Why should I do a photo-shoot?

"I'm too fat"
"I need to lose some weight"
"I'm not confident enough"
"I'm not photogenic "
"I have big feet" -- wait a minute.. What???

I think I have heard it all when it comes to excuses to NOT do a photo shoot. I've gotten the gambit of them all, but I still maintain that at least once in your life everyone ought to do a photo shoot. Why you ask? Here are a collection of reasons I've heard from clients throughout the years why you SHOULD do a shoot.

1) Everyone looks back at an old pic of yourself and thinks "wow I look so young, thin and happy!" Well guess what? In ten years you may look back on the way you look right now and say "Wow look at me!". The hot you is right NOW, do not miss the moment.

2) Milestones are a great reason to do a photo-shoot. A 30th birthday, a new baby to the family, an engagement! Capture all these milestones of life with a shoot. As one client said, " I remember exactly how I felt when I look at our engagement photos. Keith you captured the moments perfectly!"

3) Having a photo-shoot is a great way to boost someone's self confidence. For example with a woman it is the hair, the nails, the makeup and for some the retail therapy in buying a dress for the shoot goes a long way. One client after going through a particularly trying period in life said that the shoot was like her reset button. To help her focus, restore her confidence and point her in a new direction.

4) In the end when we have all passed on, our pictures provide comfort to loved ones. From my own personal interaction I'm glad I took pics of my grandparents, so now that they are gone I am surrounded by constant reminders. The laughs, the jokes, the memories live on.

5) So what if you are not what society deems as runway perfect? So what if you do not think you are photogenic..so what ...so what ..so what!!! As cliched as it may sound, celebrate your apparent "flaws" because in them exist your true beauty and identity. Be happy in your own skin. A shoot can be creative and expressive .. do not forget to HAVE FUN!!