How to capture raw emotion in a portrait session – even when you’re an introvert

Apr 16, 2019

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Ashley Maura, a wedding, elopement, and couples photographer in Fort Mohave, Arizona, on how to get the raw emotion from your portrait clients

I got into photography when we were trying to have a baby, as I knew I’d want to document those moments. Then I miscarried. It was traumatic, and it changed me. It even changed my personality. I used to be a bit more open with people, and wasn’t always a major introvert. But since then, my biggest struggle has been learning how to create, and capture real in-depth moments between people, when I myself am an introvert.

Working with an introverted personality

When I’m home I’m “normal” and talkative with my family but when we go out in public outside of sessions I’m very quiet, I don’t talk to anyone, I have resting bitch face so hard that people won’t approach me. I’ve been told I look like I’m annoyed when people are talking to me.

But during portrait sessions I realised that if I couldn’t make the client comfortable during the session, then I wouldn’t get that connection I really wanted in my images. I had to develop a way to communicate with clients. I call it my “customer service voice ”.

Take control of your sessions and mirror clients’ energy

I try to always control the session: I give them clear prompts and posing suggestions. I never let there be awkward pauses, moments where they are questioning what to do, or anything that will make my client feel uncomfortable. Their connection is what I am trying to capture. So if they are a super fun outgoing couple I draw on that and work on their own strengths as a couple. If they are a more introverted quiet couple I work with that. It’s about following your clients’ cues in order to make their true feelings come out through your lens. If I didn’t act like a super loud fun person, those emotions just wouldn’t come out. It’s all about acting really!

Prepare for high-energy sessions by getting hyped up

I mentally prepare myself before every session, and I go a little early to get out of my head and start focusing on the session. I listen to super loud upbeat music to hype myself up, and then the session begins. I do this because my passion for getting those emotions in my images is worth that time of discomfort to me, it almost beats it out. After each session I’m ALWAYS completely drained. Emotionally drained like I had my fill of people during that little half hour/hour interaction. I go home and get in bed and just sit and watch TV alone. It’s my process. I’m sure many others know the feeling! It took me a while to get this process but I had to choose if some discomfort was worth getting what I know I love in my work.

“It took me a while to get this process but I had to choose if some discomfort was worth getting what I know I love in my work.”

You sometimes have to adopt an entirely different persona

What a client sees from me is a happy and passionate photographer. But what anyone that knows me in real life knows I am not outgoing in the way I come across in sessions! My own husband has come on a session with me and afterwards he literally said “who the heck was that?” referring to me being different with my clients.

It’s not about being fake, or not being open with your clients. It’s just a different level of work and passion that goes behind my sessions. I wouldn’t walk up to you in public and start talking. But during my sessions you feel like my best friend.

Get the client comfortable by being open with them

Once my client is comfortable with me it is much easier to get those raw moments out of them. To start it off I say “so I hate posed photos, but we all know that’s what mom and dad, or grandma and grandpa will want to see and hang on their wall so let’s start with that and then we will go into the fun stuff ok?” That always gets a laugh and immediately sets the tone for the session. Soon enough, we are all laughing and it’s time to go into the more intimate close shots that my clients book me for.

Focus on your brand values and produce work you’re proud of and the clients will come

This method has shown my followers that I am consistent in the style of work I produce and that they will get passion and connection in their gallery.

I focused on finding what I wanted my brand to be, and then figuring out how to work on myself, to get that brand perfected. Once I stopped worrying about other people’s opinions, and just started producing work I adore, my business really moved forward.

Check out Ashley’s work at Two Mermaids Photography

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