Photography as a Tool for Self-Compassion
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I’ve spent years behind the camera studying what happens when you allow yourself to be seen in that way that’s so much deeper than just standing in front of a lens. I’m talking about truly being witnessed without hiding or apologizing. Over and over, I’ve watched how photography can become an unexpected path to self-compassion.
When I first picked up a camera over 16 years ago, I thought I was simply creating images. Beautiful photos, yes, but mostly something tangible that people could share or hang on their walls. And then I started my own healing journey and came to realize that what I was really doing was creating a mirror. A chance for someone to see themselves in a new way.
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There was a period in my own life when the idea of being photographed felt almost unbearable. In my teens and early twenties, I struggled with shame and body dysmorphia so intense that I avoided cameras altogether. If someone wanted to take a picture, my whole body would tense. I thought, If I can just stay invisible, I won’t have to confront all the ways I believe I’m not enough.
It took me years to unlearn that reflex. And in the process, I discovered something I never expected: the act of letting yourself be seen exactly as you are is one of the most compassionate things you can do for yourself. You stop running from your own reflection. You stop measuring yourself against some impossible standard. Seeing yourself—the real you—can be confronting, yet it can also start the process of making peace with who you are, even if it’s just for a moment.
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That’s why I believe the kind of portraits I create can be a powerful tool for self-compassion. Because it interrupts the habit of only seeing your flaws. It invites you to look again, this time with more tenderness. To notice the quiet strengths, the soulfulness in your eyes, the way your presence has its own kind of beauty that no one else can replicate.
I remember one client who came to me after a long season of feeling disconnected from herself. She had left a marriage, changed careers, and was slowly rebuilding a life that felt more in alignment with the person she was becoming. When she sat down in front of my camera, she was shaking. She told me she almost canceled because she didn’t feel “ready” to be photographed.
But she stayed. She took a deep breath and decided to trust the process. And as I held space for her throughout the session, she began to shift. Her posture relaxed. Her expression stopped looking like a mask. When I showed her a couple of images only 15 minutes in, her eyes filled with tears. She whispered, “I didn’t know I could look like that.” What I heard her really saying was, I didn’t know I could accept myself this much.
That’s the moment I wish everyone could experience. The moment when you realize that the voice in your head telling you you’re too much or not enough isn’t the truth. That you’re allowed to see yourself with reverence and grace.
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I’ve learned that photography is about creating a space where you feel safe enough to show up honestly. My job is to reflect back what’s already there but has maybe been hard for you to see on your own.
Quite possibly, after a session, you might tell me you feel lighter. That you recognize yourself in your photos in a way you haven’t in years. That something about the experience helped you soften toward parts of yourself you’ve been criticizing for way too long.
This is why I feel so passionate about this work. Because I know firsthand how powerful it can be to stand in front of the camera without armor. To decide you don’t have to keep waiting until you feel more perfect to be worthy of your own compassion.
There’s a quote by Kristin Neff that has stayed with me:
“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.”
Photography, when it’s held with intention, becomes an act of that kindness. It’s like telling yourself, I deserve to be seen through eyes that love instead of judge.
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I know how easy it is to look at a photograph of yourself and zero in on everything you wish you could change. So many of us were taught to pick ourselves apart before anyone else could. But I want you to know that there’s another way. You can learn to see your humanity, rather than imperfections.
In my studio, this is the heart of what I do. I create a space where you don’t have to put on a façade. You don’t have to shrink yourself to fit someone else’s idea of beauty. You get to bring all of yourself—the insecurities, the strengths, the unpolished truth—and trust that it’s all welcome.
And something beautiful happens when you allow yourself that permission. You start to realize that the parts you’ve been trying to hide are often the parts that make you most compelling. The small lines around your eyes that show you’ve lived and loved. The authenticity in your expression when you stop trying to control it. The way your body takes up space, unapologetically.
This is self-compassion in action. You don’t have to ignore the critical voice in your head. It’s about meeting that voice with curiosity and offering yourself something kinder. It’s about deciding that you don’t have to earn the right to be seen.
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If you’re in the Los Angeles or Palm Springs area and you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s time to step in front of the camera, maybe this is it. Perhaps you’re ready to practice being gentler with yourself. I’d be honored to help you create images that remind you of your own wholeness. Images that feel like an act of respect for who you’ve been and who you’re becoming.
You deserve to be witnessed with compassion. You deserve to see yourself through a lens that doesn’t require you to be anything other than exactly who you are.
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reach out if you’d like to talk about what this could look like.