"I’m Not Photogenic": How to Overcome Photo Anxiety and Embrace Your Portraits
We as photographers preach family photos and moms’ portraits are meaningful to your kids and family, and I believe many clients are on board for that. But…..are they meaningful to YOU, as a mom, actually as a woman? Do you enjoy seeing yourself in photos?
So I thought this will be a great topic for my blog and I turned to a pro, Tory Stroker. Tory is an anti-diet Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and weight inclusive provider local to Ridgewood, NJ. She helps women in all body sizes to reject diet culture, find food freedom, nourish their body to feel their best and find peace with their body. She has supported hundreds of women through her one-on-one counseling services in her private practice, Tory Stroker Nutrition. Make sure to check out her website!
Here’s from Tory:
Tory Stroker
Anti-diet Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and weight inclusive provider
Hi there!
After speaking with so many of my clients, one hot topic that often will come up is body image + photographs. Whether it be fear of seeing oneself photographed in an upcoming wedding, or seeing a photo that sends them in a self-criticism spiral, or not ever getting into photographs because of body shame, this scenario plagues so many of my clients - and maybe you too.
Let’s play out this scenario together…you’ve just taken photographs with a great photographer, and you see the first photograph and….
WHAM!
You begin the self-critic spiral of hating on every single part of your body, your appearance, your everything! As you keep scrolling through the photos, the critic gets louder and louder in your head. Been there? I know I have…
What if you took a different approach? Here are a few steps you can take towards not starting the hate spiral when you look at photos of yourself:
1. Notice your self talk
How are you talking to yourself about your body when you look at these photographs? Is it critical and harsh? Or gentle and loving? If it isn’t so nice, would you ever talk about your best friend this way? If not, why are you talking about yourself this way?
2. Remember the intention of why the photo was captured in the first place - to capture a memory, not to photograph your body parts and hate it.
Was the photograph taken for you to trash talk your stomach? Or was it to capture a special moment in time with your son who just started to walk and is enjoying his first steps in the sand? Redirecting your thoughts in this way can be very helpful around photographs.
3. Find something great captured in the photo!
Whether it be how happy you look, the composition of the photo, the sunset, how great your house looks, your child’s expression, the love you see in your partner’s eyes…something!
4. Take 10 seconds to look at each photograph, then move on.
The longer we gaze at photos, the more likely we are to find areas to harp on. If you find your critical eye to be really loud, I recommend my clients take 5-10 seconds, then move on to the next photo.
5. Do not look at the photographs when you’re in a bad body image moment. You’re only setting yourself up for a self-critical spiral. Instead, choose a time when you’re in a good headspace to look through the photos. It’s amazing how different the experience can be.
READY TO GET IN PHOTOS? GREAT!
LET ME GUIDE YOU THROUGH YOUR SESSION SO YOU CAN LOOK YOUR BEST. CONTACT ME HERE FOR YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR OWN
SPECIAL PORTRAIT SESSION!
Looking for more support about your body and mind?
Tory Stroker Nutrition offers one-on-one counseling sessions for women in all body sizes ready to ditch diets and heal their relationship with food and their body. If you’re interested, schedule your free 15 minute consultation today.