Yes, but… I want to lose some weight first

Welcome back to my blog series where I take all your objections and reasons of why now is absolutely NOT the right time to get family photos taken and try to give you another perspective.

Today we’ll talk about probably the most-stated reason why people put booking a photo session off. Not just for their family but also when it comes to any kind of portrait.

I mean, I could just tell you to get over it, but that’s not going to help, is it?!

And you know what, I totally get it. When we see ourselves in photos, we have to come to terms with how we look. And if we’re unhappy with that image, we definitely wouldn’t run to the next photographer to have more photos taken.

I hear you, I really do!

Weight and looks are such a personal concern, no outside source can change how you see yourself. It’s just not possible. Instead of hating what we see, we need to learn to accept it or change what is in our power.

However, changing something about yourself really shouldn’t be the reason why you put things off until later. You don’t know when that “later” will be. So chances are, they’ll be postponed indefinitely. Imagine all the things you’ll be missing because you “just want to lose a few pounds first”.

Being conscious about your looks for something as personal as family photos also probably means you’re focusing on how the world perceives you and worry about not looking as put-together as you’d like. Guess what, we’re all a bit of a mess and that’s ok!

Imagine that: You find a photo of your mum when she was your age. She probably saw something in that photo that she didn’t like about herself.

What do you see? A strong, beautiful, loving mother. Those flaws that she sees are invisible to you.

That’s exactly how your kids and your partner will feel looking at images of you!

The connections you have with your family have nothing to do with your appearance. And just to assure you – everyone can look unflattering in photos sometimes (even Beyoncé). My job is to get the right angles and capture how you connect with your loved ones. I promise you will love these images. And the reason you’ll love them is not because of how you look but how these images reflect what your family life feels like.

Now, I still understand if you want to lose weight first before booking a session. And that’s fine. Just don’t put it off for too long or your kids will have grown up and there’s no image of you WITH them because you didn’t like the way you looked in photos.

Plus, if you hide from the camera, your children will learn this behaviour from you and do the same. Before you know it, they won’t let you take photos because they mimic you. And they learn that they need to criticise photos of themselves.

I actually speak from experience!

My mum used to hate having her photo taken. And so did my grandma. There are so few photos of them and I copied their behaviour. For years I would make sure I don’t appear on photos. I wasn’t pretty enough or thin enough and generally hated what I looked like.

Now as an adult, I absolutely regret hiding. And that my mum did the same.

I can’t bring those years back to take all these photos I’m missing now.

Plus the few photos I do have, I look at and marvel at the adventures I went on and my figure (not so much what I wore but that’s another story). There’s not a single negative thought about how I looked – even though at the time I felt like the least photogenic person on earth.

Let that sink in, please!

Also, postponing a photo session because of your appearance also teaches your children that they’re only worthy if they’re well-behaved, clean or measuring up to society’s idea of a “good child”. I assume that’s not at all what you want for them!

You don’t need to lose weight to be present in your family photos just like your kids don’t need to be on their best behaviour.

If you feel like you do need to get fitter in order to feel confident and happy, that’s another story. But don’t make photos the reason for changing anything about yourself. The only reason should be your well-being – physical and mental. Because the importance of your presence in images of your family does not relate to your weight or looks at all.

Right, how do you feel now about having family photos taken? Do you still want to wait a little to lose some pounds or are you ready to get the ball rolling? If it’s the latter, get in touch and let’s have a chat.

When you’re reaching out to me, I will ask you for a 15minute call. But don’t worry, booking a call with me, is not a commitment to a photo session. It’s just a chat to talk about what you think you might want your children to remember later. It will give you a chance to ask me anything you might be worried about when it comes to photography and being in front of a camera. I’d love to talk to you about these things!