That Time I Was a Model in Paris

I don’t think there will ever come a point in my life where I’m wholly comfortable in front of the camera but I came quite close during a special photo shoot back in August. Fresh-faced from the glow of the Basque sun, I returned to Paris with a very unique request from my pals at Sister Mag – the digital lifestyle magazine produced entirely by German sisters Thea and Toni Neubauer. They were knee-deep in preparations for Issue #9 and were looking for a ‘model’ for their Paris story. Would I be willing to do it?

I hesitated, instantly imagining the worst – the most unflattering angles, the wonkiest smile, the glaring imperfections, suddenly visible to thousands of readers. Like many women, I’ve struggled with body image issues and frequently shied from photographs for fear I would be perceived by others in the unfavorable light in which I perceived myself. But I was comforted by the knowledge that the Sister Mag girls never feature professional models. Then I learned that hairstylist Rubi Jones would be crafting each hair look and professional makeup artist Charles Gillman would be responsible for enhancing my features (and let’s be honest, brightening the under-eye zone), and I…

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