Recently I had a photoshoot with a beautiful young mother, who every day prior to the photoshoot was nervous and anxious. She couldn't believe she is beautiful - I reassured her she was. She couldn't believe it'll show in the images - I reassured her it will. At the end of the day, all I could do is to prove it to her through images I create for her.

Most clients who hire me are this apprehensive and nervous to be photographed. And I completely understand why: we are not models, we are everyday women. We have curves, stretch marks, cellulite, number of pounds to lose until our ideal weight, scars, less elasticity in our skin, no time to take proper care of ourselves etc. I know that, I am you! It takes me 15 different outfits, 30 quick looks in the mirror, 5 - 360 degree looks, several reenacted soundless possible conversations I might have (done with my mirror), several laughs at the jokes my mirror makes, and several compassionate looks toward my mirror's problems. I might even splurge on a selfie or twenty-five of them, just to pick one. I accentuate everything I like about me, and deemphasize everything I don't.

I struggle as much as you do. So I feel it is my obligation, as a woman's photographer to learn all the tricks of posing any everyday woman in such a way that she looks her best, and upon seeing the image, feels her best too!

Below, with the permission of my client, are two images: in one she is posing on her own without any instructions given by me, in another I gave her specific instructions to achieve the pose I thought was more showcasing of her beauty. Both images are straight out of camera and had no editing (other then contrast and tonal adjustments) done to them. Looking through the lens and being her own advocate, directing her to achieve most flattering results is my goal.

Which one do you like better and why? Leave a message in comments! But before I sign off, let me give a little advice to all of my women looking for a photographer: research to see if he/she shoots everyday women, and knows how to pose them. That's a skill that's achieved through hours of learning, practicing, paying attention and wanting to make a client truly happy.