The "I'm not photogenic" session
A business portrait in Dubai. The client walked in saying he wasn't photogenic. His wife disagreed.
He walked in and the first thing he said was: "I should warn you — I'm not photogenic."
I've heard this a hundred times. Almost always from people who are perfectly photogenic and just haven't been photographed well. My job isn't to argue — it's to make them forget about the camera.
Clean grey backdrop, two lights, navy suit. I don't give pose instructions — I give context. "You just got good news." "Someone you respect walked in." The face follows the thought.
Within ten minutes he was smiling for real. Not the stiff LinkedIn smile — the one his friends see.
We shot two outfits, delivered in colour and black-and-white, plus crops ready for LinkedIn.
When his wife saw the photos, she sent me a message: "I've been married to him for twelve years and I've never seen him look like this."
