As a personal trainer and nutritionist I strive to treat my body like the temple that it is, yet I too struggle with my body image. I occasionally battle the body image demon, but for the most part what I used to view as flaws are now symbols of life events that made me who I am today. The stretch marks, which after 26 years are now mostly faded, are a reminder of my pregnancies and my two beautiful daughters. My many freckles remind me of days spent sunbathing on beautiful beaches and my wrinkles remind me of the many smiles and laughs I’ve had in my 43 years. Whether Maureen, photographer and owner of Intimate Portraits The Art of Maureen Benoit, knew it or not, she helped me to realize something else on the day of our photo shoot. As she tried to reproduce several poses of models who I admire from a magazine I brought, we discovered that my arms and legs were so much longer than the models that it was impossible to achieve the same look. I reflected on this driving home and began to appreciate the uniqueness of my body for the first time. Like snowflakes or a grain of sand, our bodies are all one-of-a-kind and regardless of shape or size, we are all beautiful.
Through her portrait lens she captures the beauty in women that they do not see themselves. She not only captures the beautiful curves of a woman’s body, but the delicate highlights of her hair, softness of her skin, and the sparkle in her eyes. Maureen’s own smile radiates kindness and compassion. I was so comfortable during my photo shoot that I would have hung upside down from a chandelier if she’d asked me to.
When I returned to view the portrait presentation, the photos from our shoot were stunning. On those days of self-doubt, I need only look at the photos and I am instantly happier — like eating yummy cupcakes, but without the calories! Maureen inspires me to continue on my path of self-acceptance, embracing the woman that I have become and the woman I have yet to be.
For more information on Intimate Portraits The Art of Maureen Benoit, visit www.intimateportraitsbymaureen.com or call 661-476-9772. For personal training information, email loriedudley@mac.com .