Fighting Impostor Syndrome With Portrait Photography

In this video, I share my journey of stepping into confidence as a portrait photographer and how one assignment—“make a striking image worth a thousand words”—pushed me to create something deeply personal.

Through this process, I explored themes of hope, restraint, and identity in the context of Black women’s experiences in America. This project challenged me to look inward, reflect on family and community, and translate those reflections into a single portrait.

I invite you to watch, reflect, and share your thoughts on whether I captured the weight and beauty of this assignment.

⏱ Timecodes
0:00 – Intro: Trusting confidence as a photographer
1:12 – Impostor syndrome starts to fade
2:45 – The “striking image” assignment explained
4:28 – Looking inward for inspiration
6:05 – Reflecting on Black women’s experiences in America
8:40 – Choosing the model and building trust
10:15 – Creative decisions: flowers, rope, and the flag
13:02 – Portraying hope without clichés
15:18 – Balancing restraint and freedom in the portrait
17:45 – Final image reveal: is it worth a thousand words?
19:20 – Closing thoughts and gratitude

👉 Join the conversation
How does the final image make you feel? Did it capture the story? Comment below—I’d love to hear your perspective.

If this resonated, subscribe for more behind-the-scenes on portrait photography, creative growth, and personal projects.


Behind the Scenes: The Gear That Brings My Content to Life:

Sony A7IV – The heart of my setup, delivering top-tier video quality: https://amzn.to/4kBECi6
Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Lens - My all-rounder lens for sharp and dynamic shots: https://amzn.to/4ihbRpq
Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Lens - When I need that dreamy compression and bokeh: https://amzn.to/421zL11
Amaran 200dS LED Video Light - Bright, powerful, and reliable lighting: https://amzn.to/3DV7ZLL
Godox SL100D LED Video Light - Soft, natural-looking light for pro-level setups: https://amzn.to/3FFG9nf
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo - Small but mighty, perfect for smooth shots on the go: https://amzn.to/4l2Nopq
GVM Lantern Softbox Soft Light Modifier - The secret to that beautiful, diffused lighting: https://amzn.to/41F9MfP
DJI Mic 2 - Because crisp, clean audio is just as important: https://amzn.to/4iEPN80
Ulanzi TT43 Extendable Photography Light Stand - Perfect for small spaces: https://amzn.to/4iIaxvZ


Get 20% off Retouch4me — an amazing AI tool I use every day in my professional photography. It’s saved me countless hours and made a huge difference in the quality of my portrait and headshot work: https://retouch4.me/products/retouch-...


Let’s Stay Connected Beyond YouTube!
If you’ve enjoyed this video, there’s so much more to explore. Here’s where you can find me and follow along on my creative journey:

Creative Portfolio – See my latest personal work, visual experiments, and creative storytelling: https://www.rtperspective.com

Photography Blog – Go behind the scenes with me as I share stories, moments, and insights from my journey: rtperspective.com/blog

Professional Work – Need a photographer or want to see my client work? Visit my official portfolio: https://ramontrotman.studio/

Follow Me on Social for daily inspiration, sneak peeks, and new projects:
Instagram:   / ramontrotman  
Facebook:   / ramontrotmanstudio