“My mission is to help you quiet your inner critic, teach you everything you need to know to love being in front of the camera, show you how beautiful you are, and provide you with stunning photographs of you,” says Paulina Sobczak, a Portrait, Headshots and Branding Photographer. In this chat with Stellar Woman Magazine she opens up about her inspirations and what it means to be a stellar woman.
Describe yourself in a few words.
Empowered, enthusiastic, cheerleader of women. Loving nature, my children and being free.
How has your upbringing influenced the woman you are today?
I was raised in a conservative way in a family where a male was dominating the space.
Hence, I have always been a female advocate, and making sure that I empower others to stand up for themselves.
Watching my mom, working, studying and looking after two young children, while my father was working abroad to provide for our better future, made me believe that I had to do the job, which brought me financial stability rather the job I loved.
But that has changed over the years and I had to realise that it was just a block holding me back from achieving my dreams.
You have switched careers from structural engineering to photography? What prompted that?
I was so unhappy with being an engineer and I came to the point where I felt, depressed, unfulfilled, dishonest with myself. As my deepest passion was to photograph, I decided to quit my day job and follow my passion as a professional photographer. I needed to choose my own wellbeing over my ego.
Is there anything you miss about your previous career? And why?
I miss completely nothing about engineering, as it was not my calling but rather fulfilling my mum’s and dad’s dreams.
What is the most fulfilling part about photography?
Photography, to me, is about showing my clients just how beautiful they are.
I’d like them to fall in love with their imperfections and embrace their natural attributes.
I used to be very negative about my looks and I am sure many of us, women of today’s society, can relate to that.
The most fulfilling in photography is watching the process of my clients unfold in front of my camera, frame by frame, until they connect to their higher level of their true potential.
They drop that protective façade, and they allow themselves to open up and shine their light. And that is when I take a photo.
When I see my clients happy, authentic and totally at ease infront of the camera then I know that being a photographer is my calling.
What does being successful mean to you?
It means to do the things you love in life, being paid for your skills and to have a positive impact on other people’s lives. I truly believe I change people’s lives by showing them that they are worthy, loved, heard and beautiful in who they are, through photography.
What is the key to success in photography? Any lesson for women who would like to start a career in photography?
I failed in my 1st photography business, and had to dissolve the company, as I didn’t follow these three crucial steps:
1: Make sure that you choose the niche which you completely feel aligned with. My niche is glamour/boudoir portraits and branding for entrepreneurs/business owners.
2: List your strengths and weaknesses and work on weaknesses but mostly focus on how you can expand and utilise your strengths.
3: Invest in your personal growth, as well as your company growths. I invested in business coaches, who are successful in running photography businesses and I am learning from them.
Everyone can be a photographer, but it takes long term plans and self-belief to make it a successful career.
I am only at the beginning of that journey.
What gives you the most pain in the world today? Do you think something can be done about it?
According to the Stylist Magazine article “Comparison Culture Is Taking Its Toll on Our Self-Esteem,” statistics revealed that “83% of women say social media negatively affects their self-esteem” and “39% of women compare themselves with women they think look pristine without effort”.
Comparing ourselves to carefully curated images from various media channels, lacking the inner feeling of self-worth are just a few out of many pains why we do not feel confident in our own skin, which affects confidence in other areas of our lives.
You have a new leaf of your life with public speaking, how is that going?
I was given this incredible opportunity to speak during a 10-day-long online event, Women Thrive Summit, which started on 20th of March and ended on 31st of March. When women come together, incredible things happen. I was one of the 40+ International speakers, experts and coaches that featured on this life-changing event.
What does self love mean to you? Is it a must for every woman?
Self-love is to give yourself permission to be who you are, now and here. To love your body, your mind, and forgive yourself for anything in the past. This means to stop blaming others and have compassion towards self and others. Understanding that life is a journey not a destination and enjoy every moment of it.
You’re into helping women to discover or rediscover themselves. What is your experience so far?
I am helping women to see themselves through their transformational photo session experience. I create a safe space in my studio for them to relax and feel vulnerable with themselves. It is in my opinion the most powerful way to see yourself and to start loving who you are.
Every man or woman is born free, which means that we should all express ourselves freely. How does photography help to bring this out?
I am passionate about empowering others to feel comfortable in their own skin because I truly experienced transformation through my professional photo session experience and later on carried on photographing myself regularly to celebrate myself. I believe in energy, and I know that what you think, see, and feel – shall be.
When you see yourself truly happy, confident, and beautiful, you connect to your inner self-acceptance, you start approving what you see, even if what you see is not “perfect,” but it is the best version of you, and you feel at peace within yourself. Only then can you start seeing possibilities, seeking opportunities, and excelling in your personal and professional life.
It changes from being about just photography, but about a whole experience that the client can have with me.
I want to spoil my clients with professional make-up and hairstyling, and prior to the session in-home wardrobe consultations. Being in my home-studio feels comfortable and cosy and clients feel at ease in front of the camera. But even prior to the session we have had consultations discussing their desired photo session experience. When clients feel at ease and comfortable, their photographs are truly beyond their expectations. Not only are they beautiful, but they also allow them for the first time ever to truly see themselves. They see themselves truly happy, joyful, sexy, elegant, confident and relaxed. That was exactly how I felt when I had my first transformational photo session in 2018.
There’s so much in regard to women’s energy and voices coming out today. What world do you envision for women of tomorrow?
A world where women can come together and support each other more than today. Women who will not be afraid of speaking their truth and living life on their own terms.
You’re keen to make women feel good about themselves; is there anything in particular you do or say to bring out the best in a woman during their photography session with you?
This process starts even before the photo session. During our telephone/zoom call/FaceTime conversation or email exchange, we are going to discuss what photo session client is interested in: boudoir photo session, headshot photo session, glamour, branding photo shoot or corporate/business. I believe that this is the most important communication, as it will allow me to learn about my client as much as I can, to learn her/his values, who they are, how they would like to be photographed and what it means to them.
Later on, when we are having the in-home wardrobe consultations (in person/Zoom), I get to know the client even more and get to advise on the product line they might be interested in. So, when they come to my studio, they already feel like they are with someone they know.
The day before the session, I prepare myself mentally, making sure I’m totally aligned with myself so that I bring that energy with me to the shoot. Each session starts with makeup and hair styling, which helps clients to relax and feel pampered, with their favourite song playing in the background. It is my job to teach my clients how to be photogenic and to teach them how to authentically smile, pose, feel and look their best.
The outside is a reflection of the inside? How do you ensure that each woman presents the best version of herself on the day?
Trust and deep connection with the photographer are crucial in helping clients unfurl in front of the camera.
My job is to create good rapport and a comfortable atmosphere where my client feels safe, loved, beautiful and heard. Only then they will be willing to let go of their long-lasting expectations and truly connect with who they are.
I am not a psychologist and I can’t guarantee that the inside is a reflection of the outside but what I can promise is that they will see the most authentic and beautiful photographs of themselves.
Every woman has dreams, we all have the stellar woman ideal in our minds. Could you list the attributes of your ideal stellar woman?
Strength, stillness, peace, confidence and leadership.
What can you add to your life to make you feel more stellar?
I haven’t mastered ‘stillness’, this continues to be my daily journey.
What advice would you give someone who is aspiring to be a stellar woman?
Find your inspiration and observe how they act, what they wear and how they think. And also surround yourself with likeminded women.
What is your next chapter? Where do you see Paulina Sobczak in the next 5-10 years?
I see myself making more women fall in love with who they are through photo session experiences and also participating in more speaking engagements. Life is what you make it, so make it good for yourself and others.
To learn more about Paulina’s work, visit her website https://paulinabranding.photography/