What Actually happens at an As I Am Portrait Experience | Women's Portrait Photography in Dalton, GA
Dear friend,
You've been thinking about booking an As I Am session. Maybe for weeks, maybe for months. You keep coming back to my website, looking at the images, wondering what it would actually feel like to walk through my studio door.
So I wanted to write you this letter and tell you the truth about what really happens.
Before You Even Arrive
My day starts hours before you get here. I'm not just setting up lights and checking camera settings (though I do that too). I'm preparing the space for you.
I play music that feels like a hug, often acoustic versions of songs that make me feel connected to something bigger. I arrange the studio with intention: fresh flowers when I have them, soft lighting that flatters every age and skin tone, a comfortable chair where we'll start our conversation.
Everything is designed to whisper, "You belong here. You are welcome exactly as you are."
The truth is, I'm not just preparing a space. I'm creating a sanctuary where you can exhale, maybe for the first time in months.
When You Actually Walk In
Here's the first thing I want you to know: there's no rush. None.
We're going to start with coffee or tea, and we're going to talk, not about poses or lighting, but about you. I'll ask about your day, your family, what brought you here. And somewhere in those first ten minutes, I watch something beautiful happen: your shoulders drop. Your breathing slows. You start to remember that you're not performing; you're just being.
Sarah sat in that chair last spring and said something I hear often: "I haven't done anything just for me in years. I am trying to figure out who I am again outside of being a mom."
I listened to every word because this is where the real session begins, not when I pick up my camera, but when you start remembering your own voice.
What Makes This Different
Here's what sets an As I Am session apart: I'm not trying to turn you into someone else. I'm trying to show you who you already are.
When we start taking photos, I guide you gently. "Shift your weight to your back foot, there, see how that opens your heart?" "Let your hands rest naturally; they've built a beautiful life." "Take a deep breath and think about something that makes you proud." “Imagine you are standing in a warm shower, letting the warm water run over you, calming your muscles and washing off the weight of the day.”
I watch for the moments when you forget about the camera entirely. When you laugh at something I say and your whole face lights up. When you look off to the side, lost in a memory, and your expression becomes purely, authentically you. When you stand a little taller because you can feel your own strength.
Those are the moments I capture. Not the posed, artificial smiles, but the real you, the woman who's been there all along, just waiting to be seen.
This is why I do self-portraits regularly: not to post on social media (I mean that is fun to do), but to remember what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera. To practice what I'm asking you to do, trust someone else to see you clearly and capture that vision with care.
What You Might Feel
Let me be honest about what happens emotionally during these sessions, because it's not always what you expect.
Some women cry, not sad tears, but tears of recognition. "Is that really me?" you might ask when I show you the back of my camera. The answer is always yes, and watching you see yourself clearly, often for the first time in years, never gets old.
You might feel vulnerable, and that's okay. I've learned to read the room, to know when to encourage you to try something new and when to let you settle into what feels safe.
Many women tell me they feel powerful during our time together, not because they look different, but because someone is finally paying attention to their presence instead of asking them to diminish it.
Sarah messaged me two weeks after her session: "Every time I see my portrait, I remember that version of myself, the one who takes up space without apologizing for it. Thank you for giving that back to me."
If You're Still Wondering
If you're reading this and thinking, "This sounds amazing, but..." let me stop you right there.
You don't have to wait until you lose weight, fix your skin, buy new clothes, or feel more confident. You don't have to earn the right to be celebrated. You just have to be willing to walk through my studio door and let yourself be seen.
The women who book As I Am sessions aren't different from you. They're not more photogenic or more confident. They're just ready to stop waiting for permission to take up space in their own lives.
Here's What I Hope
I hope this letter helps you understand what it's really like. I hope it makes the unknown feel a little less scary. And I hope, when you're ready, you'll let me show you what I see when I look at you.
Your As I Am session is waiting for you. No rush, no pressure, just an open door and someone who can't wait to meet you.
Your As I Am session is waiting for you whenever you're ready. No rush, no pressure, just an open door and someone who can't wait to show you what I see when I look at you.
Holding space for you,
Bobbi Jo
