Confidence Looks Different Up Close
I've always thought there was something strangely vulnerable about having your picture taken, usually because of what comes after the shoot.
Eventually, someone turns the screen around or sends over the gallery, and for a brief moment, you're looking at yourself the way everyone else has been seeing you all along.
That's a surprisingly intimidating thing.
I booked a session with Hundred Dollar Headshot because I needed updated photos for work. Simple as that. My LinkedIn profile was overdue, and I'd been recycling the same photo an ex-boyfriend snapped of me in college. Horrific, I know.
I expected to leave with a few professional headshots. I didn't expect to leave thinking differently about myself.
The Camera Was Never the Scary Part
When I met Kelly in Bishop Arts, I still had all the usual thoughts running through my head.
What do I do with my hands?
Am I smiling too much?
What if I look awkward?
If you've ever booked professional photos, you've probably had the same internal conversation. I was taken aback by how quickly those thoughts disappeared.
Kelly has this calm confidence that makes you forget you're standing in front of a camera. She wasn't trying to manufacture a polished, corporate version of me. She wasn't asking me to perform confidence or pretend to be someone I wasn't.
Instead, she'd make the smallest adjustments.
"Turn your shoulder just a little."
"That expression."
"There it is."
Nothing felt forced or overly posed. It felt less like someone directing a photoshoot and more like someone paying attention.
An Unexpectedly Powerful Backdrop
As we walked down a street in Bishop Arts, Kelly stopped in front of what I probably would've walked right past. A crumbling brick wall complete with worn concrete and faded paint.
If I'd been left to my own devices, I probably would've gravitated toward something cleaner. More expected.
Instead, Kelly saw texture. Contrast. Character. Standing there, I remember thinking, Here? That’s…interesting.
Then the gallery arrived. That weathered wall ended up becoming one of my favorite parts of the entire shoot. It didn't distract from the photos. Instead, it gave them personality. It reminded me that sometimes the most interesting shots aren't polished. They're honest.
Where Things Began to Shift
My confidence didn't magically appear when I opened the gallery (although I did stare at the photos in awe and wonder for a solid 45 minutes straight when I did). It started long before that.
Every time Kelly showed me the back of the camera, I found myself thinking, Wait...that's me?
She had a way of noticing the version of me that I rarely notice myself. The relaxed smile. The expression that happens in between poses. The moments when I stopped worrying about how I looked and simply existed in front of the camera.
She kept finding those moments, and I quickly stopped second-guessing them.
The Finished Gallery
I don't think anyone opens professional photos without a little bit of nervousness. At least, I don't.
There's always that tiny voice wondering if you're going to like what you see. Instead, I found myself smiling. The photos felt familiar. They looked like me with a little extra dose of professionalism, confidence, and comfort.
It’s the person my friends and coworkers probably see every day, but the person I don't always give myself the chance to see.
The Real Value of a Good Headshot
Before this session, I thought professional headshots were mostly about having something current for LinkedIn or my website. Those things matter, of course, but I think the experience gave me something else.
It reminded me that confidence isn't something you have to bring with you. Sometimes it's something another person helps you uncover, and other times it takes someone else's perspective to show you what has been there all along.
I booked the session because I needed updated headshots, but I left with something much better — a lot more confidence and a gallery of photos that finally felt like the person I'd hoped everyone else was seeing all along.
