I See Myself in Each One

Wendy’s Women as Art Portrait Experience in Melbourne

Sometimes, the most beautiful thing about a photograph isn’t how you look. It’s what you recognise about yourself when you see it.

This isn’t the selfie angle you always reach for, or the photograph you check before posting, or the side of your face you’ve decided is your best. It’s a portrait that uncovers your presence, along with the little details and beautiful angles you may never have seen in yourself.

Wendy is one of the muses who recently experienced Women as Art at SEEN Portraits, my portrait studio in Cheltenham, in Melbourne’s Bayside.

After she saw her photographs, she sent me a message. It says more than I ever could.

“LOVE the photos Marina thank you so much! I see myself in each one, a glimmer of different parts of my personality on display in each. Thank you so much for an incredible experience and stunning photos.”

I see myself in each one.

Not “I look good.” Not “that’s my best side.” She saw herself, in every frame, in a different way.

Most of us carry around a version of ourselves that we approve of. The one we post. The one we’ve decided is the real us. But we have never been just one version. If you’ve only ever let yourself see one side of you, the others haven’t gone anywhere. They’re still in there, waiting to be seen.

It begins long before the studio

The photograph is the smallest part of the experience. The rest is everything that happens before the camera comes out: getting to know you, understanding what matters to you and preparing a space where you can finally exhale.

Wendy described it in her five-star Google review:

“Marina takes really great care of you during your photo session. And actually, it starts before you are even in the studio. Marina takes the time to get to know you, and what is important to you about your photoshoot, so that when you arrive you are completely on the same page.

Marina is thoughtful in preparing the studio for you, and gently coaches you for the expressions, the positions and the movements you will do while she is taking your photo. She will often actually get into the position she wants you in, herself, so that you can see what it looks like. I felt in great hands with Marina throughout.”

In great hands. If you’ve ever frozen in front of a camera or wondered what to do with your hands, you’re not alone. You don’t need to know how to pose. You only need to arrive as you are. I’ll guide you through the rest.

Seeing yourself differently

At the end of every Women as Art session, I show each woman all of her photographs. Not a shortlist of the “better” ones. All of them. She chooses her favourites, and then the images she wants to keep as prints and digital images.

Wendy said:

“Usually, the photographer will present you with a shortlist of images that they feel are the ‘better ones’ for you to then make your selections from. Marina does it differently, where she shows you all of them, for you to select the shortlist, and then ultimately the ones you want for prints or digital to keep.

I enjoyed this process because it felt like there was an abundant amount to choose from, and yet it was helpful to see myself in different ways… almost think I learnt something about myself from seeing so many photo options.”

I learnt something about myself. This is so often the moment something shifts.

You might be drawn to a photograph you would never have chosen. You might notice an expression that feels so familiar. Or you might meet a side of yourself that rarely gets the chance to come out.

And you begin to see that there isn’t just one way to look, feel or express yourself. Perhaps that’s where the magic happens.

Portrait photography that captures you as you are

We live in a time when our phones are full of photographs, and filters, editing tools and AI-generated images make it easier than ever to alter the way we appear.

Wendy put it perfectly:

“In this age of smart phones and such easy access to AI- or digitally- enhanced images, it is really human and special to actually see (and have) photos of yourself from an actual old-school camera. It captures you, as you are, and I cherish the photographs Marina took of me, as it has captured me in a special, real way.”

There is something irreplaceable about a real photographic experience: the connection, the guidance, the conversation, the laughter and the little moments in between. It’s a whole experience of meeting yourself, and it unfolds differently for every woman. It’s seeing yourself through someone else’s creative eye, and having photographs that hold you as you are.

The photographs are beautiful. But the feelings that surface along the way matter far more. It captures you, as you are.

Come and meet me at the Mind Body Spirit Festival Melbourne

If something in Wendy’s story feels familiar, I would love to connect with you.

SEEN Portraits will be at the MindBodySpirit Festival in Melbourne this month. It’s a wonderful chance to bring the Women as Art experience to more women. How we see and celebrate ourselves is part of our wellbeing, our growth and our happiness. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to see yourself differently, this could be it.

You don’t need a special occasion to have beautiful photographs. You don’t need to wait until you look different, feel different or reach another milestone. The woman you are today is already worth celebrating.

Find us here:
Mind Body Spirit Festival Melbourne
13–15 November 2026
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Wharf
Stand A45

Come and see what we create and learn how Women as Art works. And if you can’t make it, simply reach out at seenportraits.com.au.

Because sometimes, the most amazing photograph isn’t the one where you think you look perfect. It’s the one where you look at yourself and think:

“Yes. That’s me.”

And that is something worth keeping.

Much love,
Marina
SEEN Portraits

For more information about a photoshoot experience at SEEN or to add yourself to the waitlist, click HERE.