From Nervous to Confident: What Really Happens in a Headshot Session

Sep 9

The Confidence Shift That Happens During a Session

Most people don’t walk into a headshot session feeling excited.
They walk in nervous.

Nervous about being in front of the camera.
Nervous about how they’ll look.
Nervous because they don’t know what to do with their hands, their smile, or even their eyes.

And honestly? That’s completely normal.

I see two kinds of people most often:

The ones who start telling me all of their “flaws” the second they walk in.
The ones who crack jokes, pose dramatically, or channel their inner Zoolander to cover up how uncomfortable they feel.

Both reactions come from the same place: insecurity.

But here’s the magic part THE SHIFT — after a few minutes of being guided, encouraged, and shown little previews of how good they actually look… something shifts. I often hear in my head, “Dammit Jim… I’m a doctor not a ….”… but I replace it with Dammit Kim… I am Doctor, sales manager, creative director, owner, writer, teacher, realtor….. not a model.” I kind of laugh to myself. No one (unless you are in front of the camera for your job) feels confident when they walk in. Everyone feels nervous. EVERY ONE! The CEO and the person who is looking for their first job… both nervous. Why? Well it is vulnerable for one thing to be photographed and if this isn’t something you practice and do often you have no idea how to do it. It can be awkward…but that is why I am here. I want your success…after all my success means you are successful!

Here’s what happens though… we take a few pictures the nerves start to melt…

The nervous laugh turns into a real smile.
The stiff shoulders start to drop.
The person who swore they hated photos says: “Wow… I actually like that one.”

I love having a live viewing of your images coming out in real time. You see them along with me on a large screen. This helps both of us know if we are going in the right direction. Honestly, there are times I think you look great, but you pick up on a smile you don’t like or you want to fix you hair after seeing an image. We can be our worst critics…but I would rather identify something you don’t like and fix it. After you get the gallery it maybe too late and often it is one small thing you don’t love.

That shift is why I love photographing headshots. It’s not just about creating a polished picture. It’s about helping someone see themselves in a way they didn’t expect. Confident. Relaxed. Authentic.

When you leave a session, you don’t just walk away with a great image — you walk away with proof that you can look and feel amazing in front of the camera.

If you’ve been putting off updating your headshot because you feel nervous, awkward, or “not ready,” I want you to know you’re not alone — and you’re exactly the kind of person I love working with.

Ready to see that confidence shift for yourself? Book your headshot with Still & Wild