Here’s something that happened a few weeks ago – a client arrived at the studio, saw Robin and I and said “I’m so glad you’re not a young couple”. We laughed together a bit, and jokingly said “Hey, we are young, thanks!”
Should we have been offended? No. We’d just made someone feel instantly more relaxed with us – she was relieved to see us!
There are things we do that make us feel especially vulnerable (standing in lingerie, being photographed, anyone?). It’s completely natural to feel nervous about doing this – rare is the woman who walks through our door and says “Right, I’m ready to take my clothes off now, where do I go?”.
It’s really important that anything we can do to make people feel at ease (even if that thing is just being ourselves – ie not in our 20s and devastatingly attractive) then we should be happy to embrace it. We’re in our own space at the studio, we’re already comfortable – so our focus has to always be on making sure you feel relaxed too.
It’s for that very reason that we invite you along for a chat before your portrait session. We know it’s a nerve wracking thing to come and do – we have to acknowledge that and figure out what can make it slightly less nerve-wracking. Pitching up somewhere you’ve never been before, with a bag of clothing you’re not sure about, to meet people you’ve never met before – that’s not the best we can offer you.
We also know that if you’re feeling nervous, not having a mental picture of where you’re going to doesn’t help. It’s a little bit different to, say, going to a new shop, cafe, or bar. You’re familiar with these places – you kind of know what to expect. Most people will have limited, if any, experience of a photography studio – so you’re venturing into the unknown, to do something outside of your comfort zone.
Coming along to meet us and, take a look around in advance, takes the pressure off the day of the session itself. It also means we can start talking about how you would like your hair and make up to be for your portraits, and show you lots of images to make sure that we know the style you like, and you get inspiration for what to bring along to wear.
Plus, you get the calming effect of stroking the dog!
Much love
Anna
xx
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