I’ve been procrastinating on making my photography website, mostly because I feel extremely intimidated whenever I think about it. Imposter syndrome sucks. So last weekend, I decided to put out a call for models for a series of ethereal portraits, as a way to help build my portfolio. I don’t know that this’ll help me to feel less intimidated, but even putting out the call made me feel fraudulent, so it’s one thing that I managed to do in spite of the feeling. Anyway, I have about a half-dozen different folks who volunteered, and I got to do the first portfolio-building shoot on Sunday evening.

Ashley is a friend’s daughter who has recently gotten into cosplay, so she already had corset, blouse, and skirt on hand. It was perfect for a bookworm-princess vibe, a nod to Belle without copying the character directly. We went out to a nearby park, where I brought flowers, old books, white smoke, and a tiara for Ashley to wear, and we got some really incredible shots.

I enjoy taking and editing photos like this so much. I love how happy it makes the folks I’m shooting, and how much they end up smiling by the end of our session. I love building up that confidence and letting people see themselves in this magical light. Right now, I don’t really have a “business.” I’ve had a handful of clients, and I don’t really know how to market myself or grow a client list. The money aspect makes me uncomfortable. Maybe one day that’ll change? Maybe one day, I’ll stop feeling all that imposter syndrome? Who knows. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy that I get to do this at all.