But then I realized what a hypocrite that made me.

How can I inspire women and girls to stand confidently in front of my camera, to own their awesome, to see their beauty, when I myself could not do that with them?  I was hiding behind my camera, all the while telling women and girls to stand tall, take up space, and see how beautiful they were.

Ugh. What a hypocrite.

I'm not that photographer anymore. I'm not that woman anymore. If I'm going to encourage women to celebrate their beauty, then you can bet I'm going to be doing that myself.

I still don't love having my photo taken, but I no longer believe the lies that I'm not beautiful, or worthy. The journey to self worth is a life long one, but I know I'm going in the right direction.