Grand Rapids Photographer – Just Be Yourself!!

This spring I participated in something that I thought I never would have before!  It was scary, fun, informative, but most of all….eye opening!  For years…I remember never feeling “enough”.  Not “pretty enough” of a wife, not “fun enough” of a mom, not “good enough” of a photographer, not “skinny enough” of a female…you get the idea!  Even looking back all the way to high school I remember feeling this way (just not the mom or wife part 🙂  ).  Why is it that we have to feel so down on ourselves….especially as women?  My husband loves me, my daughter and I spend lots of fun time together, my business has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and I am a beautiful person, inside and out!  I know it sounds a little cliche, but if I want others to have good feelings about me, then I should probably be the first one to!  Confidence is sexy, self-worth is endearing and loving yourself just makes everyday life much better and more fun!   

So, here I am…..hoping to pass this on to any other woman that may be feeling this way!  So many things have been inspiring to me lately when it comes to self-worth and loving yourself and others around you.  Whether it be a Facebook challenge for women to post photos of themselves without make-up, paying it forward at the Starbucks drive-thru or nice comments from friends/clients on my Facebook wall, it’s about time we start taking care of ourselves and seeing in the mirror the way that we really are….beautiful and wonderfully made! 

I decided to do just that a few months ago.  Challenge myself and see if I could go through what my boudoir clients go through.  Yeah, the hair styling and makup part is lots of fun, but walking in front of that camera is a whole different thing!  It’s scary, exciting, motivating and fun all at the same time!  And when we were done, I felt better than ever!  Fabulous was more than short of my emotions at that time.  After the makeup was gone and my hair was all matted down…..I still felt great…and I still do!  Encouraged and hopeful that all of you gorgeous ladies can and will feel the same way!

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I am definitely not a size zero or a super model in the making, but I am to my husband and I felt like one inside!  That’s all that matters!  I’m so glad that I went through with this….I didn’t want to look back when I’m 70 and realize how beautiful I really was.  Just because you don’t see it in yourself everyday, doesn’t mean it’s not there…and doesn’t mean that someone or everyone else doesn’t believe you are an amazing person!  Just yesterday an old friend wrote this on my Facebook wall:  “Just want to say, I love lookin at your adventures, your family pictures and the beautiful pictures you take… you have a real talent for what you do.. not only as a photographer, but as a mother and wife also. I always felt that pictures capture what the eye cannot.. and the happieness that fills all the pictures you have are amazing! Your new house is beautiful, and your baby girl is growing so fast and sooo beautiful! Keep up the good work!!”.  This sweet comment pushed me to write this post even more….!  I hope it helps someone….even just one person…out there, realize that they are enough….You are more than enough!!

Thanks to the amazing Sam from, Bradley James Photography, for taking these gorgeous photos of me!  The hubby likes them too 🙂  And….thanks to Helena DeYoung’s Hair Outreach for styling me and the other gorgeous ladies that day!!