Have you wanted to do your own Fine Art Boudoir (FAB) session but you just keep delaying it? Always finding that one "good" reason why now just isn't the right time to follow through and book that session you have been thinking about. That reason isn't as good as you might think. Matter of fact it's really all in your head.
Everyone makes excuses, I do it all the time, Finding that reason why I can't do something is always easier than just doing the thing. Don't believe me? Well, would it surprise you to know that I came up with about two weeks worth of excuses for why I couldn't write this article?
They weren't anything grand or exotic. It was mostly just little barriers I put in my way like, "oh, I need to answer that email first," or "I haven't had enough coffee yet to focus" or "I need to go somewhere to write, I can't just do it from home in my favorite chair where I spend most of my time." Nothing huge you see, just dumb little roadblocks I put in my way to keep me from completing my task.
Excuses are great for that, especially when we might be scared or nervous about the task we are looking to accomplish. They take almost no effort to come up with because let's face it, we have plenty of reason to be negative all the time. Being positive in today's climate is arguably one of the harder things to do with consistency.
Excuses can be like a weird security blanket too. We don't ever have to worry about feeling awkward or uncomfortable or out of place when we can just come up with an excuse for why we can't do something. And that is the problem. We can't grow into better people if we never challenge ourselves. We can't have any new experiences if we find a reason to delay it. It works the same for doing your own FAB photoshoot.
So with that in mind, I am going to tackle 4 of the biggest excuses I hear about why someone can't do their own FAB photoshoot.
1. "I need to lose weight."
This is by far the most common excuse I hear when it comes to someone not doing a FAB session. And I totally get it. Everyone is weight conscious in our society. Whether that person should be or not, everyone thinks about their weight. And nobody wants to look bad on camera, so it makes sense that if you are going to do a photo shoot you want to be at or close to your ideal weight.
I am here to tell you that is nothing more than an excuse to put off what you need the most, some self-love and acceptance. You don't NEED to lose anything.
Its okay to be big, its okay to be small. There is nothing wrong with how your body looks. It's yours you should be proud of it and embrace it. That is one reason why I believe a FAB session can be so important for persons mental health. It gives you an opportunity to artistically and creatively express the intangible feelings and emotions that you carry around with yourself every day. You are given the chance to stop time and document how you are in a specific chapter in your life.
Maybe you are not at your ideal weight right now and that is okay! Taking the opportunity to love yourself and embrace your body as it is now might just empower you to see yourself differently. That new insight might help you focus and treat yourself better which would, in turn, lead to better healthier choices that will continue to empower you and move you forward towards all of your goals.
2. "I am not a model/ I don't know how to model"
This one is easy to understand. When most people think of a photo shoot they think of Victoria's Secret models strutting down a runway. Or a Vogue fashion shoot with Supermodels and a huge production team running around. It doesn't seem like something for anyone at first. Especially if you have never been in front of the camera before it can be daunting and scary.
Lucky for you though you get to work with me! I don't care if you have modeled since you were a baby or if you have never been in front of the camera. I am here to coach and guide everyone. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes. I study modeling so you don't have to. All you have to do is come ready to play and have fun and I will take care of getting you into the right position and what to do with your hands.
3. I need to wait for the right time.
"The right time" "The perfect day" are all wonderfully vague excuses that can seem like not even an excuse. Until you look back and its been years of you not doing that thing that has consistently been on your mind. The truth is there is no perfect day or right time. There is just today. And if you have been wanting to do your own photo shoot then you should do it as soon as you can. Don't delay it. Becuase that will just be all that comes of it. It will be that thing you put on a shelf in your mind and whenever you think of it you just move it up to a higher shelf just by thinking. " it's not the right time yet." I am here to tell you. If you are thinking about it, That is the right time to follow through. You won't regret it. In fact, you will be so proud of yourself because you will see that not only was there no reason to wait, but you actually had so much fun and feel so much better about yourself that you can't wait to do it again!
4. I can't afford it
Money is a concern for the majority of us. I can't sit here with a mountain of bills and tell you that it is not a concern for me too.
That is why I created a range of session options along with an easy to follow payment plan. I wanted to give anyone who was serious about working with me the chance to be able to do so without having to contort their finances in an unbearable way.
I also wanted to help people avoid the trappings of "I need to start saving for this." because I know for me if I have to make myself squirrel away money for something it makes it really easy to just forget about it and not save that money. Whereas a payment plan is just like squirreling away that money except you know exactly what the money is going to, you have a deadline and you have an expected outcome. You know that after you make x number of payments you are going to have the shoot that you have been planning for and working towards.
One unexpected benefit of the payment plan option I have found is it gives me and my clients more time to build an idea for our session together. We get to plan more ideas, build more of a story and when the shoot comes we both really know what is expected and have lots of ideas of what we can create together. It also allows us the chance to build more of a rapport, so that when the time comes they already feel more comfortable with me and we are able to move through the start of session nerves that much faster.
Is cost a legitimate concern? Yes, of course. But you have to weigh that cost against the outcome. How much is a positive transformative experience worth to you if it could be the thing that changes the way you see and feel about yourself? How much is it worth to you to have a chance to see yourself through someone else's eyes? How much is it worth to you to know that not only can you do something that scares you but benefits you long after you did it?
If it is something that you really truly believe you will benefit from then cost should only be a hurdle, not a barrier.
There you have it ladies and gentleman, the 4 most common excuses for avoiding doing your own FAB photo session. What do you think? Have you been making any excuses that are holding you back? I know I sure feel better after finishing this article! No more excuses for me about why I can't write more hahaha.
See you next month!
Want more information about your Fine Art Boudoir (FAB) session? Check out The Experience HERE!
Are you ready to book your shoot? Do you have questions? You can email me at jake@workhorsephotography.com. I can’t wait to hear from you!