Keeping it All REAL

A couple of months ago I put out a Model call for some curvy ladies because i wanted to showcase that REAL women have CURVES and they, too, could be photographed in a most beautiful way. You see, I receive plenty of inquiries from ladies for portrait sessions, but they are always for some “future date” when they will be “camera worthy”. “When I lose 5, 15, 25lbs”. It’s always the same.

However, I did get a bite; ONE.

Meet Corey. She is a FABULOUS Mom to two school-aged children, and a most devoted and patient US Navy wife. She is a REAL woman with CURVES, and she is BEAUTIFUL.

She has the most amazing blue eyes – they are like pools you immediately drown in. It was so easy to capture their gentle soulfulness.

Corey is usually the one behind the camera in her family (typical Mom) and doesn’t get to be IN FRONT of the lens, often. Getting in front of mine didn’t seem to faze her too much, though. I was pretty impressed. Folks are usually a bit squirmy at first, and rightly so; it’s not the most natural thing in the world. Getting into the prescribed poses for the shoot was another story!

What looks good in camera doesn’t always feel good! Sometimes, we have to place you in the most awkward positions in order to get the right angles, for the best shots.

Through it all, Corey was a trooper! We had a few laughs (she called me a few choice names), and really had a fun time getting her beautiful images. See what a bit of hard work can produce? There is minimal photoshop done to these images, folks; just a bit of sharpening to eyes and lips, and we did have Sallie Keena’s amazing hair & make-up artistry. However, this is really ALL Corey.

I would like all women to see themselves as beautiful, because you all really are. YOUR beauty comes from within and emits through your eyes, your skin, your smile and your laughter. It exists even when you believe it to be “not good enough,” because you’re not the “right size” or you don’t “photograph well”. It exists even when you don’t have a staff of 5 folks running around with hairspray, lipstick or photoshop.