There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who catches themselves in the light of their own beauty. Simple, quiet and utterly caught unaware. My sister entered her first portrait session, nervous and not quite sure what to expect.

We all take selfies, or that group shot with friends, or have been caught off guard with food in our mouths or holding that alcoholic drink in the early hours of the morning. These are just all moments in our lives that we share, laugh about or have a sudden rush of nostalgia or maybe even regret. But they are soon forgotten, pushed to the back of our minds and quickly replaced with the next mobile phone snapshot quickie.  Downloaded on social media and then to await for the world's' confirmation. That Yes. You are pretty. Like. Like.

A glamour portrait is so much more special, unique and specialized just to suit who you are. It's not a moment. It's a session well thought of. Hair, face, mood and style. There is a certain anxiety, because you want to to get it right. You want to look good. But you are  intimidated that that camera may once again befriend you and not show your best self. In this photography session. Time moves with you. A voice guides you, pushing the boundaries of your comfort, to create that iconic picture, to capture your best feature. Being nervous is part of the discovery. Transformation of the unknown walks you down a wonderful experience that stays with you all your life.

You relax and find your own comfortable space between you and the camera lense. Breathe in, breathe out. Be proud. You are beautiful.

As I blissfully enjoy the warmest winter I have had in Europe. It is strange that I don't feel the complete experience of European winter without the snow. Who knew a southerner like myself would be nostalgic about the icy cold and perfect beauty of snow. But I'm not complaining. This winter has been awesome. From the full presence of family and the wonderful surprise of my sister arriving in Brussels. I can't ask for more and I can only be filled with gladness.

Like most good stories these days, I reached out to the internet community in search for a Make up artist who would like to build their portfolio and collaborate in creating glamour portraits. I didn't get an overwhelming response. Instead I found a lot of very good and creative makeup artist who wanted to do something new, but were too afraid to do it.

They were shy and unsure. They were crafted but not seasoned. They were willing but not able as they couldn't get over the fear that they were passionate but just not good enough. In my situation, I never asked if they were good enough. This was not a job interview nor a competition of skills. I was giving young talent a place and environment to practice, to learn and make mistakes. But that was all too much responsibility, cause the fear of failure, scared them so much that even trying would be the end of them.

Is this some kind of petrified fear? So scared that you won't even try and so scared you can not even be. Who knew looking for a make up artist would be such an emotionally involved circumstance. I didn't want to get messages of how they would love to help and create but were too scared to try. I sincerely couldn't help anyone with that. Because there is one thing that I have learned in my career as a creative. If you don't have the balls... you are just not going to make it. You are just one person doing a skill that several thousands can do and that they can do even better than you. So what! Just do your thing and do it good. Nobody care that it is the best, or the best in the world, they just care if it is the best of you.

Self doubting yourself is a disease that eats away on your dreams and digs holes in your future. It feeds on your fears and loneliness, until you are truly lonely and sad. Sad, that you never did it. Sad, you never tried. Sad that you were never good enough and never tried to see how good you were. We are all born with some kind of skill. You don't become amazing over night. It takes time and work to craft your skill. So much so that you create in a way that is only identifiable, as your work. Isn't that worth looking forward to.

So I salute Ania, my first make up artist who helped me build my portfolio. Who struggled with her own work-worth but manage to create either way. I don't know if she ever continued to persue her dreams as a wedding make up artist, I don't know if she ever went that extra mile for her self. But she did create and she did learn and she did mistakes. But nobody cares, cause you are ever as good as your last work... or until you die.

So make your life spectacular.

Good Reads

It's not how Good you are, Its how Good you want to be

How to be the Best at everything you do

How do you gain confidence to be in front of the camera? Well that's like asking what is the ROI ( The Rate of Investment of your mother. We have to be real here, the way we are or how we are is based on too many factors. If you have not yet sat down with yourself and figured who, what and when you have have become. That's a whole other blog on its own like here.

We are not all Picasso or Michelangelo beautiful. And thank goodness we are different and some more symmetrically more featured than others. And some of us are just a certain standard of beauty according to a committee of people which means that everyone is just mediocre. If we are all, plain Jades, Jones or Xoliswa; how do the ones we find more beautiful stand out of the crowd? Well, if the heading of this post has not given you the clue. Quickly reflect on one of the most sort after celebrity, Rhianna, who confined in a life coach to be confident.  Old news but relevant inside all of us every day.

So you hate your ears, nose, face, body, stomach, arms, hair, butt and basically everything the creator ever gave you. And doing a group selfie is like a tectonic panic and fear for the worst. Perhaps you dodge, run or pull a face as soon as some one whips out their phone to take a photo of you.
Well, enough of that. You determine your own worth. It sheer confidence, whether you fake it or not. It will always win in your favour.

Here are some fundamental steps that you need to before your Beauty shoot to get you in the right head space. 

Step 1. Be prepared
You are having a photograph made of your face. Your facial features, your imperfections and perfects your happiness or sadness in your eyes. You will be exposed... in a good way. :) Nothing to worry about if you look after yourself well before a shoot.

Step 2. Plan Ahead
Have you decided how you want to be photographed?
Do you want to look natural and poised, or glamorous or rock or themed to the 1940's or just captured in your day and life?
What do you want to do with your picture?
Do you want to hang it and remember how beautiful you are? or celebrate a milestone in your life? or you just want one good picture of yourself before you die. Damit. Plan ahead and it will make the photographing experience more fulfilling and rewarding for you.

Step 3. Practice makes Confidence
Bloody hell! Not sure what to do with your face or body. Well take a good moment to look at yourself and decide once and for all that you are a human being and this is your face. And my ow, my, you have a good side and a bad side. Then don't forget to tell yourself how beautiful, pretty, strong and fierce you are over and over again. It takes practice to be confident. So practice telling yourself you are freakishly and unnaturally AMAZING.

Step 4. Look the Part
If you want your pictures to capture your personality whether whimsical, natural, strong or dark. Bring the necessary clothing and accessories to best suit your desired look. Once you look and feel pretty and beautiful. You will feel transformed and more at ease with having your picture taken. Even if you are having make up or a natural look. A great hydrating and plumping moisturiser can work just perfectly. All you need now is some sass and attitude to finish the look.

Step 5. Your Photographer
Make sure the photographer is there for your best interest and will be patient and kind to elevating your best features. Always to reinforce confidence and fun, that you are doing a great job in front of camera. And wow, look how amazing look.




Asanda Photography started out as a glamour portrait session that quickly grew into a multi media agency for brands an boutiques. Telling  brand stories through fashion photography. Glamour sessions are like magazine styled photo shoot with a team of hair, make up and wardrobe consultation, for the best  private photo experience.  Photo shoots are co-ordinated in Brussels and the whole area of Belgium. Download the Free PDF on Glamour Portraits

You finally found the person you were supposed to marry and to love for ever and ever but so is your wedding dress. Like finding a good man, a wedding dress is just as important or even more important if you were the ultimate bridezilla. The perfect wedding dress is designed and shaped just for your perfect body and it is as simple or lavish as your heart desires. It completes the wedding. It's the moment where you feel like a princess on your special day.

But the day goes by so fast and the moments are so quickly devoured, like the wedding cake you took two weeks to decide on and one bite to enjoy. Thank goodness to family and the photographer. They are there to bare witness to your magical day, retell and remember through photograph. In the middle of the great festival, you may get lost in all the details and all the wonder that is your special day. Taking a moment before or after the wedding to taking private pictures with your partner and family can be an added advantage, with all the fun and non of the stress. Play at your own rules, tell your own story, will you Rock the frock? or Trash the Dress?

Enjoy the Journey. Miriam did. She had a beautiful wedding with family and friends and the perfect dress to show off her figure. She wanted to remember how beautiful she felt and have her bridal portraits taken with the same dress. It had inspired her to work hard and get back into shape. It was exhilarating and rewarding, to be a princess again in her own fairytale. During her photoshoot, she was pampered with make up and hair, creative input and being the star of her own personalised photoshoot. She is, and will always be beautiful. I hope her printed portrait will forever remind her of that.  

Women are the anchor of all things that are, that is and that will be. There is no doubt GOD is a feminine entity. A wonderful creature with so much compassion and with the grace to create and destroy and to build again. How can one not be at awe when a flower blooms, to live its beauty and die to live again. It a phenomenon just too divine.