North Bay Woman

34 NORTH BAY WOMAN | S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 Don't blame yourself, she says. Blame the camera. "The camera doesn't see as many shades of light as we do and so it flattens the image and accentuates the things we don't want to see." Her Modern Beauty Portrait package sets up each client to succeed. There are optional add-ons including wardrobe, make-up and hair- styling followed by a two-hour session with Smith. "I give all my clients a heads-up on what to expect before the shoot so that they're more confident and comfortable." And during the shoot, she directs them by taking them through supermodel poses and saying, "put your chin here or your hands there"..."That way, they don't even have to think about what to do," she says. "They can't do anything but be present and focus on me. That's why the portrait comes out so beautifully." Throughout the session, Smith admits she makes "corny jokes" to get clients to relax and make them laugh, but the end result is transforming. "It's surprising how powerful these sessions are," she says. "Women leave the session walking tall." Veronica Blaustein, who owns Ronnie Bleu Lingerie in Petaluma, was prompted to have her photograph taken after noticing some images by Smith at a hair salon. "One of the things Mariah said that really struck me was what do you hope your children or grandchildren will see when they look at these pictures?" she recalls. "That was a deep question." She also remembers laughing throughout the session that included hair, make-up and wardrobe. "She's a phenomenal director of photography and you feel like a model that day," she says. "It was a Above and below: Mariah listens to her clients and captures the essence of the moment with her subjects. – Photos by Mariah Smith Photography.

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