Taken by my husband as he took his first lesson in portrait photography.
When my husband suggested I go along to model for him as he took his first lesson in portrait photography my first reaction was: “Who me? I’m fat and forty something. It’ll just make me feel worse when I see the pictures of me looking like an ugly overweight troll.”
The wonderful drugs I have been taking to help my fight against breast cancer have left me feeling rather less than sexy. My long blonde hair has gone and I am finding it really difficult to fight the flab. But bless him for inviting me.
Actually I couldn’t have been more wrong. I reluctantly agreed to go, having run out of plausible excuses, and I would thoroughly recommend it as a tonic.
Steve’s friend Carsten works in a home studio not far from our home and had offered to show him the ropes. A quick look on Carsten’s website at focused-photography confirmed my suspicions – gorgeous women, many of them scantily clad. I put on loads of make-up and hoped for the best.
Of course I was very stiff at first but Carsten has the sort of confidence and enthusiasm needed to put models at their ease. After about two hours under the spotlight with two photographers pointing their lenses at me I actually started to enjoy it. I left the studio feeling confident and upbeat.
Steve had taken about 60 photographs and it’s great to look at the progression. At first I do look like an ugly overweight troll, to me at least. But then something happens. Steve is calling me to look this way and that. Carsten gives me some top tips about how to stand. And maybe once in every ten photographs the troll disappears, along with her double chin and thick neck, and somebody rather more attractive is looking into the camera.
I think bedraggled women everywhere should have this prescribed on the NHS.
More pictures on Steve’s Flickr site
May 22, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Hello Lorna,
… thank you so much to write this down… I had water and I still have water in my eyes when I write this now.
You are so a great women…. can’t believe that you think you are a ugly overweight troll.
YOU ARE NOT!!!!!
I think you are a great women and you are more then welcome to spend again some time in my studio or just come around with Steve for a drink… you are both every time welcome in your house.
Best wishes,
Carsten xxx
June 3, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Lorna, your photos are wonderful. Having never known you as a skinny blond, I certainly don’t think of you as an overweight troll! David thought I should have a go in Carsten’s studio and if it eliminates double chins, I’m all for it