Why I Won’t Photoshop You| Oceanside, California boudoir photographer

We have been conditioned to believe that we “need” photoshop in order to love photos of ourselves.

& I am here to tell you (and show you) that’s not true. Photoshop should be used as a tool, not a crutch or a mans to “fix” the way people look.

I am in the business of helping people see themselves and work hard to unpack all the negative things they see or feel about themselves. I am NOT in the business of digitally altering people’s bodies.

To me, Photoshop is a fun way to explore a different way of image making that I might not be able to get in camera all the time. It’s a way to change lighting, colors, and experiment with techniques.

I don’t believe in using photoshop to change my clients because it quite literally goes so far against everything I am trying to work through and dismantle through the work I make with my clients. We’re not just taking photos. We’re working through really hard body image stuff, too. If I photoshopped my client’s bodies and made them smaller / bigger / different, we’re not actually working on seeing ourselves.

The only thing we’re doing is perpetuating the idea that you can only love yourself when you look like the ideal version of yourself and that is just simply not true.

I take so much pride in my skillset, my knowledge, and my work ethic as a photographer and I know you will love your photos unedited. I am a posing expert and I listen to my clients fears, anxieties, and worries in regards to their bodies and I take all of that very much to heart. I will never put you in a pose that feels un-empowerng for you and I will never make you do anything that doesn’t feel comfortable for you or your body.

That said, photoshop is our friend for little things like blemishes that pop up on your session day or for that bruise your dog gave you, etc. I will correct things that are not a part of the everyday you or things that my camera highlights more than we see with our human eye. Below are my photoshop “will do’s” and “will not’s”!

the photoshop “will do’s”

• I will (with your consent) remove any blemishes or acne scarring on your face / body

• I will soften any texture that my camera picked up more than we see with our eyes

• I will edit out any fly away hair

• I will edit out any bruises or scratches

• I will soften tan lines

• I will soften any bags under your eyes

The photoshop “will not’s”

• I will not liquify, slim your body, or alter its shape in any way

• I will not edit out cellulite

• I will not remove stretch marks

• I will not alter your face in any way

I believe in the power of my camera and my ability as a photographer to show you how truly incredible you are. Photoshop is a tool for us - not a way to perpetuate the bullshit that society shoves down our throats.

I also want to encourage you to consider unfollowing any accounts that contribute to your negative thoughts and feelings about your body. You might follow some influencers and I want to assure you that their photos are edited. It is SO easy to edit and alter your body in photos and it makes me so sad. This continues to damage our relationships with our bodies and create a huge disconnect. This is how body dysmorphia is born.

An empowering photoshoot isn’t about (and shouldn’t only be about) the final photos. It should be about the experience of collaborating with your photographer. The joy in grounding into yourself and feeling into your body. The expression and the freedom to express yourself. When you’re working with the right photographer for you or booking a shoot for the right reasons and when you’re in the right headspace, you will let go of the fears surrounding what you look like or might look like. You’ll be ready to jump in (with all your nerves and anxieties) and you’ll let go and trust.

You don’t need photoshop my friend. You are so very perfect the way you are.