One thing I really love about photographing people is just how intimate an experience it is.

I definitely don’t mean intimacy in a sexual way. I mean it in the way we get to connect deeply and share an experience with one another. I mean in the way of being open and transparent with one another which allows each person to relax at the shoot, open up and really show their true selves.

It’s when people open up and shine their essence that the photo magic happens.

It’s equally important for me as a photographer to also open up and not hold back during the shoot either. Intimacy in this sense is not just reserved for women. I can be equally intimate with men by opening up, meeting them equally and allowing the shoot to unfold. Unfortunately, today intimacy and photography usual equate to highly sexualised images. True intimacy has nothing to do with this at all, even though it can of course be sexual too.

I’ve always felt that the actual process of photography with someone is an intimate and lovely experience.

Interestingly, photography itself is ubiquitous in today’s world and arguably the most widely accepted form of artistic expression. There are photos everywhere you look. Yet the process remains a very personal one: a simple connection between the subject and the photographer.

Even on a big set with lots of people around, when you get down to it, the actual photography is between the person in front of the camera, and the one behind it.

Today I want to share some photographs from recent headshot portrait sessions I had with three very lovely women.

All three came to me over the last couple of months needing some basic headshot portraits for their social media profiles, websites, and general use. I know each one of them and even more so now after sharing this experience with them. We had such a great time on each shoot and the photos are too lovely not to share. Each session was imbued with the  sense of intimacy I’ve been describing, which allowed the photos to really shine.

Not an ounce of sexuality about the experience or the photos whatsoever, yet each experience felt truly intimate.

The first set of photos is of Stacey, a wonderful woman with a family and a naturopathy business.

Stacey is beautiful inside and out, and we were able to capture some wonderful photos for her business. In each session with all three ladies,  we took some studio style portraits followed by some more casual, outdoor ones.

Next up we have Sheri, another stunning woman who has just recently married, become a mother and is positively glowing as a result.

Sheri has a beauty business which she runs from home and needed some photos for her website. You’ll  again see the mix of studio and outdoor photos, and feel the strength of the connection we had.

Last but not least is Alicia, another beautiful soul who runs her own naturopathic business.

Alicia was needing to update her profile photos for both work and personal usage. Alicia and I have known one another for the last couple of years, but we really connected on this shoot and it was a joy to experience it.

So I initially wanted to write this blog and simply share some photos of these lovely ladies.

Once started, however, it took on a life of its own and I found it naturally went to talking about the intimacy we photographers can bring to all our photo shoots. If we are open, transparent and connect with our subjects, then we get to feel what being truly intimate is really about.  In this case, it was with 3 lovely ladies, but it could be any shoot: with a family, a CEO, a wedding or a commercial job.

As always, I love to hear your feelings on what I’ve presented, so please feel free to comment below.