The first five minutes of a photoshoot rarely look like much from the outside.
A client walks in. There’s a brief pause at the door. A quick glance around the studio. A polite smile. Maybe a comment about the journey or the parking. And then, almost without fail, something like this:
“I have no idea what I’m doing.”
It’s rarely said as a joke.
In that moment, they’re not thinking about lighting or composition or what lens I am using. They’re thinking about how they look. Whether they will feel awkward. Whether this will confirm every bad photo they have ever seen of themselves.
That’s the real starting point of a photoshoot.
And what happens next, in those first five minutes, matters more than most people realise.
Because those five minutes set the tone for everything that follows.
The first job isn’t taking photos. It’s building trust.
Before a camera comes anywhere near my hands, I’m watching and listening. How they carry themselves. Where the tension sits. Shoulders slightly raised. Hands unsure of where to go. Eyes darting, trying to work out what’s expected of them.
This is about understanding rather than judgement.
Most of the people I photograph are ambitious professionals or hardworking creatives. They are used to being competent. In control. Good at what they do.
But very few people feel that way in front of a camera.
So the first shift I need to create is simple. They need to feel safe.
That happens through conversation. Genuine interest rather than small talk – although there’s nothing wrong with a bit of small talk, too. What they do. Why they need these photos. Where they will be used. What they want people to feel when they see them.
This chat gives us both a clear direction.
Because a portrait that works is about looking right, rather than looking nice. Credible. Approachable. Confident. Aligned with who they are and what they are trying to achieve.
Once that connection is there, the camera comes out.
But even then, I’m not chasing “the perfect shot” straight away.
The first few frames are rarely the ones anyone sees. And that’s fine.
They’re there to ease someone in. To show them that this isn’t as intimidating as they thought. To prove that small adjustments make a big difference.
A slight turn of the body. A drop of the shoulders. A subtle shift in where they are looking. A reminder to breathe.
These aren’t big, dramatic changes. But they start to unlock something.
You can see it happen in real time.
The forced smile softens. The eyes settle. The posture becomes more natural. They stop thinking so much about the camera and start being present in the moment.
That’s the turning point in the shoot. And it happens every time.
From there, everything gets easier. Much easier.
This is why I’ve never believed the idea that some people are “just not photogenic”. What most people are reacting to is being put in front of a camera without any support, any direction, or any understanding of what actually makes a good portrait.
Give someone good light. Clear guidance. A bit of time to settle. And the right environment.
They almost always surprise themselves.
And those first five minutes are where that process begins.
It’s also why I care so much about control.
If I relied purely on natural light, or left things to chance, I would be introducing unnecessary uncertainty into the most important part of the shoot. In the UK especially, the light is not always on your side. Flat, grey, inconsistent.
That isn’t a great foundation when someone is already feeling unsure.
So I built an environment where the variables are controlled. The light is consistent. The space is conducive to a productive shoot. The process is clear.
That way, the only thing the client needs to focus on is showing up.
By the time we are ten or fifteen minutes in, most people have forgotten what they were worried about when they walked through the door.
They are engaged. Relaxed. Even enjoying it!
And that is when the portraits start to feel like them.
If you’ve been putting off having your photos taken because you think you will feel awkward, or you’re not sure what to do in front of the camera, you’re not alone.
In fact, you’re exactly the kind of person I work with every day.
You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to feel confident before you arrive.
That’s what those first five minutes are for. Or ten minutes. Or however long it takes.
If you’re ready for portraits that actually work for you, not against you, get in touch. Let’s have a quick chat about what you need, and we can take it from there.
