Every day we are bombarded with idealistic images of beauty that the media would have us believe are real. Women all over the world see these images as a goal, something to aspire to, and we put ourselves under a great deal of pressure in aspiring to achieve goals like this that are used as benchmarks by which to judge our lives. The 'have it all' syndrome. The female psyche of wanting what is just out of reach is used as a marketing tool on a daily basis - and how we look plays a big part in this. 

 

The glossy images of models and celebrities paint a picture of perfection when in fact they are the result of a long series of processes which all contribute to the final glossy, polished image: makeup, styling, lighting, photographing, editing, retouching. The retouching aspect frequently hits the headlines for unrealistically warping many celebrities' bodies, and this I don't do. Your images should be a reflection of the real you, not an idealised version. It's so important to me that you can see your own natural beauty for who you actually are, not who you think you want to be.

 

Successful retouching is all about knowing when to stop and the press get (rightly) much maligned for taking it to extremes.  I will make you feel fabulous about who you are right now, not when you've lost that niggly extra half a stone or been to the gym a bit more. Airbrushing two clothing sizes off you is therefore not productive nor helpful in achieving that! Careful styling and lighting provides all the contouring we need and in post processing I will work on skin using subtle retouching effects, nothing more. You don't need it.

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By providing a similar service to ladies who commission me for boudoir photography session, they have a rare opportunity to see themselves with that same polish and gloss, which importantly lifts the veil on those idealistic images that we put so much pressure on ourselves to emulate. My philosophy is that by helping real, normal women realise that they can look just as fabulous, perhaps we can relieve some of that pressure and channel some of our considerable energies into leading more fulfilling lives.

 

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