Most people walk into a portrait session with some version of the same thought: "I don't know what to do with my hands." That is completely normal. And it is also completely my problem to solve, not yours.
One of the most important things I can tell you before we work together is this: you do not need to know how to pose. You do not need to be photogenic. You do not need to perform for the camera. You just need to show up. I will handle the rest.
Here is what that actually looks like.
Before the First Frame
Every session starts with a conversation, not a camera. I want to know how you are feeling, what is on your mind, and what brings you in front of the lens today. This is not small talk. It is the beginning of the documentation process. The more I understand about where you are and what this portrait means to you, the better I can guide the session toward something that feels true.
I will walk you through how we will work together, what to expect, and how the space is set up. By the time I pick up the camera, you will have already settled in.
Direction, Not Performance
I do not ask people to "pose." I direct. There is a difference.
Posing puts the pressure on you to figure out what looks right. Direction means I am guiding you through it, one small adjustment at a time. Turn your chin slightly left. Drop your shoulders. Shift your weight to your back foot. Bring your eyes to me.
One of the most common directions I give is to lean slightly forward into the camera. Most people instinctively lean back, and from the camera's perspective, that creates a falling-away effect that makes you look disengaged or uncertain. A subtle forward lean brings symmetry to the frame, sharpens your jawline, and projects confidence and presence. It feels strange at first. Almost everyone says so. But the difference in the image is immediate.
The Rhythm of a Session
A portrait session has a pace. It starts slower while we both settle in. The early frames are about finding the light, the angle, and the energy. Then it builds. Once you relax into the process, the frames start coming faster and the expressions become more natural. That is when we get the images that really matter.
I shoot with intention. I am not firing off hundreds of frames hoping for one good one. Every click is a decision. You will hear me affirm what is working and redirect what is not. That feedback loop is part of the experience. It keeps you engaged and present, which is exactly what a strong portrait requires.
Why Arriving Early Matters
I ask clients to arrive about ten minutes before our session start time. Not because I am rigid about schedules, but because rushing changes your energy. When you walk in out of breath, still thinking about parking or traffic or the meeting you just left, that tension shows up in your face and your posture.
Those ten minutes give you a chance to breathe, look around, settle in. They are the transition between whatever your day was and the space we are about to create together.
You Will Not Love Every Frame. That Is the Point.
Some people want to see the back of the camera after every shot. I understand the impulse, but I discourage it during the session. Reviewing frames in the moment pulls you out of the experience and into self-critique. Trust that I am watching, adjusting, and curating in real time. The review comes later, when you can see the full arc of what we captured.
Your job is to stay in the moment. Mine is to document it.
This Is a Collaboration
A portrait is not something I do to you. It is something we build together. You bring yourself, your story, your presence. I bring the craft, the eye, and the intention. When both sides show up prepared, the result is something neither of us could have made alone.
That is the work. And it starts the moment you walk through the door.