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I am so p***sed off with myself at the moment. I suffer with the most horrendous nerves before a shoot and it is really putting me off booking anyone in.
I have quite a few people who are willing to pay for my shots but as soon as any money is involved I seem to freeze! Just wondering if any one else suffers from this and what I can do to calm down a bit!
Thanks for any advice... J x
You should'nt be, your work is outstanding, have the confidence in yourself, knowing that you can produce the goods and your PF demonstrates you can.
Some butterflys are usual and stimulate the body and mind to work to its best.
Chris
Thanks so much Chris!
I know that I can do some nice shots but I can't help but feel that it is more luck than judgment! LOL
I am just horrified by the thought that I will really bugger up on a shoot. I am generally ok once we get going, it is the hour before they arrive that I seem to freak out!
Quote: I can't help but feel that it is more luck than judgment
If it were down to luck, you wouldn't get such a high proportion of good shots.
You might help your nerves by double-checking your kit, tidy the background, make sure you have fresh batteries and clean cards. Have one of your multitudinous good-looking friends and relatives sit in for 10 minutes so you can check the kit.
Do you keep spare fuses, modelling lamps and tubes for the flash heads? Make sure they're to hand.
Enjoy the shoot, take the money and put into your equipment fund 
And then make another booking. Repeat until all nerves are gone.
Surely they wouldn't have booked you if they had any doubts! I certainly wouldn't go to a photographer I didn't trust and respect.
We have a 'family favourite' who we've had for family weddings etc. He is absolutely brilliant! At my daughter's wedding he noticed I'd taken a shot of him, taking a shot of the guests (He'd been stood in quite a strange angle!). He turned to me and in a loud voice said "Does my bum look big in this?" It broke the ice beautifully and everyone relaxed. So, don't forget your humour and remember they are probably more nervous then you, being in front of the lens!!
Janey your portfolio is fantastic. If you think you have just been lucky, could you please pick me 6 numbers for this weeks lottery!!
Being anxious is the bodies way for preparing for a difficulty situation that goes back to caveman times when they either had to "Fight or flight". It is perfectly normal to be anxious. To a certain extent.
I use relaxation in my line of work for folk who experience anxiety related problems. Once they learn simple techniques of how to relax or how to divert their pessimistic thoughts of "I'm going to fail" then they can usually beat anxiety relatively easy.
Steven.
I think you stress about it, because it means so much to you...
you always get it right, but worry just incase, i used to almost make myself sick when a shoot loomed, as said above worse case scenario, say you cmarea malfunctioned and do the shoot again, byt that would never happen to you janey im sure of it
sarah x
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