Getting in front of the camera can be nerve-wracking. We want to look our best, feel our best, show up authentically.

We’ve been there.

That’s why I wanted to share some of our top tips for preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for your portrait session so you can walk through it with confidence.

On Location Branding Portrait done for Small Business Marketing Coach Mallory Schlabach of Winston-Salem, NC | Women’s Professional Portraits | Womens Portraits | Yellow Blazer | Pleather Leggings | Leather Leggings | What to Wear for Headshots | What to Wear for Branding Photos | Brand Photography | Small Business Branding | Brand Photographs for Coaches | How to Prepare for Your Headshots | How to Prepare for Your Branding Session | Winston Salem Brand and Headshot Photographer | Dressing for Your Brand | Womens Professional Outfits | How to Dress for the Office | Corporate Women | Jasper & Fern

1) Affirmations

As an introvert and wallflower, affirmations are some of my favorite ways to help prepare myself for, well, whatever I have to do. From meeting new clients to networking or giving a presentation, I’ve found a way to use affirmations to help me prepare and calm my nerves.

First, write out your fears.

Then, examine each of your fears, line by line and find a way to flip it positively.

For example, when I am giving a presentation, I find myself with a common fear.
Fear : I’m afraid my voice will shake.
Affirmation : I am good at what I do and know what I’m talking about.

This affirmation reminds me that I have all the reason in the world to stand confidently in front of a group of people.

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2) Prepare your wardrobe a few days ahead of time.

I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve been running behind because I had an outfit in mind for the next day only to discover it’s dirty and I can’t wear it.

(My mother would roll her eyes and sigh because this is the story of my life)

I’ve known many of my clients to have found themselves in a similar situation. Usually, that means they’re a bit frazzled by the time they show up to the studio because the stress of throwing together a last minute outfit just piled on to their nerves about being in front of a camera.

So, it never hurts to have your items washed, ironed and set aside with their accessories a day or two before your session.

3) Collaborate with us!

If you’ve worked with us before, you already know this is a huge part of how we work. It’s SO important for us to be on the same page about everything - your goals for your session, your wardrobe, your hair and makeup, how much time your session will take - all of it.

We’d rather you “spam” us with ideas and Pinterest hair and makeup and snapshots of outfits you’re considering.

Seriously, preparation takes A LOT of the nerves out of your emotions.

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4) Minimize your caffeine intake right before your session

Okay, don’t be mad! I love my coffee and teas as much as the next hustling boss babe but, I also know that caffeine can heighten your nerves if you’re already on edge. So just be aware of what your body needs that day.

5) Seek rest the day before.

I know you have tasks galore on your plate because you’re a small business owner working hard for your success. So, when it’s possible, make time to add in some additional quality rest the day before your session. Maybe that’s a good night’s sleep or a relaxing activity like stretching or journaling.

*BONUS TIP! *

If you can make your schedule allow it, provide yourself with empty grace time before and after your session. This way, you won’t be feeling like you have to rush to come and see us or get antsy to leave because you have your next task on your mind. Set aside a flexible time for you!

Alright, you amazing boss, now that you have our insider tips, you’ve got this. Seriously, you’re going to rock your session! Believe in yourself and the amazing things you’re capable of accomplishing.

We’ll see you in the studio soon!

Brittney’s favorite headshot from her session | Women’s Professional Portraits | What to wear for your headshot session | Womens headshots | Makeup for Brunette Hair | Best colors for winter skin | Winston-Salem Headshot Photographer | Jasper & Fern

A pitbull mom just like me, the sweetness in her voice rang true over the phone as she answered me. "I'm a caring, compassionate person that's easy to get to know. It's important people can see that." We were discussing her updated headshot and making sure her goals were going to be met.

Brittney had just taken a new position - working with rescue animals none-the-less - and needed to replace the headshot she'd been using since college.

"It takes people looking past an outward appearance," a twinge of sadness entering her voice as we discussed our love of pitties. As she spoke, I knew that deep love in her eyes was what I wanted to capture.

After many more enjoyable paths of conversation, together we planned her session and discussed how she could best prepare.

Here's what we captured!

P.S. Check out the video below to be a fly on the wall of our studio during Brittney’s session!!

The oat rich smell of warm Irish tea fills my morning lungs. Swelling like the dry earth after a summer rain, my deep breath departs as a sigh. The grooves of my ceramic mug awaken every cell in my fingertips; the warmth radiating through them and deep into my palms. Wisps of steam roll over my closed eyes, soothing the tired weight that holds them shut. And so I sit, reveling in the small sensations while distant laughter echos in the back of my mind, a smile drawing at my lips.

There are moments I’ve experienced in life that were so perfect I wanted to memorize them. Every line, every texture, every smell, every taste, every feeling so beautiful I wanted to soak in it forever. A foggy, solitary hike that transports me a world away; laughing around campfires with friends late into the night; chasing wasps with flip flops; streaking full speed down a empty beach under the moonlight and kicking at sea foam with friends; being lulled to sleep by gently billowing curtains as the salty sea air sticks to my face and I feel rested and safe under the weight of my husbands arm across my waist; the nuzzling of a soft puppy snoot fitting perfectly under my chin as we snuggle in for a quiet morning reprieve. All of these moments… I cherish them. I memorize them, like a film roll in my mind.


I think this sentimentality is part of what drew me into photography. Having the ability to encapsulate a moment so I could not forget it - there’s a sense of peace in that. Even the intimacy of sharing something I found beautiful or powerful with other people - sharing a story in a single frame, it’s thrilling and invigorating. I love having this experience with a moment.


In one of my favorite movies, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” there’s this photographer Sean O’Connell. He’s the mold for the “photographer’s photographer” ( <- read that like “a man’s man”), constantly adventuring and seeking out the stories of life. He’s the photographer that only takes one moment, one frame, to tell a story - a moment that always evokes. A single contact sheet of his is full of weeks of adventure. (A contact sheet is essentially a print that the photographer has laid each row of their film on and developed - so you can see the entire roll and examine all the images and decide what to make a large print of. I digress). So, Sean, he even stands on the body of a small airplane as it flies straight into an erupting volcano so he can get the perfect shot at one point in the movie. He puts himself at the center of a moment, the heart of the story - and, oh does this make my photographer heart giddy!


Okay, let me get back on track now that you have a little more of a taste for the spirit of this guy. So, in this movie, the main character - Walter Mitty - works at Life magazine as a negative assets manager. The magazine is being taken over by a team that’s helping them transition from print to digital and are finalizing the very last physical publication. The whole premise of the movie is that Sean sent the perfect cover image to Walter to use with a note that said “The Quintessence of Life” but Walter lost the negative. Being bullied by the takeover team and pressured to find the missing negative, Walter has to throw himself into real life adventure - something he had only previously done in his daydreams - to find Sean and therefore find the missing negative. When Walter finally catches up to Sean who’s in the snowy Himalayas chasing a photograph of the rarely seen snow leopard, Sean tells Walter that he placed the negative in the wallet he gave Walter as a thank you gift for always taking care of his work and their years of a relationship. Walter had previously thrown the wallet away out of frustration. Thanks to his mother’s good sense, she took it out of the trash and saved it. (Yes, I skipped this part of the story because I may as well be telling you the entire movie, haha) The answer to the missing negative’s whereabouts finally solved, Walter heads back home to retrieve his wallet and answer the only question left - what is “the quintessence of life?” Or so we think. At this point in the movie, Walter has experienced a certain personal revelation. So, without looking at the negative, he sends it to print. At the end of the movie after the magazine has downsized and life has changed, Walter’s walking down the street and happens to see the last print publication of Life magazine on a magazine cart - an image on the cover that ever so perfectly captures the quintessence of Life. This moment, when Walter and the audience see the image gave me goosebumps and a lump in my throat.


That moment . . . that’s the power that photography can have. The gravity of an experience like that, well, it’s pretty darn close to real world magic for me. It’s what I love about the moments in my memory, that perfect encapsulation. It’s what I love about looking at a person and seeing their spark, then wanting to preserve that exact second to share with them. It’s remembering every detail… memorizing life like a film roll in my mind.

“A mom needs love too!”

— Emily, Mama Mpenzi Doula

Brand Photograph for Mama Mpenzi Doula | Winston-Salem Branding Photography | Jasper & Fern

I wonder if you could guess the story behind this brand photograph we did for Mama Mpenzi Dula. It seems like an odd image to come across your screen, does it not? Does it make you curious to know what it's about? If you are someone who is drawn to nature and natural elements, who likes calming imagery and soft feminine tones, I can almost guarantee that you would stick around to read this story - and that is what a good brand photograph should do.

So what is the story behind the photograph? (I’m going to go ahead and put out there - it’s super sweet!)  

As a mom herself, Emily was inspired to give other first-time moms what she needed during her own first child’s birth and pregnancy. Her biggest needs were Community and Support.

Emily is a strong believer in surrounding yourself with good people who are wise, love you purely and respect you. From this value, she created the Birthtual.

“Mom needs some love too,” Emily said to me while explaining the ritual.

A Birthtual is a designated celebration that’s all about the pregnant mom.  It’s a time where all the women in that mom’s life who’ve had children and are who she depends on (aka - her rocks), come together for a time of community and support. The expecting mom sits in the middle of a room while the experienced mothers come together in a circle around her agreeing to creating a safe, non-judgemental space. The mom gets to share her fears, her joys and ask all the questions she wants answers to and, in turn, the experienced mothers share their own wisdom.

(I’m taking a moment to relish in the peace of what a setting like that would bring... *deep breath*)

Our goal was to bring that supporting atmosphere into a photograph that was rooted in her branding; a soft feminine brand that values the naturalness of birth, support and community. In the end, we created an image that mimics her brand values while simultaneously incorporates elements of her logo, uses her brand colors and provides Emily the platform to talk about a service that makes her unique.