In my 32 years on this planet, the journey of building confidence has been a profound and continuous one. The older I get, the more I ponder it, observe it, and strive to nurture it within myself. When people-watching during my daily routines or travels, I am drawn to the way others carry themselves—their walk, talk, and the energy they exude. To me, it’s a silent indicator of how they may see themselves which I find fascinating as confidence is a trait I’ve had to diligently cultivate over the years.

I’ve always hated having my picture taken.

When I was around 13 years old, almost overnight, I developed cystic acne all over my face. For those lucky enough not to know what that is - it’s the most severe type of acne. It causes extremely painful, pus-filled pimples under the skin, every bit as gross as it sounds. I’ve lost count of the times that people at school, and then college and university would stop in their tracks and go “Omg what’s wrong with your face?” I’ve even had strangers walk up to me and give me unsolicited advice on how to get rid of it. 

Discovering Candid was like finding a diamond amongst stones. As someone with a hidden disability, I'm regularly met with doubtful looks and patronising remarks like 'but you don't look disabled' or 'can you give up your seat for this elderly lady?' It's an everyday challenge and for a year it’s been my mission to find a photography studio that can celebrate my hidden disability.