The last rhinestone popped off my designer jeans.  The color was a little too faded, and my muffin top looked like a busted can of biscuits. I had put on a few pounds (read 15lbs) over the past few years, and I put off buying jeans until I could lose some weight.  How many of us can relate to this? 

At least with a photoshoot, I can drape and hide with the wardrobe, and get just the right pose.  It doesn’t quite work the same in real life.

Reluctantly, I had to give in and go jeans shopping.  I was going to have to deal with buying a larger size. 

So, off I went to Buckle.  I eyed the stacks of jeans and the sales girl asked me my size.  I wanted to ask if she had anything in size Fat-Ass but I suppressed the urge to speak negatively of myself.  After all, I’m always telling my clients how beautiful they are regardless of size.  I can’t exactly be a hypocrite now can I?

I grabbed five pair and fell in love with two.  I was actually only going to buy one.  Somehow, we always find a way to talk ourselves into buying more.  I have to admit that once the initial pain was over, I was glad I waddled into the store to get some better fitting jeans.  The right pair can do so much for your self-esteem (and your butt)!

That got me thinking about how often we can initially be hesitant to make a purchase but are later so glad we did.  So, I asked a few of my former clients if they still loved their photos as much as they did when they first saw them and why.

I got a few pleasantly surprising answers: 

“I wanted to do a retro look and brought my grandmother’s fur in for our session.  I loved that I was able to incorporate something that was her favorite into an heirloom piece.  I showed the album to my mother later and she commented about how she couldn’t get over the resemblance to my grandmother.” –M. Larson

“I grew up in a family where we had severe body issues; all of the women in my family were on a diet of some sort, taking diet pills, or had an eating disorder.  I learned to constantly compare myself to other girls, and consequently, I learned to hate my body. Then I got pregnant.  I gained more weight than I should have, and I had a ton of stretch marks. 

I hated this new version of my body more than my last one. 

But I had a shoot with Betty, and I could see how she saw me.  This body created a beautiful life, and was still strong and healthy.   This body allows me to care for my child, my family, have a career and a life.  I am reminded every time I look at my photos of who I am.”  - S. Johnson

In other words, she finally owns the space she’s in.  She knows she deserves and is worth the gaze of another.  She is worthy of being loved and admired, as we all are.

I love knowing that my art, just like my designer jeans, brings unexpected returns over and over again. We have so many things demanding our attention these days that we put off doing the things that can mean the most later.   In the words of Martin Luther, “How soon ‘Not Now’ becomes ‘Never’”. 

Know that you bless others with your presence and don’t apologize for it.

What are you waiting for?  Schedule your consult with Betty!