One of the simplest things I do in a session has a surprisingly big effect on the result: I show you the photos as we go. Not just at the end, but throughout — turning the screen round so you can see exactly how it’s looking. It sounds like a small detail, but for most people it’s the moment the nerves start to lift.
The fear of the unknown
Most people walk into a shoot braced for the worst. They’ve spent years disliking photos of themselves, and now there’s a professional camera pointed at them with no idea what’s being captured. That uncertainty is exactly what makes people tense — and tension is the enemy of a good photograph.
Showing you the images early breaks that cycle. The moment you see a shot you actually like — and it usually happens within the first few minutes — something visibly changes. The shoulders drop. The forced expression softens. You start to trust the process, and that trust shows up in every frame after it.
It makes the photos genuinely better
Reviewing as we shoot isn’t just reassuring, it’s practical. It lets us adjust together in real time — a tweak to the angle, a change of expression, a different bit of direction — rather than discovering at the end that we’d have done something differently. You leave knowing you’ve got images you’re happy with, because you’ve watched them happen.
You’re part of it
I see a session as a collaboration, not something done to you. You know how you want to come across; I know how to make that happen with the camera. Seeing the images as we go keeps us on the same page and means there are no nasty surprises — just a set of photos you’ve effectively signed off in the moment.
If the thought of being photographed makes you nervous, this is exactly the kind of thing that takes the edge off. See my headshot and portrait sessions or get in touch to book.
