Diary of a First Time Author - Episode #2

Photo Shoot with Headshot Toby

I'm not a fan of having my photo taken, unless I'm doing a selfie and can see exactly what's being saved!

Every photo shoot I've done in the past, during my singing days or corporate life, has not been a great experience. I've never been 100% happy with the finished product.

Standing in front of a stranger, trying to look natural is anything but...well... natural!

Writing 'Driven To Achieve' I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone again and find a local photographer to at least add a small recent image on me on the back cover.

Google to the rescue and after a few clicks, I came across HeadShot Toby based here in Lincoln.

Bingo!

Toby is a former actor, latterly becoming a headshot photographer for his fellow performers in the industry.

After checking his website and portfolio of images he looked like the guy for me.

From the very first email to the day itself, Toby has been nothing short of amazing.

During the afternoon we spent together in his studio I felt immediately at ease in his company.

After each click of the camera, the images were immediately popping up on his screen. I could see straight away what was working and what wasn't.

I decided to take the approach of relaxing and having some fun with it all aiming to get my real personality across in the finished images.

Half way through once Toby switched to a white background, I was aghast at what was coming out of the camera. It was like looking at a different person!!

Was that really me?

I have around 25 of my favourite images to use around my social media channels. The hardest job will be choosing the best one for the book cover. (More on that soon!)

Huge thanks to Toby, I cannot recommend him highly enough!

Snippet from the Book

In line with this weeks topic I'm going to share a section from 'Driven To Achieve' on Confidence...

"I wasn’t a confident child. I was shy, introverted, and quietly spoken. I didn’t naturally command attention or speak up in a crowd. 

I believe we're all born confident.  We come out into the world wanting to survive and make our mark. Then life happens, childhood happens, people influence, knock it away or dent it.

But we can all build it back again.  Trust me I've done it.

For me, confidence grew through experience, resilience, and pushing past challenges. Every difficulty I faced, every setback I overcame, and every time I stepped outside my comfort zone onto (a metaphorical or real) stage, I became stronger. Small wins led to bigger ones, and before I knew it, I was leading teams, making decisions, and standing my ground in boardrooms.

True confidence isn’t about always knowing the answer; it’s about believing you can find a way forward.

If you’re not naturally confident, don’t worry. It’s a skill you build through action, perseverance, and self-belief. The more you challenge yourself, the more you grow and confidence will follow."

Until next time... thank you for reading.