Welcome to the second half of the Top 11 Things We Can Learn About Self Expression from Taylor Swift Albums!

Without further ado, here we go!

7. Lover

Building on the lesson from Reputation, Lover reminds us that life is never perfect, but it’s so much more beautiful when you embrace what IS good and focus less on what isn’t so great.

What does this have to do with photography? As mom who is no longer my youngest, cutest self, I know how tempting it is to say “Oh, I’ll schedule photos once I lose those 10 pounds” or, “I need just a little botox and some filler before I’m ready for anyone to see me.” The truth, though? Life is happening right now, and I bet there’s at least one thing (a family member, friend, pet, hobby, career, etc.) that brings you joy and is worth remembering just as it is in this moment. 

8. Folklore

With this album, Taylor showed us that sometimes serious and complicated can be beautiful. If you or someone in your portrait group isn’t a smiley, happy person in their regular life, it’s okay to let them be themselves in front of the camera! What’s the point of making memories that aren’t authentic? When you can lose yourself in your story and your relationships, that’s when we have the opportunity to document something real and lasting.

9. Evermore

And, while we’re at it, it’s okay if your life and relationships are layered and nuanced. It’s okay if your love is quiet and subtle. It’s okay if it’s loud and boisterous! What really matters is that you’re expressing yourself in a way that feels true to you. Not in to floral, flowy dresses? Cool! Wear what makes you feel like you. Don’t want your kids in matching smocked ensembles sitting on a white chair with a white backdrop? Totally fine. You’re unique, and your photos should be, too.

10. Midnights

In writing Midnights, Taylor says she tells the story of 13 sleepless nights from throughout her life. These were important, consequential moments for her that held their meaning over the years. I think we all have times like those scattered over a lifetime. Maybe you’ve had one recently. Maybe you had one 10 years ago, and you can’t stop thinking about it.

These are the stories that are begging to be told! We all think about the most popular reasons for having professional portraits made - graduating, getting engaged and married, having children, and then celebrating their milestones. But what about the rest of our lives? Surely there’s more to each of us than our most public, acclaimed experiences. Let’s work together on exploring that!

11. The Tortured Poets Department

Here we learn that beauty can come from painful situations. Sometimes. And sometimes pain is just pain. Either way, life is complicated, and experiences on both ends of the spectrum from elation to devastation are what make us who we are. From getting your dream job, to growing your family, to losing someone or something you feel you can’t live without, if we can hang on through life’s ups and downs, we’ll have quite the story to tell, and hopefully we’ll some visuals sprinkled in to help the story come alive.