York Branding photography -tackling the challenges of being on camera
N O W P LA Y I N G : ‘The Open Sea’ by Daniel Pearson // Before I knew of Henna, I followed York Girlies on Instagram and thought it was such a great idea done so beautifully. As the founder, she runs gorgeous events that offer opportunities for York women to connect and become part of their wider community. I was delighted to meet her by chance at a small business content session, and we started chatting. We quickly went deep about photography and how it can be incredibly challenging to overcome low self-esteem and allow yourself to be captured on camera.
During my MFA, I came to understand how tough it can be to feel like we don’t have any control over the outcome when others are taking our photo. Even if we don’t say it explicitly, for so many of us it can be incredibly unnerving. I carry this with me into every branding photography session and work to flip it and empower you as much as possible through the process.
On the York Girlies Instagram page, Henna highlights research showing that over half of women suffer from self-esteem-related issues. She is such a strong advocate for learning to show ourselves kindness and compassion. After chatting a couple of times, I was really excited to work with Henna on some York based personal branding photos and bring her through the process with me to see if I could have a positive impact. My goal was not only to deliver her an album of images where she felt like she could really see herself, but I was also looking to chip away at any negative experiences she had with photography previously.
This starts with learning as much about you as possible. Henna and I talked about finding the balance between not wanting to create an inauthentic version of herself but also how we could support her to have her own back during the process. We discussed location, outfit choices, and, most importantly, what she believed she needed from me as her photographer. We also really dug into her past experiences with photography, both positive and negative, and I asked her to show me some images where she most felt like herself.
Through all of this, I was able to reflect on my approach and collaborate with Henna to ensure my process was calm, patient, honest, and easy. In the end, we laughed a lot, and it was an absolute pleasure of a session, despite it being a hot and busy day in York city centre.
I was keen to hear Henna’s thoughts about the day, and was made up to hear what she had to say…
“I had the most wonderful experience with Sarah who did a photography session with me. As someone with body image issues, I avoid having photos taken of me and will shy away from being in them. However, Sarah was fantastic and instantly made it a fun experience. I had some questions to answer before the photography session which were comprehensive but allowed me to articulate what sort of photos I wanted, what I would use them for, the setting etc. On the shoot, Sarah instantly made me feel at ease and I actually enjoyed the experience. The photos came out brilliantly, and the turnaround time for the photos was quick too. I would not hesitate use Sarah again and have already recommended her to other businesses and friends.”
If you’re looking to update your branding photography, or you’re in need of headshots that really show who you are right now, then pop me a message and let’s start the conversation - everything starts with a brew!