Who doesn’t love a good spa day? The ultimate relaxation and pampering. It’s all about you. You know what’s even better? A professional photoshoot.

Not just any shoot. One with hair and makeup and wardrobe changes, champagne on offer, and a stylist and assistant fussing over you.

When one of my clients asked me for a photo for the contributor’s section of their website, I realized I had nothing remotely acceptable. I’d never had a proper headshot done, and the only photos I had of myself that I really liked were at least ten years old. The last time I’d had any sort of professional shoot was when my husband, son, and I had a family portrait done in 2007. My handheld selfies weren’t going to cut it. It was time for professional help.

I found a photographer and went to the initial consultation thinking I’m just getting a headshot. She had a bigger vision: personal branding, four or five outfit changes, hair and makeup, change of backdrops. Total overkill as far as I was concerned. But as she asked me about my brand and how I’d use the photos, I found myself telling her about the side project I’d been quietly working on in my spare time — a blog that I’d been endlessly tweaking and fine-tuning for the last year that had yet to launch because it was just never quite right, or I didn’t have enough content yet, or I was too busy to keep it updated. Or more to the point, I was terrified to put it out there into the world. As long as I kept tweaking, it was nothing but pure potential.

Suddenly I was telling this stranger all about my secret project and wholeheartedly agreeing that something more than a single, traditional headshot was imperative. We booked my session and my wardrobe consultation. She planned to come to my house and help me choose the clothes that would flatter and present me as appropriately creative, confident, approachable, and quirky.

I was panicked. The idea of this woman whose every nuance screamed order, precision, and organization entering my closet where sweaters and sweatpants mixed with ratty tees and torn jeans tumbling off the shelves, filled me with terror. When I pull a pair of shoes out, they often need dusting before they can be worn. My hanging items look like the clearance rack on Black Friday, so crammed full and tangled. (Not my fault. My closet is too small.) I canceled the appointment and tried to come up with an excuse not to reschedule. Annarose was on top of it. Reschedule we did.

Two things came into focus for me from this situation:

1. I was the client here. She wasn’t coming to judge me, but to help me. And frankly, even if she was going to judge me (how could she help it?), who cares?

2. I was hiring her for her professional experience. This is her process. She does good work. Trust her.

Right and right again.

She came to the house. To save myself some embarrassment, I pulled several items from my closet and laid them across the chairs in my living room. We discussed. We made choices. She made suggestions for additional items I might want to find and took photos so she could arrange lighting and backdrops. She never entered my closet. But that meant I second-guessed the process and ended up bringing extra things that occurred to me later, just in case. (I refer myself to point two above.)

I arrived at her studio on the day of the shoot with two garment bags, a tote full of shoes, a small duffle with pant options and appropriate undergarments, a jewelry case filled with accessory options, an Eames chair, and a white flokati pillow. To say that I had embraced the whole idea would be an understatement.

Nikki, the stylist, did my hair and makeup. Annarose and her assistant prepped my clothes—outfits paired and hung outside the changing room, coordinating shoes below, accessories at the ready. Once on the set, the assistant would rush in as needed to powder my face, fluff my hair, or adjust my clothing. Annarose gave direction like she was Annie Leibovitz. Water appeared when I was thirsty. A blow dryer set on cool helped with my hot flashes and also gave my hair that breezy, city appeal. I was a celebrity for an afternoon. And I loved it.

But celebrity feels aside, it’s not just that the experience is indulgent and makes you feel beautiful and pampered. It makes you think about who you are and what you are presenting to the world in a way you have never done before.

Annarose had asked me beforehand what qualities I wanted to project. My answers were creativity, humor, strength, professionalism, intelligence, empathy, happiness. When I was in front of the camera, she reminded me of those things and I tried my best to express them. (Not as easy as it sounds.)

While the act of being photographed may seem like it’s all about the exterior, it turns out it's very much about the interior. How do you bring the essence of what makes you a unique individual to the surface? What are the qualities you want radiate? How does your perception of yourself square with what others see?

It becomes an exercise in self-reflection and an opportunity to align your inner and outer worlds. Ultimately, it reveals some surprises in both realms.

Is the experience as blissful as a luxury hot stone massage or a facial? Not quite. But it will it will leave you feeling pretty spectacular about yourself in a different way. And the photos will last forever while that tightness in your neck that the masseuse works out will be back by next week.