I’ve had a really poor body image for as long as I can remember. I never liked my physical appearance and was always comparing myself to other people, thinking that maybe if I were white/blonde/blue-eyed/slim/had different hair etc etc, that maybe I’d be taken notice of more, or be more popular. It’d started to get a little less problematic over the past few years, but was still there.

Something happened recently that sent me spinning backwards, and I felt really awful about myself again. I didn’t want to be in that place, and wondered how I might change my self-perception. I don’t photograph people myself, but I do admire fine art photography/portraiture, and decided to seek a photographer of my own!

I found @siornaphotography, and found Siorna to be the loveliest person. I immediately felt at ease with her, even in the lead-up to the shoot itself. The day itself was the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I surprised myself by how relaxed I felt in front of the camera.

There were several shots taken, and this is the first of a few I’ll be sharing. I never thought I could wear a halter neck top out in public (I bought this one on a whim), but seeing this…well maybe I can :). And maybe from now on I can look myself in the mirror and realise that there’s much better to be seen there than I thought.

Siorna’s reaction to my pose here was that I looked very regal, which for some reason sent me into a fit of (non-regal) laughter 😆.

I normally slouch around all over the place, so to be described as regal was something new. Thanks @siornaphotography 😄

I bought this dress from Amazon for less than thirty quid, unsure it would even suit me. I’m keeping it 😁

A few years ago, I was asked if I was past my prime. My self-confidence was so low, I actually said yes 🤯. Not that it’s a question that should be asked, but if I were asked it again today, my answer would be a resounding NO!

In any case, being in your prime is definitely not just about looks. Thank you @siornaphotography for pointing that out 😊

Um, so this looks more risqué than it actually is 😅.

In all seriousness though, one of the tasks I had in the lead-up to the shoot was to find other portrait photos that inspired me.

I came across a few of women that just featured their shoulders. They were simple, natural and elegant photos, so I thought, ‘of all the parts of me, my shoulders aren’t so bad, so why not?’

I bought myself a bandeau top, and the rest, as they say, is history!

It was such a privilege to photograph Ursula and read how her session made her feel on her Instagram page.

Thank you for letting me post about your female portraits photography on my blog!

This is also one of my favourite images from the collection! I love those shoulders too.

If you’d like to see other creative portraits my gallery is here Portraits