What Actually Happens in One of Our Photoshoots

(Because it’s never what people expect)

Most people come to us with a picture in their head of what a photoshoot is supposed to feel like.

They imagine it being awkward.
They imagine needing to know how to pose.
They imagine feeling watched, judged, or exposed.

And honestly that makes sense. Most people’s only reference point is social media or bad experiences from years ago.

But that’s not what happens here.

How people really arrive

No one walks into the studio feeling “ready”.

They arrive a bit nervous.
A bit unsure.
Often apologising for things no one else has noticed.

Some people talk too much.
Some people go quiet.
Some laugh. Some overthink. Some do both.

That’s normal. We expect it.

The shoot doesn’t start with posing it starts with settling.

The first shift (and it always happens)

The first ten minutes are about direction, not performance.

You’re not left guessing.
You’re not asked to “just be natural.”
You’re guided through everything where to stand, how to move, what to do with your hands, where to look.

Once that structure is there, something changes.

You stop trying to get it “right”.
Your body relaxes.
You realise you’re not being judged you’re being looked after.

That’s when the photos actually start working.

This isn’t about looking a certain way

A lot of people assume our shoots are about aesthetics first.

Lighting. Angles. Muscle. Curves. Shape.

Yes that matters. We’re photographers.
But what actually makes the images work is presence.

Whether someone is an athlete, brand owner, first-timer or returning client, the strongest images come from the same place:

Someone being fully there instead of trying to impress.

That’s why the same person can look completely different by the end of the shoot not because they changed, but because they stopped hiding.

Why people leave feeling different

By the end of a shoot, most clients say something along the lines of:

“I didn’t think I’d feel like this.”

Not because the photos are flattering.
Not because we showed them a perfect version of themselves.

But because they allowed themselves to be seen without needing to control the outcome.

That’s the part people don’t expect.

What we’re actually documenting

We’re not trying to make workouts pretty.
We’re not trying to force empowerment.
We’re not chasing trends or poses for the sake of it.

We document effort.
Commitment.
Stillness.
Presence.

Whether it’s an athlete at the end of a cut, someone building a brand, or someone doing this purely for themselves the goal is the same:

To create images that feel honest when you look back at them.

If you’re on the fence

You don’t need to know how to pose.
You don’t need to feel confident first.
You don’t need to wait until things feel “perfect”.

That moment rarely comes on its own.

Most people don’t feel ready until they’ve already done the thing they were avoiding.

That’s what the shoot is for.