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Bessie Young Photography Portraits

Sonora Modeling Head shots | Lyla | Sonora Photographer

Sonora Modeling Head shots | Lyla

Sonora Photographer

I have to say, I truly love taking Senior portraits, teenage portraits, and children portraits. There is just something so incredibly special about it. These types of sessions are full of laughter, big smiles, joy, and just oh so much fun.

The one thing I love most about these sessions, is I get to show each person how truly beautiful they really are. You see, growing up I hated being in pictures. I hated seeing pictures of myself. I was one of the most self conscious girls around. Honestly, I didn’t even want to look into the mirror because I was so self conscious. To me, these kinds of sessions allow me to be able to help others really see their true beauty. When I take a photo, show the model the image in the camera, and get to see there expression is just absolutely priceless. It is such a special moment.

Most of the time, during these moments, the model will respond back

‘oh wow that isn’t me’

‘oh wow, I look like that?’

‘how did you make me look so good’

‘no way is that me!’

So on and so forth.

I then just smile and say, yes that is you. You are truly gorgeous on the inside and out. The camera doesn’t lie :) This little moment in someones life may change their entire perspective on the way they look. It may just show them how beautiful they really are. It may help them realize that they are absolutely gorgeous. It may be that moment that gives them courage, that ah ha moment that they really needed to become courageous, to become self confident, to throw that mean girl out the window.

One of the coolest things about this whole moment, is that after they have that realization, after they see the image and how truly beautiful they really are, all the sudden there is a light in their eye, their whole person changes just ever so slightly. They become more comfortable in front of the camera, more confident in their own skin, they laugh a little more, smile a little bigger, and their eyes gleam with happiness.

This to me is what it is all about. I want to be able to show people, to show everyone, how truly beautiful they really are. To tell them that all those negative thoughts and feelings are just lies that they continue to tell themself. That they are gorgeous and no one should be able to tell them otherwise.

Now this particular session was one of the most special sessions. You see, Lyla is my niece. She is such a gorgeous girl, so incredibly sweet, and such a love. When we started out taking her portraits she was nervous. This was her very first time ever getting her portraits taken, so I completely understood her fear and/or nervousness.

After a few photos, I captured THE SHOT. The one shot that was going to change her entire outlook on the session, the shot that was going to have her realize that she is gorgeous and truly beautiful on the inside and out, the one shot that will hopefully always remind her how amazing she really is.

I showed her the back of my camera and her eyes lit up. “WOW Auntie Bessie”.

She couldn’t stop smiling, yet you could tell that she was a little nervous to smile and recognize how beautiful she was. After that one moment, the entire session as full of laughter. She was super comfortable in front of the camera and she was glowing. I haven’t ever really seen her like this up until this moment. It was beyond amazing.

I hope that some day, each person gets to see themselves from someone elses perspective. I hope that one day, each and every person will have that moment. That moment of realization that most of their negative thoughts aren’t true. I hope that some day I will be able to capture those images and prove to you that you are beautiful. That your self confidence will increase. That you will no longer be afraid of the camera…

Bessie