Let’s talk about acne and self-confidence. I was just looking through some old photos for a throwback shot, when I stumbled across a few images of myself. It kind of took me back to the whole experience, and I wanted to share it with you. One year ago, I went on a little photo adventure to Joshua Tree. I had the best time exploring, meeting some other photographers and models, and taking tons of photos. I shared those images on my photo blog last year, which you can check out here.
I remember how crappy I was feeling about myself at this time. My skin was so broken out from stress and I’d never dealt with so much cystic acne before. I kept caking makeup on, which only made things look worse, and the thought of meeting new people was seriously intimidating. When another photographer asked me model for a few shots, I was hesitant. My first question was, “can you photoshop out my acne?” She pointed to her own face and said, “only if you photoshop out mine!” The weird thing was that I literally hadn’t noticed her acne until she pointed it out.
They threw a giant mustard sweater on me, I got in front of the camera, and for just a few minutes I completely forgot about my acne. It was a really freeing experience, and left me feeling amazing for the rest of the day. I often find myself not wanting to leave the house when my skin is bad. When I do go out, I worry that my acne is all people notice – I’m hesitant to introduce myself to new people, or get chatty with baristas/cashiers/etc. But thinking back, if I could model for strangers when my skin was at its worst, I think I can do anything. Besides, most people are too busy thinking about their own flaws to notice everyone else’s.
So here’s a little encouragement to not let your insecurities stop you. Keep trying new things and meeting new people. Jump in front of a camera even when you feel crappy. Yes, the magic of photoshop is real (as you can see by my “flawless” face in these pics), but the magic of self-confidence is even better. When you carry yourself with confidence, people get the chance to see your best self. You might even get a chance to see it too. xoxo
allegra