Let me inside your phone

The unexpected beauty of virtual photoshoots

Maybe it was the new year handing me a shiny new page. Or perhaps it was a door swinging open after I decided to quit wedding photography. Whatever the reason, my sudden interest in virtual shoots earlier this year came as a surprise.

Virtual shoots? Photographing somebody through their phone, while you both sit miles away from each other, often in entirely different countries? Nah. You need to be in the same room as the person you’re photographing, surely?

I understood it was logistically possible - via clever new apps and the fact our phone cameras are pretty decent these days - I just wasn’t sure if it would be emotionally possible…intimately possible…to create the kind of work I love to make.

I value being in the same room as the person I’m photographing. But I also value challenging my assumptions (sometimes) and stretching my creativity.

So, in January, I picked my first target:

Thanks to Tasha, my lovely photographer pal, for allowing me to share our precious & enthusiastic DMs. And for saying yes!

Knowing how likely it’d be for both of us to weasel our way out of it, I decided to lock it in sooner rather than later - otherwise Virtual Shoot Number One might never happen. I knew Tasha’s nerves might grow, and there was a strong chance I’d talk myself out of giving it a go.

I gave us two days. Minimal time to overthink.

Tasha in the light of her bathroom window. Shot on her iPhone 7, which I was controlling through an app whilst it balanced on the handle of her shower door. Totally normal.

Tasha with Colin the cat, blissfully unaware that I was watching - and documenting - his weekend cuddles.

We’d never met, yet here we were creating art while we were miles away from each other. Me in Liverpool, and Tasha all the way in East Yorkshire. 130 miles between us.

“Yeah, but how?” I hear you cry…

Virtual Shoot Ingredients

• Your mobile phone.

• An app (Clos for iPhone, Shutter for Android).

• A phone tripod, or a DIY one - a tin of beans and a hair tie/bobble is great for this.

• An open mind, a good chunk of patience, and the willingness to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Because it is ridiculous.

My laptop screen with the Clos app open during our shoot. All camera controls on the right (and me - hi!), the view from Tasha’s phone camera in the middle, and all photos I’ve taken on the left.

A Collaborative Self-Portrait

Imagine you’re trying to get some nice photos of yourself on your phone - finding it hard, like many of us do - and suddenly a friend appears in your phone. They’re directing you, lifting your confidence, and getting the most out of your phone camera. I think a ‘collaborative self-portrait’ is the best way to sum up the experience of a virtual shoot.

It’s like I’m the heart of your phone camera. And Christina, who I photographed virtually a few months ago, pointed out - “You’re the heart, but we’re your legs!”

Christina in her basement in Boston USA, proving that you don’t need a fancy space to create. Christina was also my first paying customer, after I finished doing a handful of free tests with willing Instagram friends!

Virtual shoots came about in 2020 because of lockdown - we had a gap to fill. Now in-person shoots have returned, and despite that I can see how virtual shoots still give us something. Something separate from an in-person shoot.

Virtual shoots are their own thing.

Why I changed my mind about virtual shoots

1. The creative constraints have helped me improve as a photographer and a communicator. I have no legs to move around. I’m asking you to be my legs. I choose a spot, commit, and we create in those four corners until we move to another spot. While we’ve committed, nothing is in the corner of my eye, pulling me somewhere else in the room. I’m far less likely to feel overwhelmed with creative choice.

2. It gets people out of their heads. During a session, we’re using the back camera - meaning the screen is away from you and you can only hear me. I was convinced this would be the dealbreaker; I know how important body language is during an in-person shoot, and how seeing each other helps things to flow. However, it turns out it helps people forget that they’re being photographed.

3. I’ve always loved creating in a stripped-back space - the corner of a room and good window light, which is also the perfect kind of space for a virtual shoot.

4. The hilarity of it all. I appreciate creating with people who don’t take themselves too seriously. Look, I’m existing as your phone for crying out loud, while being strapped to a can of beans/chopped tomatoes/food-of-your-choice. Humour helps us create better work. Even for the serious, reflective shots.

5. I mainly focus on individuals, and I love how a session gives someone time for themselves; the chance to reflect and create art.

Experiencing virtual shoots has been a brilliant reminder to give something new a go - even if you’re convinced you won’t like it! You never know how you might be surprised creatively, or how something could improve your skills in a new way.

If you fancy finding out more about the virtual sessions I do, you can head over to my website here: Virtual Shoots - Session Info

Have you ever tried a virtual shoot before? Or if you’re a photographer, is it something you’ve thought about experimenting with? I’d love to hear your thoughts!