I really don't think I'm photogenic. Can you help?

Yes, and I hear it constantly. It is almost always about direction and comfort, both of which are on me to handle. Most people are surprised by their own photos.

How long does an individual session take?

Around 20 to 30 minutes. Enough to relax into it, short enough that it never drags.

The Journal · Headshots

5 Ways to Feel Relaxed in Front of the Camera

By Gagan Dhanda · August 21, 2026 · 3 min read

If the idea of a headshot makes you tense up, you are the person I photograph most. Here is what actually helps.

Nerves are not the same as being unphotogenic

Almost everyone tells me they are not photogenic. Nine times out of ten it is nerves, not their face. The camera catches the bracing — the held breath, the stiff shoulders — not some flaw. Once that settles, people look like themselves again.

A relaxed frame at her own desk. Comfortable surroundings make the shoulders drop on their own.

You will not be left guessing

The biggest reason people freeze is not knowing what to do with their hands, their chin, their eyes. I direct the whole way — small adjustments, one at a time. You do not have to know how to pose. That is my job, not yours.

We also talk between frames. Real expressions show up in the gaps, not when you are holding a pose. A lot of the keepers happen right after someone laughs at something.

Caught mid-sentence, not mid-pose. The natural moments are usually the ones people pick.

Wear something you actually feel good in. Comfort shows on camera, and it is hard to look relaxed in a collar that is fighting you.

Do not force the smile

A held smile reads as a held smile. We will do a few, then a few softer ones, and pick the one that looks like you. And it is quick — an individual session is usually 20 to 30 minutes, not an ordeal.

An easy, genuine smile in her workplace — the kind you get once the nerves wear off.