Wednesday

Why Every Woman should do an Eve Session

I had the privilege of speaking to a small group of women business owners and estheticians last Wednesday about our studio (which is probably why I missed blogging last week!) I wanted to share with them what an Eve Session is, what some of the benefits of a session are, and why they should consider doing an Eve Session. As I spoke, I could tell that what I was saying was going deep in many of them, and it was a real affirmation of what we do and of our need to spread the word of what we do.

So, I thought I'd include some of what I said there on our blog. Ideally, I would like to video this presentation live and put it on YouTube, but for now, I'll settle for the written version.

I. What is an Eve Session?

The purpose of every Eve Session is to celebrate the true beauty of a woman and build her self-esteem.

We do that by spending two hours of time focusing on capturing who she is in a wholistic manner...not just her sexuality (as in the glamour/boudoir days) or even just her outward appearance, but her personality, her passions, her "presence". Sometimes, this may involve artistic nudes...it all depends on her purpose for the shoot and her comfort with that kind of vulnerability.

The photographer, my husband Rodney (who was named Manitoba's photographer of the year in 2008) is not only excellent in what he does, but his creativity, sensitivity, and professionalism, make the experience every bit as memorable as the actual images themselves.

II. What are the benefits of an Eve Session?

The benefits are many and varied from person to person. One of the primary benefits I see is the ability of a session like this to answer a woman's most basic question, "Am I beautiful?" You see this question emerge from very early as a little girl twirl in her dress for all to see, just waiting for someone to notice her loveliness. And that question never goes away, although experiences in life may serve to push it down or answer it in a way that wounds us.

Another benefit I've noticed is how a session uncovers a woman's true beauty...her true self. We all carry around images of ourselves that don't necessarily reflect accurately who we are. These are formed from impressions from our youth when we went through awkward years of bad perms, ugly glasses, acne and insecurity...all captured for us in the school photo (which is an injustice in itself).

Other ways we gather false pictures of ourselves is (ironically) from the mirror. We may think this a true picture...how can it lie? But the mirror shows us our flaws close-up and out of context...all we see of our face is this and that zit, these large pores, that stray eye-brow, those dark circles (do you get what I mean?) And the full-length mirror might give a fuller picture, but it's all in bad overhead lighting while we're just standing there trying to decide if we look okay.

And then, of course, we form way too many opinions of ourselves from the judgments of others. If we're fortunate, we have a lot of affirming people in our lives, but we all know it's the negative judgments that tend to stick.

But what we don't have firmly in our minds, is the way we look when we are truly shining: we don't get to see the way we look when we are loving on our kids, serving a customer with genuine concern and friendliness, caught up in the moment during a beautiful sunset, laughing out loud, presenting confidently and intelligently in the boardroom or classroom, being immersed in something we love doing...those moments when we are truly alive and truly ourselves.

And that's what an Eve Session can offer...to capture us in those moments when we are truly alive and truly ourselves...in a way we can hold on to and cherish for the days and years to come. And that can be life-changing!

III. Why should I do an Eve Session?

I always like to make it a little personal near the end. Because I can't actually answer that question for anyone, what I like to do is ask more questions. We all have to do our own thinking and choosing. Sometimes we just need a little guidance. So, here are three more questions to as yourself:

1. What do I need?
- more confidence?
- feel better about my body?
- feel comfortable in my own skin?
- feel sexy (again)?
- be good to myself?
- recover from emotional trauma? (this has been a big step in healing for some people)

2. What's holding me back?
- feel too fat (this is a big one)
- scared (of being vulnerable, of pictures not turning out, of the unknown)
- too busy
- my ____________ (fill in the blank): stretch marks, cellulite, sags/breasts, butt, belly (we all have perceived flaws...one thing Rodney will ask at a consultation is: what do you want to show off/what do you want to hide?)

3. What is the next step?
- call Rodney at 221-8413 or send in an email enquiry from our website to set up a consultation (which is basically a chance to see our studio, meet Rodney, and talk about possibilities for your session...but there is no obligation to book at any time)
- book a session time (this can be for the following day (if you're lucky), the following week, or several months away
- do your session and feel amazing!
- book your show time, where you get to see your images and pick the ones you want for your album or wall


Oscar Wilde once said,

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance".

Why not start today?

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