see her photos it was almost as if she was holding her breath. The slide show started and she was wide-eyed. She had never seen herself like this. She needed to to take it all in. She questioned her body. She was torn. Was she good enough? Did she look like the other woman who had been in front my lens before her? She asked herself, why, even with all of these amazing images, was she looking for her perceived imperfections? I knew this session was so much more than pretty photos. They all are… She selected her images and left the studio. It wasn’t until later I received a text. We talked, like really talked. She called it a pep talk but I called it nothing more than a series of reminders. Reminders of what she already knew. Deep down. Before society taught her how to unfairly judge herself. Fuck those beauty standards. Standards that are near impossible to live up to. Standards created by corporations whose goal is to manipulate you for financial gain and emotional ruin. She was perfect. She was worthy. And most importantly, she has permission to love her self, all of herself, exactly as she is. For her, this is more than just a photoshoot. And for me, this is more than just a job.