Too ugly, too bulky, poorly dressed. We rarely find ourselves “well” in photos. These snapshots that freeze us at one point in our life sometimes end up in the back of a drawer or in a computer file. Still, these snapshots can bring out the best of us.
Elodie Madureira, 33-year-old photographer, is convinced that photography is “a tool for personal development” for those who have lost some of their self-esteem or loss. self-confidence. Since July 2014, the photographer offers these people who are not at peace with their image, to follow a “photography-therapy” session. This individual workshop seeks to bring out a part of oneself that we thought we had lost (talents, skills, qualities). “Often people don’t see for who they really are,” explains Elodie. This 30-something knows what she’s talking about. The photo served as a liberator to accept his body. “Ten years ago, I had advanced tuberculosis. I had a hard time accepting my body and the marks left by the disease, she says. Posing naked in front of a photographer has me. helped to regain confidence “.
“No need for a dream physique”
Learn to let go in front of a goal. In the age of selfies, one might think that inner liberation through bodily expression is child’s play. It is not so. Many feel naturally intimidated by the equipment of a professional photographer. This is why Elodie begins the photo shoot with a first contact. The opportunity to understand the universe of the person and identify his qualities. This preliminary interview will serve as a source of inspiration for the rest (possible theme, place).
On D-Day, we are not put in front of the camera like a model is during a casting. The shooting is preceded by a relaxation session consisting of a breathing exercise or a head massage to calm any apprehensions.
The photo shoot is divided into two parts. The improvised intermission that divides her comes like a beneficial parenthesis where you let go of your first impressions, and above all, where you let go of your last anxieties.
Little by little the barriers are falling. And we forget the goal. Elodie provides advice and guides her “models”. “During the shoot I check that they are comfortable helping them find natural positions. If the face is frozen, for example, I advise them to tell a pleasant memory”.
This support is bearing fruit since the second part of the shoot, which lasts about an hour, takes place in a much more relaxed atmosphere. A feeling that is expressed during the debriefing at the end of the session.
The look on the photos changes. A positive awareness told on the photographer’s website. Joshua, 25, suffered from great discomfort after a romantic break-up. This session served him as a real shock: “you do not need a dream physique to play in front of the lens”, he rejoices on the photographer’s website.
For Agathe, a 34-year-old mother, photography therapy has made it possible to get rid of a biased view of herself. A body dysmorphia that she jokes about today: “After having 3 children, I thought I had a deformed body, less beautiful, less attractive. (…) I realized that I was not that bad. ! “
More info on photography therapy. http: //www.madelphotographe.com/
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>> To read also: Self-esteem: 4 methods to love yourself
