THE FIRST TEN MINUTES - What really happens during a portrait shoot
Why the best portraits often begin before the camera comes out. The first photograph is not the first photograph.
When someone arrives for a portrait session, I usually don’t start with the camera. I start with a drink. Not because the drink is important because the conversation is. I want to know who is sitting across from me. What does she need for her Sedcard? What kind of work does she want to show? How is she feeling today? What did she bring with her? What is she comfortable wearing? And while we talk, I’m already photographing her in my head.
01 – Before I take a photograph, I watch
I always have ideas. Sometimes there is a moodboard. Sometimes I already have a certain light or feeling in mind. But I don’t believe that a moodboard should dictate the entire shoot. Because every person is different. And what works for one person might look completely wrong on another. So I watch. I notice how someone moves. How they sit. How they talk. How confident they are. What they brought to wear. What makes them feel good. I’m already asking myself: „What could work for this person?“ Not in theory. For her or him.
02 – Then we look at the clothes
Eventually, we look at what she has brought. Maybe there is something I immediately love. Maybe we try something else. Maybe the outfit changes the entire direction of the shoot. For me, clothing isn’t just styling. It’s part of the person standing in front of the camera. If someone feels uncomfortable in what they’re wearing, I’ll see it. And the camera will see it too. But when someone puts something on and suddenly thinks: “Yes. That’s me.” Something changes. That’s usually when we’re getting somewhere.
03 – Then we go looking for light
Only then do I really start thinking about the photograph. We leave. And now I start looking. Not necessarily for a beautiful location. For light. I might think about the moodboard again. Is this a hard-light shoot? Do I want something soft? Is the person in front of me better suited to something dramatic? Or something quiet? Do I want shadows? Open light? Backlight? Something completely different from what I imagined an hour ago? This is where the shooting becomes intuitive. I have experience. I have ideas. I know my light. But I also have to react to the person standing in front of me. The plan is a starting point. The person is the reason I change it.
04 – The first photograph I show her often changes everything
At some point, I take the first photograph. And then I show it. This is one of my favourite moments. Because suddenly the person sees what I see. Usually there is a: “Wow.” Or: “That’s me?” And that’s when something happens. The tension drops. They understand that I know what I’m doing. They start trusting me. And once that happens, everything becomes easier. I can move them. Change the light. Try something strange. Ask for something completely different. And they trust me enough to go with it. That’s when I can really start working.
05 – Trust gives you freedom
I’ve noticed this again and again: „People don’t become better in front of the camera because you give them more instructions.“ They become better because they trust you. Once that trust is there, you can experiment. You can say: “Come over here.” “Turn your head.” “Look at me.” “Forget the camera.” “Let’s try something completely different.” And they go with you. That’s the beautiful part. Because now we’re not two people trying to create a photograph. We’re working together.
06 – There is no exact formula
I could probably write down a formula for a portrait shoot. Drink. Conversation. Moodboard. Clothes. Location. Light. First photograph. Feedback. Trust. Shoot. But the truth is, the formula isn’t really the point. Because every person changes the process. Every face changes the light. Every personality changes the direction. Every day feels different. And that’sexactly why I still love photographing people.
07 – The shoot starts before the camera
A portrait session isn’t just the moment when I press the shutter. It starts when we meet. It starts with the first conversation. With the first laugh. With the first question. With the moment someone starts feeling comfortable around me. By the time I pick up the camera, I’ve already learned something about the person. And that changes how I photograph them. Because I’m not just photographing what they look like. I’m photographing what I’ve started to understand about them.
08 – Sometimes you have to trust your personal skills
A lot of what I do happens almost automatically now. Years of photographing people have taught me to recognise small things. A certain expression. A certain posture. A certain kind of energy. A certain quality of light. I don’t always know exactly why I choose something. Sometimes I just know: That’s it. And then I follow it. That’s probably one of the biggest things experience has given me. Not a bigger collection of rules. More trust in my intuition.
09 – What really happens during a portrait shoot?
Maybe that’s the real answer. A portrait shoot isn’t really about the camera. It isn’t even primarily about posing or lighting. It’s about two people meeting. One brings themselves. The other brings experience, observation and light. And somewhere between the two, something happens. Sometimes it’s planned. Sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes the best photograph is completely different from the image you had in your head when you arrived. And that’s okay. Actually, that’s often the point.
10 – The first ten minutes
The first ten minutes aren’t about getting the perfect photograph. They’re about getting to know the person. Because once the person feels seen, the photograph becomes easier. And sometimes the most important thing I do during a portrait shoot isn’t taking a photograph at all. SEE LIGHT. DIRECT PEOPLE. CREATE.
