Story...

Andrea recently came to us for a session. This is her story...

I have been wanting to do this for years. I had already done a "Glamour Photo Session" with someone else some time ago and was disappointed because the photos didn't look like me. The make-up was very heavy and the poses looked artificial.

I saw a friend that had already been to Garry and was struck by the natural, timeless look to them. I thought... "That's what I was looking for in the first place." The pictures were printed in a rich, golden sepia black & white and it really showed her femininity and personality. They were stunning.

I had a big birthday coming up and even though I was very nervous I decided to bite the bullet before I got too much older. This was to be a surprise for my husband and also something for myself. I sort of wanted to have some body shots but was worried I would look a bit big in the lower half. I am a size 10-14, the 14 is on the bottom and thighs. I was also a bit shy. Garry said that I would lose at least a dress size in appearance and that my tummy would flatten out "Like a billiard table". I told him I would see how I felt when I got there. He told me to get a good night's sleep the night before and to wear something loose to avoid bra marks on the shoulders and come with clean hair and no make-up. I fell asleep that night thinking... "My god, what have I gotten into."

The day of the session...

I awoke, did a quick mental calculation and concluded that my restless night had totalled 4 hours sleep. I had bags under my eyes and to top it off, had broken out around my lips. I had great doubts and wondered if I should cancel but decided to put aside my fears and put my trust into Garry.

I drove to the studio wearing dark sunglasses and pulled up to Number 48, a pretty, private Subiaco house. With some trepidation, I rung the bell. I was then led through an enchanting courtyard. There were heavenly oils burning somewhere. The whole ambience was at once disarming and relaxing.

On meeting, the make-up artist I apologised for my sudden break-out and she said "Don't worry we'll cover that, get comfy." She was a thorough professional and made me feel relaxed with girl talk about similar experiences. An hour later after two trips to the toilet... caused by the caffeine injections, Garry led me up a lovely winding staircase and we arrived in the studio. It was make-up under the lights check time. This is where I saw the difference from my disappointing "Glamour shoot". This time, the make-up artist had spent twice as long, so I naturally thought the make-up would be stronger, in fact, it was more like evening make-up. My bags and pimples had evaporated and I was looking at myself in a mirror as I was ten years ago. It seemed to me that the make-up was doing what it was supposed to be doing, making me look younger and more gorgeous and then disappearing.

I was then shown various shots that Garry thought I could do comfortably. I thought that there was no way I could look like that. What about my cellulite, my thighs, my stretch marks! He said he would paint out the stretch marks with foundation and pose me in such a way that I would look like a size 10-12. During the next two hours, I felt surprisingly at ease. I was gently guided into various poses and apart from a little strain from the stretching I had to do (that's how the dress size is lost) I found the whole experience actually quite fun.

I viewed my pictures a few days later. They were everything promised and more. The whole experience left me feeling like a goddess, a must for any woman wanting to rediscover her self-esteem and attractiveness.