What’s stopping you?

The two most common reasons that people who want to book a photoshoot don’t actually do it, are 1. They don’t think they’re ready, or they’re too nervous, and 2. The idea of spending this kind of money on themselves feels absurdly frivolous.

I can relate to both of those reasons. The first one because we’re constantly bombarded with images of influencers and big fitness names having shoots, where they’re impossibly lean, insanely jacked, and look like they should be on the cover of some fitness magazine, so we’re fed this idea that photoshoots are only for people who look like that.

And the second, because as someone who’s always willing to spend money on loved ones and if the business needs something I’ll buy it, but buying things just for myself? It always feels so hard to justify.

But in this month’s blog, I wanted to tackle these two reasons head on and help you see a photoshoot for what it really is: A celebration of you.

“I’m just too nervous to do something like that/ I need more time”

Let me tell you, 99% of my clients are TERRIFIED before their shoot, the nerves are real! The idea of standing in front of a camera, posing, being the centre of attention, is downright nerve racking, and I’ve been in this position too. so I truly get it.

But by the time we’ve shot those first few images, everyone begins to relax and see the fun in the experience. I shoot in such a way that moving in front of the camera feels like a natural flow, the conversation keeps rolling along as we shoot, I’m giving you easy instructions and helping you feel out each pose, I usually blurt our something silly that makes my client laugh, and I can’t help but get excited about the images we’re creating - that kind of energy is contagious!

Now when it comes to feeling like you’re not where you want to be with your physique, I’ll let you in on a little something; you’re never going to feel ready.

There’s always going to be a muscle you want to be bigger or more developed, or you’ll want to be leaner, or any number of reasons why you keep telling yourself you’re not ready. There’s never a perfect moment.

And I know you’ve been working your ass off training, because that’s what us gym rats do. The gym is a part of who we are, training is a big part of what brings us joy, and with that energy you’ll know the struggle of those final reps, the full body shake pulling a weight you’ve never moved before, the lying of the floor breathing hard after an awesome yet gruelling session. Graft is a close friend of yours.

These photoshoots are celebration of all of that hard work, of your perseverance and determination to keep moving forwards.

You don’t need to look like a seasoned bodybuilder about to step on stage to do something that celebrates you.

Photoshoots show you at your best, they capture the light in your soul and the hours your body has been put through.

Use a shoot as a way to mark your progress, to applaud how far you’ve come, to do something that’s in honour of YOU!

“I can’t spend that kind of money on ME!!”

This is something we’re all so good at doing, talking ourselves out of nice things for us.

I’m the first person to drop £400 on wall art samples for my clients but balk at £40 leggings because it feels overly self indulgent. But at the end of the day, we deserve to treat ourselves!

Life is really hard, we spend all of our time grafting and thinking of everyone else, putting ourselves on the bottom of the to do list. I want us to shift that mindset, to remember we’re just as important, that we deserve nice things and amazing experiences.

Like I said above, we work our arses off in the gym, why shouldn’t we indulge ourselves in something that makes us feel good about all of that effort?

I want 2023 to be the year we start putting ourselves first and spending some of that hard earned cash on things that are totally self indulgent, because we deserve it.

And I understand cost can be tricky, we’re living in a more and more expensive world, which is why I offer payment plans to all of my clients, 99% of them choose this option. We’ll curate a plan of zero interest instalment payments in a way that works for you, whether that 2 payments, 4 payments, 6 payments, whatever fits your budget.

I want everyone to have an experience like this at least once in their lifetime.

So stop putting yourself last, step outside of that comfort zone, and make 2023 the year you finally book a shoot that celebrates you!