But I just want to look like myself!

Every now and again, a woman comes into my studio and says “I don’t want to look like someone else, I just want to look like myself.” This refers to the photos themselves or to the makeup that I offer as an add-on. And I completely understand that, nobody wants to look at their photos and see a stranger.

But here’s something I’d like you to think about: is the version of yourself you’re used to seeing the only version of you?

We see ourselves every day in mirrors, in shop windows, in selfies. We become familiar with certain expressions and certain angles (just have a look at your selfies… We all know our “best side” and “best smile”, and there aren’t many variations of those in our selfies. No judgement here, I’m exactly the same!). And somewhere along the way, we start believing that this is what we look like.

But that’s just one version of us, and there are so many others.

Think about it: you don’t stop being yourself when you swap your jeans for an evening dress. You don’t become a different person when you put on red lipstick or wear something daring – you’re still you, you’re just expressing a different side of yourself.

So why should photography be any different?

You might be someone who rarely wears make-up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy looking glamorous. You might be naturally reserved, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look powerful and confident (and maybe even start feeling that way! Think of Stanislavsky’s acting system: sometimes, acting confident can help you feel confident). Just because you’ve never imagined yourself looking sensual, dramatic or a little provocative doesn’t mean you can’t give it a go.

That’s what I love about studio photography: unlike selfies, a photoshoot gives us the freedom to experiment with lighting, styling, poses and expressions, so we can create something completely different from what you’re used to seeing in the mirror.

You can spend an afternoon in my studio wearing beautiful lingerie or looking like you’ve stepped out of a magazine, and the next morning, you can put your jeans back on, tie your hair up and carry on with your day – and neither version is any more or less authentic than the other.

I’m not interested in turning you into somebody else, I’m interested in showing you what’s possible when you explore different sides of yourself.

And I think the best thing you can take away from a photoshoot isn’t just beautiful photos: it’s looking at them and realising that the confident woman, the sensual woman, the woman you never thought you could be, is also you, not someone else.

Perhaps that’s the best reason to step in front of a professional camera: not to capture another version of the person you already see every day, but to discover just how many different ways you can be yourself.