As we move forward with our daydreams and turn them into reality, I’d love to have you reflect on the following questions and share your answers with me! I’m a big believer in the idea that the more openness and information we can share with each other, the more successful I will be at showing up for you as your photographer, cheerleader and friend.

You don’t have to have all the answers right now, of course! It’s not a test, but rather an invitation to dig into your experiences and examine your strengths and power.

Let’s talk about the details!

What to Expect

So what does a session typically look like?  More than anything else, it's important to me that you and I connect on a human-to-human level before anything else. I'm human, you are human. We are creating an experience together which requires trust on both ends. Before I even pick up my camera, we'll just have a chat! Let's talk about what brought you here, how you're feeling, how we both ended up in this space together and let’s definitely talk about dogs.  If we’re in my home studio, I’ll make you a tea or coffee.  I find that I do my best work when people are willing to let me in and tell me about their hopes and dreams and experiences in life. Once we've spent a little time getting to know each other (or catching up if we've met before!), we’ll set out to create images together.  I’ll coach you through the poses and the movement from one moment to the next, but I’ll also step back to give you space to breathe and move in whatever way feels good to you.  We’ll work to find the right balance for you: a push and pull between guided movement and self-directed movement.  Every person is different, so the first several minutes of shooting are all about finding what works for you.  We’ll take a little breather every now and again- there’s no point in rushing and packing a hundred poses into our time together.  I prefer to find a slower and more intuitive pace to keep things easygoing and natural. We’re here to have fun!

After the session:

We’ve just created something magical together! Give yourself a high-five and celebrate with some ice cream. I understand that it’s not always easy to be in front of the camera, but you did it! Within a few days after the session I will send you one or two sneak-peek images, and the rest of the edited images will be delivered within three weeks of the session. The final edited images will be delivered to your email address via a private online gallery. From there you can download the images and enjoy them for the rest of your days!

Styling Tips

My number one tip for you is to wear something that makes you feel confident. You will feel so much more comfortable if you choose something that you don't have to fidget with or adjust every five minutes. If you feel comfortable and confident in what you're wearing, you will be more relaxed and more present during the session itself; this in turn allows for more authentic moments in the image-making process! 

 A few practical pieces of advice: neutral colours are best (black, white, grey, light blue/pink/yellow, tan, etc). I recommend staying away from super bright colours (neons are a no-go), busy patterns, and anything with a visible logo.  But of course, if bright colours or busy patterns are an important part of your business and brand, let’s do it!! If you are unsure about anything, I encourage you to text me a photo or two of the outfit you have in mind!

Outfit changes are more than welcome; if you would like to bring more than one outfit, I highly suggest no more than one outfit change every 45 minutes.  Keep in mind that outfit changes cut into shoot time and not all locations have an easy spot for changing.  Layering is a good way to give the appearance of an outfit change! 

Location

Sessions can be either on-location or held in my natural-light home studio. If we have an hour together, it’s best to stick to one spot so that we don’t feel rushed; if we have a few hours together, we can choose a couple spots! For branding purposes, reflect on whether there are any places that hold special meaning to you that may help us to create a fuller, more vibrant representation of you and your story. If you’d like recommendations, I’m also happy to give you ideas.

Importantly, your session location goes hand-in-hand with the time of day that you would like to schedule your session. If you’re looking for a golden evening shoot, the city centre will lose light more quickly than a field further out in the countryside because the buildings block out the light. With that in mind, you’d probably want to plan for an hour or two earlier if you’re leaning towards an urban session, whereas a more natural, open location (like a beautiful field or the beach) will have good natural light for a longer period of time because there are fewer obstructions.

Mental and Physical Preparation

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: connection is SO important. This starts before you even arrive. It starts now! Take some time to sit with yourself; think about why this experience is meaningful to you, how you want to show up for yourself and your business, and how you want to remember this process. Mindset is everything. Also: stay hydrated! Remember to eat something beforehand!

There is also a certain level of vulnerability that arises when you step in front of a camera. I’ve experienced this myself: it’s really easy to find yourself suddenly hyper-aware of what you may consider to be even your smallest flaws, and to fixate on those things (and to loop back to what I said earlier, this is one of the reasons that we take a slower pace during your session- this gives us time to address any worries that come up as we shoot). But- and I cannot stress this enough- the honest truth is that you really truly are perfect as you are. That voice inside your head that tells you that you aren’t good enough is lying! SO. I like to take a proactive approach: before your session, take five minutes to write down ten things that you consider to be your strengths. During the session, if that nagging little voice pops up to tell you that you aren’t enough, I want you to go back to that list you created. Reflect on the things that make you beautiful and worthy instead. I try to follow this approach not only when I’m standing in front of a camera, but also in everyday moments when I’m just living my life. I promise there’s a lot of power in it.