Speaking Confidently, knowing your worth.

 I was brought up to believe that confidence was a bad thing. "Pride goes before a fall" was one of my mother's favorite sayings. My parents were married in England during World War II and their early married life was marked by rationing and making do. Being thrifty and modest, were, therefore, desirable traits. If you had money, you didn't waste it or flash it about. The idea of investing in yourself, or selling something you create would never have occurred to my mother. This kind of training is poor preparation for being an entrepreneur but I am passionate about my craft and the value of being photographed.

As a portrait photographer, I constantly encounter people with poor self esteem. Most of them are women but men are not immune. The idea of getting in front of a camera scares them to death. Consequently, many otherwise confident business people are walking around with 10 (or more) year-old headshots on their websites or business cards. It is said that we do business with those we know, like and trust, so your headshots need to look like you and be updated regularly. Our culture worships youth and beauty in women, so we are advised to cover the grey hairs and lose weight in order to look younger.  Men are not subject to the same pressure and the same grey hairs that make a woman look "old" make a man look "distinguished". 

The rise of the cell phone "selfie" has not helped. Cell phone cameras have a fixed focal length and a wide angle lens, which will distort anyone closer to the camera. They rarely provide a flattering portrait, so filters are applied to soften and alter the image. Sometimes, my clients ask me to "photoshop" them to make them appear thinner; they don't realize that good posing can do just that! I tell my clients that what is nearest to the camera appears largest, so a slight angle or a tilt of the chin can make all the difference in how you photograph. Often, they are pleasantly surprised by the results. 

Part of my job as a portrait photographer is to help my subjects see their own beauty. But beauty is not just skin deep. Our life experiences make us what we are. Kindness and intelligence, courage and confidence and self-worth; all these show on the surface. These are the traits we should be nurturing in our young women because those young women will be tomorrows leaders. Today is International Women's Day and it's worth remembering that there are women leaders in our community whose influence ripples out far beyond their immediate circle. I will be once again photographing the annual Susan B Anthony/ Women of Influence awards later this month; I can't think of better role models for our young women.