Let's talk about insecurities…

We all have them, some just more overwhelming than others. Whether it's a physical appearance issue you can or can’t change or a personality thing, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm quite certain we all have at least one thing that we’re unhappy with.

As a professional photographer I'm consistently meeting all sorts of wonderful people. I get the pleasure of meeting a stranger, spending a couple of hours with them and end a session with a new friend.

Unfortunately I hear a lot of "I'm not photogenic, I'm ugly, you need to photoshop me, I'm fat, I'm not pretty" and the list goes on and on.... each of those phrases makes my heart crumble more and more each time.

I will very shamefully admit that I have nipped and tucked photos of myself in the past and there was some sickening urge of self gratification from doing it. What’s worse is that that manipulated photo isn't 'me' and for whatever reason I went ahead and posted it. Someone who know’s me and is looking at that photo will probably know that is not what I looked like. Thinking back on that makes me shake my head for even considering doing that. But we all make mistakes, the beauty of life is to learn from your experiences and not to beat yourself up about them. In some twisted way I thought I looked awful when I didn't. I was exercising regularly and eating healthy but I made the mistake of comparing my body to magazine cover bodies who had been photoshopped to unrealistic expectations in which a lot of people are trying to achieve. ... chasing elusive 'perfection'.

One of the many things the past three years of being a professional photographer has taught me is that the way a large majority of us views ourselves is extremely messed up.

Sometimes when I hear people saying negative things about themselves, I wish that people saw themselves through my eyes. That they could see not only their beautiful features but how beautiful their souls are. I wish that we could all take every little insecurity we have and feed it with positive thoughts because as soon as that happens, we allow our true selves to shine. We see the real beauty and allow people to accept us for our authenticity... Of course that is much easier said than done.

If you're using an app to make yourself thinner, please STOP. Be and love your beautiful self! Because at the end of the day you know what you look like, you know how you feel, so don't let society tell you what’s beautiful and what isn’t, because YOU are beautiful, just the way you are. Do things that make you smile, keep you healthy and feeling confident. I believe by fuelling our bodies with healthy food and staying active is a recipe for feeling happy and that comparison is only a recipe for disaster.

I'm so excited to share one of my passion projects with everyone - "Game Changers". I find social media to sometimes be overwhelming with negativity or gossip so I wanted to highlight people who truly inspire me. Over the course of the next few months I will be interviewing people who I look up to and will be sharing their positive message.

This week I sat down with Samantha Skelly, founder of "Hungry For Happiness". We talked about her journey with the relationship she had with food and loving her body.

Stay tuned for the launch of "Game Changers" and the full interview in tomorrows blog post. Samantha is definitely someone to look up to. Here is a sneak peak:

If you're interested in Samantha's 6 month coaching program that takes women on a journey back to their bodies, you can sign up Here!

If you're curious in how over photoshopping bodies in images affects people, I recommend this great article from our friends over at Raw Beauty Talks: Here!

Thanks for reading, sending loads of love.

Natalia xo

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