This Is Why EVERY Girl Should Have A Photo Shoot

What girl doesn’t like taking pictures of themselves? I know I do! If my hair is laid, make-up slayed, and I have on an amazing outfit to match… I‘ll sit there and do the same pose until I get the PERFECT picture. Yes, I take plenty of pictures, but there is something about doing a photo shoot with a professional photographer in a professional setting that makes me feel different.

I had complete creative control over my first photo shoot. It took a month for me to plan for this shoot. I spent that time figuring out locations, creating my looks, figuring how I should have my make-up done, and I also included a prop to use.

I had a total of 5 looks that consisted of vintage and distressed denim. One particular piece that I was so proud of myself for creating was a denim bralette…Yes that’s right a bralette made completely from denim. It fit me perfectly. I spent a lot of time trying on and adjusting each look to my liking. Overall, I spent $100 total for all 5 looks, including jewelry and shoes.

I decided to have the shoot at a local beach. This beach had a lot more than sand and water. There was a forest preserve that had a tree-house-like setting and I was just like….yep this is the one. Lol I thought about what looks I could wear that would go well with the different scenes that surrounded the beach. I was so excited because the possibilities were endless. I could give a different vibe for each look and location.  I knew I was going to have a wide variety of photos to receive back.

I wore my hair big and curly…just like Diana Ross in Mahogany…my favorite movie by the way. Lol The way she wore that look on and off the camera just screamed DIVA! My make up was the hardest aspect of my photo shoot. I am not a make up junky so most of the time I have no clue what goes where and why. I do my make up really simple, so I was nervous about how this was going to turn out. All I knew was that I wanted to do a daytime and night time look. I pinned over 10 looks on pinterest and consulted with one of my good friends. She definitely has talent and she made sure she did my make-up exactly how I wanted it.

I know you’re wondering…why am I telling you this, but the amount of confidence I gained from this photo shoot was absolutely wonderful. Being in the moment where all eyes are on you and feeling invincible. I was flipping my hair and smiling… I mean showing every last tooth in my mouth. I had Rihanna and Beyoncé playing in the background…everything was just sooooo perfect. I did this at a time in my life where I was going through a lot…mentally, physically, and emotionally. This shoot brought me back together. It made me realize that I am a beautiful and creative young woman and that I have a lot to look forward to in my future. I couldn’t wait to get my pictures back and when I did they were exactly how I imagined they were going to be…BOMB.

Being a girl is hard. We are judged and compared to one another frequently. The media’s standards of beauty say…if you don’t look and dress a certain way then you aren’t beautiful, good enough, or acceptable. After that day I realized that beauty is in the eye of the beholder… and honey… I AM the beholder. We have to realize that being beautiful has many different meanings and comparing yourself to just one standard will drive you insane.

One person that comes to mind when I think about going against the standards of the media is Canadian model Winnie Harlow. She was a contestant on America’s Next Top Model twenty-first cycle. She was diagnosed with vitiligo at age four, but that has not stopped her from taking the fashion industry by storm. She has created her own beautiful. She has taken something that may be a crutch to others and turned it into something that the leaders of the fashion industry desire to see.

Why do I think every girl should experience a photo shoot at least one time in their life? It’s simple…it’s a major confidence booster. Look up a local photographer and set up a date. Go shopping and find you an outfit that looks good on you. Set up an appointment to get your hair and make-up done. Then just let the magic happen and when you get those pictures back…post them …EVERYWHERE…Let people know you are comfortable in your own skin. You do not have to be a size zero, wear designer clothes, or be a professional to pose in front of a camera and feel good about yourself! You are beautiful and you should let everyone else know the same thing.