perfect excuse

It was a crazy idea – a school project, “just 18” that sounded so harmless: “Life experiences and art.” But for me it was the perfect excuse to try out something that had been tempting me for a long time. A shoot, just me, the camera and the courage to show myself in a way I never dared to. I was nervous, my heart was racing as I entered the studio. Would I feel good? Would I even dare to undress in front of a stranger, to pose naked and unclothed? The photographer smiled, calm and composed, and it felt like he knew exactly how I felt. As soon as I was in the changing room, it began. The camera clicked and my insecurity gradually gave way to a tingling excitement. As I slipped the top over my shoulders, my breath caught for a moment. My naked skin in the soft light, the mirror that reflected everything back at me – I could hardly believe it, that was me. Brave, naked and vulnerable, but also strong. As I pushed my jeans over my hips and my white panties flashed out cheekily, a thousand thoughts flashed through my mind: What do I look like? What does he think? What do I think about myself? And then – a moment of clarity. It didn’t matter. It was my moment. I began to play, to move, to discover myself. Every look, every pose felt more exciting than the last. It was like a dance with myself, with the camera, with the idea of what could be. In the end, I stood there, slightly out of breath, but full of energy. I had shown myself, had felt myself – intense, alive. This school project was more than just an assignment. It was an adventure, a moment in which I was allowed to see the best, freest version of myself.