From Start to Finish
Did you ever think that having your own portrait session is not for you?
Maybe you always wanted to have your own portraits professionally taken by a photographer but are hesitant for different reasons? Do you think that now is not the right time, for different reasons? Maybe you think that you’re experiencing a difficult time of your life or that you are not in your best shape for a photo session? Maybe you feel that you are no longer 20 and wonder if you are too old for professional photos? Or maybe you think that a portrait session is too expensive and you have other priorities in your life to spend your money on?
If you answer any of these questions with a YES, than It might be well worth to continue reading this blog post and to understand why a Portrait Session is well worth it, independent in which age, situation of life, body shape you are. And you will understand why the investment is well worth it, as the return that you receive from such a session is much higher than what you pay for.
In this article we will explain in detail why portraits matter, which type of portrait session to choose for yourself, what the entire experience will include and how it will unfold, from beginning to the end, step by step.
Table of Contents
Why portraits matter?
Portraits are not only beautiful pictures. These you could do easily with your mobile phone. A premium professional photographer can add so much more to the pictures and create a unique experience with a lasting memory, and pictures that you and your loved ones will cherish forever.
The main question here is: WHY should YOU have your portraits taken?
There are a lot of different reasons, and you best know what’s your reason to do a portrait session.
Here 10 ideas, and you can pick which one(s) fit the best for you:
1. To Finally See Yourself As You Truly Are
Photographs give you another perspective on yourself. When you look in the mirror you see yourself in your own way. Contrary to a mirror a photograph will give you the photographer’s perspective through his camera and lens, and you will discover, how other people, that in general don’t know you, perceive you as a beautiful human being.
2. To Capture the Beauty of This Season of Life
Each woman has her own, unique beauty, and this is independent from the chapter of life. You are beautiful in your 20s and in your 30s. But beauty will not stop there, but shift. When wisdom of life steps in, experiences that truly marked you, good and bad ones, your life story will become much more richer. And so will be your photographs. That’s why each age is perfect for professional photos, no matter if you are 20 years young, in your 30s, or in your 40s, 50s, 60s or above.
3. To Create a Legacy for Your Loved Ones
Llife unfortunately is not eternal. Your photographs will stay. They will be an eternal memory of you for your husband, children, family members that they will cherish forever. Remember the times where only black & white photos existed of people, and when they passed away, their children often only had 2-3 photos of them and what they had in their memory. Pictures will keep the memories alive and your loved ones will value them tremendously.
4. To Celebrate Milestones and Transitions
To have your portrait session can be a present for yourself to celebrate an important milestone like an anniversary or a job promotion, but also after a difficult period in your life. Maybe you want to have photographs taken in a transition time like a divorce or a medical treatment (accident, cancer, …)? These photos will make you remember where you were at that time and that’s why they will be very important for you.
5. To Build Confidence and Self-Recognition
We always say that a portrait session is not a therapy. But for you it might be very similar. A portrait session helps you build new confidence and to self-recognize yourself again if you might have lost yourself and didn’t know anymore who you were. Because they are not only pictures. I will create a safe and comfortable space for you for your session, in which – if you are ready – are allowed to be vulnerable. This will make you rediscover yourself in another light.
6. To Have Artwork That Honors You, Not Just Images
You are a beautiful woman. I will create with you artwork that honors You, by being exactly You. Because you are beautiful and wonderful.
7. To Gift Something Meaningful and Timeless
To gift a portrait session to a loved one, to a friend is a great present. Because you can gift this unique experience to another person that you love. She (or he) will be thankful.
8. To Step Out of Hiding and Into Visibility
Maybe you think that people don’t see you for who you truly are? And you want to step out into the light and back into visibility? Our portrait sessions are designed to give you exactly this boost.
9. To Remember Yourself Beyond Roles and Labels
Sometimes we are stuck in our roles. Be it a mother or a successful woman in a corporate executive position? But mainly you are a woman. And you want to be seen as a woman. Your photo session experience will give you “Me-time” you so strongly deserve, to pamper yourself. The photographs will allow you to be seen again as a beautiful woman. You are.
10. To Anchor Self-Worth in Your Everyday Life
It’s often hard to manage our lifes. By myself I’m a mother of two young children, married, working as photographer. Doubts sometimes surface. We all try to do our best in our lives to give our children the best education for life, to let them grow up as wonderful humans. And to manage our couple life and job. It’s not easy. Photographs will show you again what you are worth (if you lost it or doubt it) and reset you. To help you to understand your self-worth and to have a fresh restart in your everyday life.
Maybe you have even another reason to have your portrait session, not listed here above but this gives you already a good number of reasons to understand better if this is for you.
Which type of portrait session for yourself?
I propose several types of portrait session that differ a bit, depending what exactly you are looking for. Let me explain our main types
- • Personal Portraits
- • Boudoir (Intimate Portraits)
- • Woman between Worlds
Personal Portraits
These sessions are about presence. They are gently guided, timeless portraits that capture the essence as you are today. Without pretense, without the pressure to perform. I will create a space to rediscover yourself and to see your beauty reflected with honesty.
Boudoir (Intimate Portraits)
These are more than intimate photographs, boudoir is a celebration of confidence and self-expression. Whether subtle or bold, these portraits honor your femininity, sensuality, and strength in a safe, respectful, and elegant way.
Woman between Worlds
This is my latest, artistic series created for women who are in transition — between roles, between stages of life, or simply between old stories and new ones. These sessions explore identity on a deeper level, weaving together portraits that become a legacy of your journey, both inner and outer.
Which Session Is Right for You?
Choosing the right session is about how you want to feel and what you want to remember.
- If you would love to be seen in your everyday truth — to capture your presence and honor who you are right now — Personal Portraits may be the perfect choice.
- If you want to celebrate your femininity, embrace your body, and step into a space of confidence and sensuality, then Boudoir could be your path.
- And if you find yourself in a season of transition, seeking something more layered and a deeper experience — a reflection of both your inner and outer journey — then Woman Between Worlds series may call to you.
Trust your instincts. The right session is the one that resonates most with where you are in your life. If you are unsure about which one to choose we can discuss in a consultation and I will guide you to make the perfect choice.
What is included in your session?
I propose different collections from which you can choose. These collections differ mostly on the number of photographs that you will receive. In summary a session will include:
- Consultation to understand personality, story and ideas
- Wardrobe guidance
- Session of around 1,5 hours (sometimes 2 😉)
- Soft guidance in a calm, comfortable and safe environment
- boost of confidence, self-connection and being witnessed
- Collections of 10 – 18 – 25+ photos, all as downloadable jpg files (digital format)
- You choose your favourite photos in an online gallery from around 25 fully retouched photos
As options (additional cost):
- professional makeup / professional makeup & hairstyling (+2 photos)
- Wall Art / Folio Box / Album (depending on the number of photos)
How? - From Start to Finish
If you have read until here, decided that you would like a photo session and even maybe already know which type of session you would like to do, the next logical question would be “What’s next, how can I book and how will the whole process be?”.
Connection
Let me explain. Whether you are decided to do a session, or still need more information and guidance the first step is always to get in touch with us at Massen Photography. Call us by phone for a discovery call or send us an inquiry through email and we can discuss options and give you our pricing.
After you’ve decided to book we will fix the date, confirm one more time the date with our makeup-artist in case you have chosen this option and will send you an invoice for a deposit.
Preparation
When we move closer to the date of your session we generally open a what’s app group to discuss with you the last details like the outfits to bring, preparation for hair-/makeup etc. A What’s App group allows us to exchange ideas gradually, without the pressure to decide everything at once. Also it gives us as photographer a good reference to check again all our communication before your session. Of course if you prefer we can also have a phone call or a video call instead (or with) of the What’s App group.
The Session
The big day arrived. The day of your photo session. You arrive at our studio and after a warm welcome we will together go through the outfits and accessories that you brought with you. Then you will have a seat to be pampered by the makeup-artist (if booked) for the next 1 to 1,5 hours. She (or sometimes he) will take absolutely care of you. During this process we have the opportunity to get to know each other better which also allows you to relax a bit more and enjoy the process.
You don’t need to worry about anything during the session, as I will take control of it and gently guide you through the different poses and setups. I will take care of all the small details so you don’t need to think about them. The session itself will take around 1,5 hours, sometimes a bit longer. This also depends on which collection you booked.
After the session
It will take around 2 weeks till I send you an online gallery with around 20-30 fully retouched photos from which you can choose the number of photos according to your chosen collection. You can of course upgrade after you see the photos in the gallery and choose a higher collection. We will then send you the invoice for the remaining amount and as soon as the invoice is fully paid we will send you the chosen files in high-resolution JPGs via WeTransfer, so you can easily download them to your computer. We also offer payment plans in advance, but full payment is required before we deliver the final photos.
The Portraits in your hands
We believe that photos should live in print. A tangible Wall Art and a beautiful album will always be much more valuable than photos sitting on your hard drive. Therefore we propose a series of different printed products, from different types and sizes of albums to folio boxes, wall art, triplex and other products. In our studio we have multiple samples for you to see. Consider to have your best photos printed because you deserve to be seen!
The Legacy
Portraits are not only for today but they are for tomorrow. They become daily reminders of your worth, anchors of self-recognition when life feels overwhelming, and heirlooms for your family.
Imagine walking past a framed portrait of yourself each morning and seeing not a staged version, but the real you. It reminds you each day: “You are still here. You are strong. You are beautiful.” Over time, these images become more than photographs. They turn into companions, reflections of your story that grow in meaning as the years pass.
For your loved ones, they are priceless. One day, when your children or grandchildren look at these portraits, they won’t just see how you looked. But they will also feel who you were. They will remember your presence, your spirit, your essence. That is the true legacy of a portrait session.
Closing: The Power of Being Seen
The power of a portrait session is not in looking perfect, but in being seen, softly, fully, truly as yourself.
Perhaps you have hesitated, telling yourself “not now” or “not me”. But the truth is: there is no perfect moment. The right time is whenever you decide to honor yourself, to step in front of the lens, and to allow yourself to be witnessed.
These portraits are not only for you. They are for the people who love you, and for the generations who will one day want to know who you were.
So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign — let this be it. You deserve to be seen. And when you are ready, we at Massen Photography are here to create portraits that will hold your truth, your beauty, and your legacy.
