HOW I ACHIEVE AUTHENTIC PORTRAITS EVERY SINGLE SESSION!
A couple of years ago, I sat down in my studio in Connecticut with one of the incredible women who had participated in the Ageless Revolution Portrait Campaign I ran. It was the first time I had had a client workflow start out with a consultation in my studio and end with a delivery at the same place, in the same chairs, contemplating the process together.
Usually, due to distances and busy schedules, consultations take place online, and deliveries are sent straight from the printers. It makes the process easy for my clients who often lead active lives full of travelling, families, and work.
We sat there, talking through where we had gone, what she had experienced, and she expressed her deep, immense gratitude.
For her, not only would she have these beautiful portraits of herself forever, but she also told me how she would always remember our day together. The time we spent exploring who she was becoming. Feeling out the vibe and seeing where it brought us. The deepest, most beautiful results of co-creation.
Back when she had initially hired me and we sat down for her consultation, she had told me about this journey she was on; she felt like she was standing on the edge of something intensely beautiful, and all she needed was that final push to let herself fall and allow her wings to carry, and she trusted me to help give her that final push. I decided to create a session for her that was less focused on structure and more on free-flow discovery and gentle guidance - a type of session that was guided by the mood of the day without being too attached to the final outcome.
After everything, an incredible session and an equally incredible reveal session, I sat there, once again in awe of this beautiful human next to me, grateful for every moment.
Sometimes the woman sitting next to me is Andrea. Sometimes it's Lisa, Kathleen, Barbara, Rebecca, Paula, Wendy, Tara, Gerri...the list is long.
For a few months, these extraordinary humans enter my life. They occupy my mind, and for a day, a week, a month, I love them completely. I pour my creativity into them, and in turn, they give me their trust. I don't necessarily know much about them. Our politics might differ. Our core values might not align. But I know enough because I get to see the innermost beauty of their soul.
For that short moment in time, a blip in the grand scheme of life, really, they are my closest people.
Some of them linger afterwards. Some become my friends. Some acquaintances. Others I release after the final delivery of their products. It doesn't change the importance of what we walked through together. It doesn't change the experience and the power of those moments.
I fully believe with every fibre of my being that this mindset is what helps to create deeply authentic and connected portraits. Images that reflect the true nature of the human in front of the camera. Reflect the trust, the joy, the realness. Tailoring each session to fit the individual is vital. Creating a deep-rooted trust is a must. Without these things, the people I photograph won’t let their guard down and show me who they are.
As I always say, I do not provide a luxury experience…
While elements of luxury might be present, ultimately, I provide a deeply HUMAN experience. It's always about the person in front of me. The emotions that have brought them to me.
It's about the space we create and possess together.
Nothing more. Nothing less...
And now, building my work here in Sweden and Denmark as a Scandinavian portrait photographer, I carry this exact same approach into every session, whether I’m working in my home studio in Älmhult, travelling to Copenhagen, or somewhere else entirely. No matter the location, the heart of it is always the same.
Authenticity comes with curiosity, connection and deep caring. There is no magic trick to make a portrait look more authentic to the human we're photographing. It all comes down to listening and being present, setting aside your own ego, and for a moment in time, making your client the most important person in the world.
Do you have questions, or are you ready to book?
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