What to do? A photoshooting! It´s Easy, they said…”
Taking photos? Absolutely no problem—as long as I’m not the one standing in front of the camera! Sounds paradoxical, right? There I am, regularly standing in front of people, hosting workshops, speaking on stage with a headset in front of big audiences, and everything feels easy. But the moment someone says, “Smile, Anja!” my smile freezes instantly. Photoshoots for my own website or social media? Pure stress and zero fun—until Sophie came along. Or did I reach out first? Good question; the answer probably lies somewhere in between.
A few years ago, we worked together. Sophie was shooting a campaign, and I was responsible for hair and makeup. You know that feeling when you meet someone and immediately sense: this just clicks? That’s exactly what happened with us. And as these things go, we kept seeing each other—at least online. Sophie creates amazing videos—super informative, authentic, and genuinely funny. One of her videos truly resonated with me. It went something like this: “You have your own business, and you KNOW you need to get in front of the camera, but you dread it and feel incredibly uncomfortable?” That video hit EVERY single trigger point of mine.
So, with sweaty palms, I gathered my courage and reached out to Sophie. Just like that, I got an immediate reply. This marked the beginning of a journey out of my comfort zone, and little did I know how amazing it was going to be. Sophie guided me beautifully through the whole process, starting with a Zoom call to get to know each other and plan various looks—all with a huge feel-good factor. Still, just before the shoot, that nagging feeling crept back: WHY am I doing this again?
On the day of the shoot, my nerves were on edge. Had I prepared everything? Was my skin okay, my makeup neither too much nor too little? I even cut my hair myself shortly before Sophie arrived at my salon. But then something unexpected happened—I started to really enjoy myself! From the moment Sophie arrived, a calming energy settled over me. Honestly, who would have thought? I was even brave enough (or maybe overly confident?) to refuse to preview ANY of the photos on the camera. Was this self-protection, or a sudden burst of courage? It’s still a mystery.
But what stays with me after such an intense and exciting day? Definitely courage! That newfound bravery led me to record my very first video for social media the next day, speaking directly into the camera—completely crazy! But guess what? Courage is always rewarded.
A few days later, Sophie and I met again for a Zoom call to capture my very first look at the pictures. Trust me, we were BOTH incredibly nervous! It was an emotional rollercoaster—my heart pounded loudly as Sophie opened the first image. These moments felt magical yet terrifying—would I recognize myself? Would I like what I saw or feel disappointed?
Then something happened that I never expected: I saw myself—truly ME! Not just visually, but emotionally too. Every picture told a story—my story. There was pride, joy, a bit of astonishment, and above all, a deep connection to myself. It felt like meeting myself for the first time in a long while: authentic, genuine, playful, and full of life. Recognizing myself in those images was overwhelmingly beautiful and incredibly liberating.
Originally, we planned for 20 images. But when I recently reviewed all the photos to narrow them down from 41, a new problem arose—I suddenly had 53 favorites—oops! Being solution-oriented, we’ll figure this out somehow.
Looking back, I’m just so happy to have taken this courageous step. Especially because I did it with Sophie, a photographer who not only truly saw me but understood me deeply. So here’s my advice: Be brave, step outside your comfort zone—because at the end, you’ll find plenty of fun, immense pride, and above all, one thing: COURAGE IS ALWAYS REWARDED. Yours, Anja
If you’re feeling brave now, too:
Sophie Valentin Leipzig: Zur Website Kontaktseite von Sophie Valentin
Sophier Valentin E-Mail-Kontakt: hello@sophievalentin.com