B R A N D S H O O T . 2

Here’s a probably obvious secret, (if you follow my social media that is) the reason you rarely see my face is I hate having my photo taken. I am one of those ladies that sees images of others and thinks “oh how I would love a pic of me, or of me and the hubby, or me and the littles like that” - but whenever someone reaches for their phone or camera I feel my entire body stiffen. My hands never know where to be or what to do and I end up looking quite miserable to be honest. Maybe this is why I have always been a fan of natural shots. People captured doing what they love, caught in the moment and completely unaware of the lens pointed towards them. That being said when I had the opportunity to be captured by Inna of @Andyourstory it was a day I fully embraced and completely let Inna direct me however she thought best. Why did I have such confidence and excitement? Well my pieces have been captured by Inna a few times now, there are some stunning flatlays that appear across the website; but more than that I began ‘pinning’ Inna’s images before we ever made contact. Her portraits are phenomenal.

I felt very fancy travelling to London for my night in a posh hotel. The room had gorgeous light and lots of ornate details to fit perfectly. Taking with me my finest, to help me feel comfortable, confident and to tell the little voice in my head “you got this!!” In the morning I spent what felt like hours doing my hair and make up, this is a luxury I rarely have at home with the children, work and life in general. So the day already felt special and as if I was preparing for going out somewhere. When Inna arrived she had me feeling calm and assured. She went through breathing tips and correct angles for the camera. No longer feeling like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but instead a slightly elegant woman I really trusted in the process and completely suppressed my nerves, as having this opportunity again was unlikely, I wanted to make the most of it, and leave with no “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s!!’

Enough time wasting….How did the shoot go? Well I can honestly say instead of a gallery of images hitting my inbox where I only like a couple - Inna had managed the impossible and provided me with lots of images to pick from! A brand shoot is hard because it’s not so much about just having an image that doesn’t make you cringe, it’s about carrying forward your brand aesthetic. Does that image of you match with the products you produce, your style and the nature of your business? I felt proud to put these images alongside my work, and to show the face behind the scenes producing all these paper pretties.

Inna & I then went on to St Paul’s Cathedral where the architectural details on the columns, doorways and stairs are pretty special. With another outfit change, far more appropriate for the outdoors, and in the centre of London, the nerves were escalating at this point I must admit. Smiling for a photographer in private is one hurdle to overcome, doing the same in public with an audience is something else altogether. But here’s the thing; in the modern world we live in I think people are so used to seeing selfies, Tik Toks, Instagram lives/reels, etc being taken, that other than an initial glance to see what’s going on people don’t seem to care, they quickly get back to whatever was absorbing there concentration beforehand. Don’t get me wrong if I was in my undies, or a celebrity was behind me it would have been different I’m sure, but this little lady liked that after a second of people wondering, they just ignored me! - (both assuring and depressing at the same time - but that’s a whole other kind of post ha!!) These images make me feel like a grown up…That sounds like a weird thing to say, but they are more demure. See what you think…

Huge thanks yet again to the lovely Inna of @andyourstory www.andyourstory.com honestly these are images that I am so proud to have sat alongside my work and also, a couple of frame worthy ones for the home. If brand shoots are an element of your business that fills you with dread I cannot recommend Inna enough. Or logistically if not possible I would stress choose a photographer whose work you adore and jump both feet first in to the process. Trust in them in the way you would like your clients to trust in you. The results I’m sure will be worth it!!