When I started my photography business in San Francisco a couple of years ago I didn’t know what was in store for me. I had just finished a long season of travel, completed a big move and had made the decision to begin my work in the Bay Area. I had never been much for taking pictures of landscapes and realized that I had a passion for the glow of human beings- that individual spark that we all possess and that once tapped into can, not only light up a photo-shoot but change someone’s life.

And in the end, that is what real beauty is for me. Whether I am doing social media headshots for online dating or helping people to finally get a good corporate headshot that they can be proud of for their LinkedIn profile picture; I see the best in people and my work is designed to show that to the world.

During this time I have come in contact with so many people who don’t feel photogenic. They may be perfectly adjusted and outgoing in their regular lives but when it comes to the camera, they clam up. I have met others who are embarrassed about online dating and have needed pictures of themselves that they feel good about to counterbalance the already insecure feeling they are having about searching for love online.

But no matter how or why they come to me, each shoot ends up being as individual as the person who has hired me. I feel like a facilitator of the real magic that is going on inside of them. Real beauty is about being yourself.

Real Beauty Contest Results

I am proud to announce the winners of my first annual Real Beauty Contest on Facebok. The concept was simple: I invited past clients to submit their favorite pictures from our shoot together and then whoever got the most votes would win. We had some really great sponsors for the prizes including Ethical Ocean and Mystic Hands Massage and it ended up being a very close contest.

But in the end, what stood out the most to me was the point of the whole contest and of my business- real beauty. It’s not something you can achieve through using cosmetics for confidence or create through Photoshopping away your wrinkles, it is something that comes from the inside out. The people in these photos are not afraid to be themselves. And that’s what real beauty is all about.