How I stopped hating photos of myself

A few weeks ago, I shared something on Instagram that struck a nerve – in the best possible way.

It blew up.
My DMs filled with women saying,
“Omg… this is me.”
“I avoid photos at all costs.”
“I want to feel this kind of freedom.”

And honestly… I get it.
Because for years, I hated photos of myself, too.

I’d zoom in on every “flaw.”
Delete anything that didn’t look “good.”

Made sure I was wearing make-up or had my hair done at every opportunity.
Try to pose smaller, hide, shrink, disappear.

But at some point, I realized —
It wasn’t the photos that were the problem.
It was the story I’d been taught to tell myself about my body.

So I started changing the story.

Those shifts I shared in the carousel?
Here’s the real, deeper version of what they meant for me:

• I changed what a “good” photo even was.
  Not about looking perfect.
  But about being interesting, present, joyful, memorable.

• I started seeing photos as memories, not measurements.
  Proof that I was living — not a report card for my body.

• I stopped filtering myself into a version I could never live up to.
  And the less I filtered… the less I criticized.

• I let myself appear in more photos — and share them.
  The visibility that once terrified me started to feel like freedom.

• I filled my feed with real bodies.
  Diverse bodies. Bodies like mine.
  Suddenly, my body didn’t feel like the “odd one out” anymore.

• And yes… I started investing in professional photoshoots.
  Not just for my business — but for me.
  To celebrate myself. To see myself with kinder eyes.
  To create images that capture my joy, not my insecurities.

And it changed everything.

Which is why…

🌸 This is EXACTLY why my Self-Love Summer Retreat in June 2026 includes a full body-positive photoshoot.

Not the “stand this way, lift your chin, suck it in” kind.
But the kind where you get to:

✨ Be yourself
✨ Feel safe
✨ Feel seen
✨ Feel celebrated
✨ And walk away with photos where you look… happy.

Photos where you see yourself the way the rest of us see you.
Photos that remind you you’re allowed to take up space.
Photos that become memories you’re actually excited to keep.

Julia Busato — the photographer I trust deeply (yes, the same one who photographed me NAKED in the forest with other women!) — will be joining us for the entire day on the second day of the retreat.

She’ll be taking candid beach photos and doing a private, body-positive mini session with every single participant. Plus – there will be amazing women there to help you with your hair and make-up if that is something you want to choose.

If you want to experience what it feels like to see your body through softer eyes…
If you want photos you don’t cringe at…
If you want a weekend that changes the way you see yourself forever…

There are 7 spots left for the June 2026 retreat. 💛
I would love to have you there.

Click the button below to save your spot.

Sending love,

-Courtney