Ask Hannah!

I enjoy your site and frequent it fairly regularly, but I keep wondering why you keep doing all these photo shoots. Do you pay for these yourself, with maybe some being covered by some of the companies you review? If you pay for them yourself, what purpose do they serve? Is it just to have photos for your blog posts?

This is an excellent question.

One reason I do photo shoots is to take pictures for products I am reviewing.  It’s one thing to talk about how amazing breast forms are or how cute a dress is, it’s another to show something off.  I believe it also lends some credibility to whatever it is I am writing about, too.  Usually when I do a photo shoot it is because I was sent something to review and if I am going to do all the work to plan a shoot for one outfit or product, I may as well take other photos too.  Some shoots are paid by the company I am modeling for, and some I pay for.

Of course, not every shoot is for a product review.  Some shoots are to mark a milestone, in a way.  Last year I did a shoot that featured a couple of outfits that I never thought I’d be brave enough to wear… but I got over it.  I had always wanted to wear dresses with halter and/or thin straps but I was afraid that my shoulders were too masculine to pull them off.  My body didn’t change, it was still the same as it always was, but what shifted was my thinking and I stopped caring about how my shoulders looked.  I did the shoot to symbolize my, uh, getting over it. 

I did another shoot in May of this year that I jokingly referred to a “Because I’m Alive” shoot.  I was feeling a mix of gratitude and joy and elation from simply being happy with life and bought some super cute dresses to wear.

 
I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that some shoots are done for sheer vanity.  I like how I look, I love looking at photos of myself in a cute dress and an amazing makeover.  I also try to keep my website fresh with recent photos and regular shoots are a good way to do that.

I do shoots for a variety of reasons, and they are a lot of work.  But I wouldn’t do them if they weren’t fun, either.  It’s a lot of fun to work with my friend and photographer and to shoot in places she picks.  Whether we’re shooting in downtown Minneapolis or at a park or in a cool hotel, she has a good eye for interesting and fun locations.  She’s also great at getting the right angle and pose and lighting so getting the photos back is also a lot of fun and validating.  I want to look cute, I want to look feminine and seeing photos that capture this side of me makes me incredibly happy.

Love, Hannah

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