For our 21st episode, we thought that it would be nice to go behind the scenes and get two of the team chatting together about our recent lunch, and a topic that it seems, strikes fear into the heart of many people – facing that camera and smiling while the shutter clicks away.
First off, at the end of June we held our inaugral CWG lunch. It’s really important to us that we’re bringing you content that you want to see, so we invited a few of our local readers to come and have lunch with us at the lovely Cotley Inn to chat to them about what about what the CWG community means to them, what’s important to them and what their real-life issues look like.
In our small group we had business owners, content creators, Mums and people who have a job but dream of pursuing their own thing in their spare time – so it was a good cross section of our listeners.
We’ll do a separate post about the feedback, but in this podcast Emma and Rachel chat about what the key thoughts on the day were.
If you would like to join in with feedback, we’d absolutely love it if you’d fill in our survey here so we can take your views into account.
Then we were on to the indisputable fact that if we’re being honest, most of us hate having our photo taken, and that’s exactly why Emma sat down with our photographer Rachel Collins, to talk about what makes people feel so uncomfortable being photographed, and why building trust is at the heart of what she does.
Rachel has photographed all of the CWG team (yes, eyes closed and all!) many times now, and each time has felt easier and more authentic, thanks to her calming presence and deep understanding of how unnerving it can be to be “seen.”
Her approach is gentle, intuitive and rooted in the belief that photography should tell the real story of who you are – not just how you look in a perfectly posed image.
The key, she says, is reassuring people that those nerves are normal. Just hearing “that’s totally okay” often brings visible relief to her clients. From there, she focuses on making them feel at ease, moving the attention away from the lens and into the moment.
As Rachel points out, working with a photographer is a bit like working with a counsellor. You need to feel safe, open, and understood. A good shoot requires collaboration – clear briefings, shared goals, and, most importantly, mutual trust. Not every photographer will be the right fit, and that’s okay!
Rachel encourages people to look for someone whose style speaks to them, and to be upfront about what they need, what they’re nervous about, and what they definitely don’t want from the shoot.
Whether you’re a small business owner trying to build your brand or just someone trying to get over the fear of being in front of the camera, Rachel’s advice is simple and refreshing: be yourself.
The most powerful photographs come from showing up as your real, everyday self – and a good photographer will help you feel comfortable enough to do just that.
You can find more of Rachel’s thoughtful, reassuring work on Instagram and also here on Substack at @rachelcollinsphoto, where she regularly shares insights, tips, and examples of her signature candid style. You can also head over to her website www.rachelcollinsphotography.co.uk.