You Don’t Need a Special Occasion to Have Your Picture Taken

For most of our lives, having professional pictures taken is connected to a specific event. We have senior portraits, engagement pictures, wedding photographs, and maybe maternity or newborn sessions. After that, we might organize family pictures every few years, assuming we can find a date when everyone is available and convince them to wear something that coordinates without looking too coordinated.

There are plenty of reasons to hire a photographer, but very few of them put the focus entirely on you.

Even when women are included in family photographs, they are often the ones who made the whole thing happen. They found the photographer, chose everyone’s clothes, kept track of the appointment, and spent most of the session wondering whether the children were cooperating. The pictures matter, but being photographed is rarely an experience they get to enjoy for themselves.

That’s part of why I wanted to create a different kind of portrait session.

What If the Pictures Were Just for You?

I started thinking about how unusual it is for an adult woman to book a photoshoot simply because she would like beautiful pictures of herself.

If the photographs aren’t for a business, a dating profile, or a gift for someone else, we feel as though we should have another reason. A milestone birthday makes sense. Finishing something difficult makes sense. Beginning a new chapter makes sense.

Those are all wonderful reasons, but “I would love to do this” is also a perfectly good one.

You might want to celebrate turning 40 or 50. You might have come through a season that changed you, or perhaps you have reached a point when you finally feel more comfortable with who you are. You might also be tired of realizing that every recent picture of you is either a selfie or a hurried phone photo taken while you were in the middle of doing something else.

You don’t need to manufacture a major occasion. Sometimes it is enough to decide that this particular version of you is worth documenting.

You Are Not Supposed to Know How to Pose

One of the first things most people tell me is that they aren’t photogenic. The second is usually that they have no idea what to do in front of a camera.

Neither of those things is a problem.

The woman you see looking relaxed and confident in a finished portrait may have walked into the studio feeling every bit as nervous as you imagine you would. The difference is that she wasn’t expected to figure out the session by herself.

I’ll tell you where to stand, what to do with your hands, where to look, and how to make the small adjustments that work well on camera. We keep talking and moving, and I’ll give you as much direction as you need without making the whole thing feel stiff or overly posed.

There is no part of the experience where I place you in front of a blank wall and expect you to suddenly become a professional model.

Feeling comfortable in photographs usually has much less to do with being naturally photogenic than people think. Good lighting helps. Thoughtful posing helps. Wearing something you feel good in helps. Most importantly, it helps to know that the person behind the camera is paying attention and will guide you through it.

What a Magazine Portrait Experience Is Actually Like

The idea behind the Magazine Portrait Experience is to give an everyday woman the kind of attention and care that usually goes into photographing someone for a magazine.

That doesn’t mean turning you into a different person or creating an elaborate costume that doesn’t feel like you. It means planning the session thoughtfully, having your makeup professionally done, using flattering studio light, and taking enough time to create a variety of photographs without rushing.

Before the session, we’ll talk about what you might want to wear and how you would like the portraits to feel. Some women are drawn to soft, simple beauty portraits. Others want something more polished, glamorous, or editorial. Most people enjoy trying a few different looks once they realize there isn’t one correct way to do this.

On the day of your session, you’ll begin with professional makeup with Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry. The goal is for you to feel polished and camera-ready while still recognizing yourself in the mirror. Then we’ll move into the studio and work through your outfits at a comfortable pace.

You won’t need to arrive with a list of poses or practice expressions in the bathroom mirror beforehand. I’ll guide you through the entire shoot, and you’ll be able to see your portraits during the reveal while the experience is still fresh.

It isn’t a headshot session because the photographs don’t need to serve a professional purpose. It isn’t a family session because, for once, nobody else needs your attention. It also isn’t boudoir. The portraits can be feminine and glamorous, but the overall feeling is closer to a beauty campaign or magazine feature than an intimate bedroom session.

“I’ll Do It When…”

The hardest part may not be standing in front of the camera. It may be deciding that you’re allowed to book the session now.

It is very easy to tell yourself that you’ll do something like this after you lose weight, find the perfect outfit, feel more confident, or reach a birthday that ends in zero. Unfortunately, there is always another reason to wait.

Most of us are also much more critical of current photographs than older ones. We can look back at a picture from ten years ago and wonder why we didn’t appreciate how we looked, even though we probably found something wrong with the photograph at the time.

There is a good chance your future self will feel the same way about you now.

Years from now, you probably won’t be studying the things you were tempted to criticize. You’ll notice your expression, your personality, and all the small details that place you in this particular season of your life. You may simply be grateful that you took the time to be in the picture.

The Experience Is Part of the Reason

Of course, the goal is to create photographs you love, but I also want the process itself to feel worthwhile.

Women spend an enormous amount of time making things happen for other people. Even activities that are supposed to be enjoyable can involve schedules, lists, reminders, snacks, backup plans, and making sure everyone gets where they need to go.

For a few hours in the studio, someone else gets to take care of the details.

You can sit and have your makeup done without needing to rush to the next thing. You can try an outfit that feels a little bolder than what you usually wear. You can laugh when a pose feels strange, see how it translates on camera, and realize that you look far more comfortable than you felt.

The experience doesn’t have to be a dramatic personal transformation. It can simply be easy, fun, and a little indulgent in the best possible way.

Maybe Wanting the Pictures Is Enough

A milestone birthday, major accomplishment, or new beginning can be a meaningful reason to arrange a portrait session. You can also book one because you haven’t had a picture of yourself that you really love in years.

You don’t need modeling experience, and you don’t need to feel completely confident before you arrive. You don’t even need a particularly impressive explanation for why you want to do it.

Wanting to spend a few hours feeling taken care of and creating beautiful photographs of yourself is enough.

The Magazine Portrait Experience

The Magazine Portrait Experience includes professional makeup, a fully guided photoshoot, multiple looks, and a same-day portrait reveal at my private studio in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Sessions are available for women throughout Montgomery County, Washington DC, and the greater DMV area.