How do you choose your photographer?
N O W P L A Y I N G // ‘Be Yourself’ by Wilder Woods
This week I handed in my MFA and the long awaited freedom of that being off my mental load hit me like a wall. I expected to feel relief, but then it was promptly followed by the onslaught of what if’s - I don’t even need to list them here. If you’ve worked on something big and it’s at the stage of someone else’s judgement then you know what I’m talking about. On top of that, I found myself at the other side of a camera more than once this week and it was hard. It was hard to know what to wear, what to do with my face, how to stand, how to try to convey all the things about myself that are important to me to convey. I can handle a camera, but I’m certainly not immune to all of the insecurities that can come from seeing myself in a photograph. In reality, I loved a few, accepted some, hated plenty. But whilst I took away a few glorious shots that looked like me (See the images in this post - thanks to Bec Smith photo - instagram @becsmithphoto) it served me in a much more important way.
Over the last two years I’ve spent a huge part of my academic research on identity - who we are and how we perceive ourselves. It’s no surprise that when we know we are having our photo taken, we want to retain some control over the outcome. So many of us, myself included, are big fans of a documentary shot. One that catches all the things that are right about our connection with our people and our world that we didn’t even know was being taken.
But what about when you do known it’s happening? How can I support you to deal with that?
Firstly, we talk about what you’d like to feel, or you’d like others to feel when they see the final photographs. This will depend on what you’re intending to use them for, but it’s an important part of the conversation.
Next, we think carefully about how we can support this with the location, clothing choices and other props. In family photography, this could be favourite toys or books, for branding it might be important elements of your business. How can we highlight the important parts of your message?
Whilst we’re working together on location, it’s a partnership. If you see a shot, say it. If you want to try a different angle, let's do it. If you’re finding yourself feeling utterly out of balance then we need to try a different approach. I’m not looking to work with people who will let me steamroller them with my experience of the world. If you want me to lead your shoot, then no problem, but I love a co creator, and I genuinely believe collaboration is key to loving the outcome.
This week has left me wide open to a ‘what’s next’ conversation with myself and I fell immediately into the ugly ‘what is everyone else doing?’ hole. Thankfully, Bec isn’t only a wonderful photographer, she’s also an excellent human. She reached in, dragged me out and reminded me that it’s irrelevant. It’s time to look inside and be clear about what it is I’m doing. What I do know is that whether I’m working with you as a business owner, an event lead or as a family member, I’m looking to find a balance between giving you a voice in how your image is presented and keeping things as real as possible. One of the greatest things I’ve learnt is that I can’t control your reaction to seeing your image in a photograph. However, I can ensure I’m offering a personalised process that results in you seeing yourself, as you know you.
