The Month I Took a Daily Self-Portrait — And What It Taught Me About My Face, My Confidence, and Being Seen
My self-portrait on day 20 in the studios with Madeleine Park, and my invisilign in full view!
After I did a bit of research on why people hate seeing their photos, I found that psychologists have conducted a study called the “mere exposure effect”. I’m paraphrasing, but it’s where we get used to seeing ourselves in the mirror, so I thought maybe we could get used to seeing ourselves in a photo.
I didn’t start this daily self-portrait challenge to make content. I didn’t do it for the algorithm, or to be “disciplined,” or even to document anything in particular. I did it because I wanted to understand what so many women tell me every day:
“I hate photos of myself.”
“I’m not photogenic.”
“I don’t know what to do with my face.”
As a portrait photographer in Sydney, I coach women through these fears all the time. I hold the camera, I hold the space, and I help them feel confident and comfortable in front of the lens. But I realised recently that I hadn’t held that same space for myself in a while. So November became my month of practice — of being seen. And here’s what surprised me.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with my smile again (even with my Invisalign in).
Somewhere along the way, I had decided that a “serious face” was more professional… or more artistic… or just more acceptable for a woman over 40. But when you take a photo of yourself every single day, patterns appear. In the images where I genuinely smiled, I looked like me. I looked warm. I looked open. I looked alive.
It reminded me of what I tell every client:
Your natural expression is always your best expression.
And yes… sometimes the photographer needs to hear their own advice.
I also discovered my right side is where my confidence lives.
In the first week alone, I noticed it. My right side felt more like home. It held itself differently. It softened differently. It gave me the little “click” of recognition I look for in every portrait I take. My left side isn’t wrong — it’s just not my favourite. And this is the truth I wish more women knew:
You’re not unphotogenic.
You just haven’t learned your angles yet.
(And honestly, it’s liberating when you do.)
Portrait Mode became my tiny daily lifesaver.
Look, I’ve resisted being “an iPhone photographer.” But… I have to give credit where it’s due. Portrait Mode works. The depth. The softness. The way it handles light. It’s not perfect — but for a quick daily portrait? It’s a gift. Every time I used it, it softened the edges, brought forward the eyes, and made the overall image feel more polished. So yes, I now say this with zero embarrassment:
Portrait Mode is absolutely my go-to — especially for women over 40.
Bright colours changed everything.
On the days I wore neutrals, I felt flatter. On the days I wore bright colours — blue, green, red, denim — something lifted. My skin looked better. My expression felt warmer. The whole photo felt more alive. Colour matters more than we realise. Not because it’s “flattering,” but because it changes how we think in the moment — and that feeling is what the camera captures. I’ve always coached clients to wear what feels like them.
But this reminded me:
Bright colours genuinely photograph with more confidence and energy.
But the most significant shift wasn’t technical — it was internal.
Seeing my own face every day softened me. Truly. It softened the critic. It softened the instinct to analyse. It softened the “no, delete it” voice I’ve heard so many women echo. When you look at yourself regularly, you start to understand your face the way you know a friend’s — with familiarity, not judgement. You begin to see your expressions as part of your personality rather than flaws to manage. This daily practice didn’t just teach me how to look.
It taught me how to see myself.
And that? That’s the absolute camera confidence.
And then there was the nose thing.
Let’s talk about it. Let’s be very, brutally honest.
The iPhone makes your nose look bigger.
It’s not you — it’s the lens.
Tiny lenses distort whatever is closest. It’s physics, not your face.
Once I accepted that, it freed me from the instant “ugh” reaction we all have when we see a photo we don’t like.
And this is precisely why I teach women how to:
step back from the lens
understand distortion
use flattering angles
create distance
work with light
Because the problem was never the nose, it’s the tool.
So here’s the truth this month taught me.
You really can practice feeling photogenic.
You really can practice liking your image.
You really can build confidence in front of the camera.
It’s not reserved for models.
It’s not reserved for “photogenic people.”
It’s not reserved for women who already feel great about themselves.
It’s simply practice.
Gentle, repetitive, non-judgmental practice.
And yes — if you want help discovering your angles, your colours, your expressions, your you-ness — I’m here.
Whether it’s:
Or a 1:1 camera confidence coaching call, I would love to help you see yourself the way others already see you.
Because if a month of photos taught me anything, it’s this:
Your face isn’t the problem.
The way you see it is what’s ready to change. Katie x
