Dating with anxiety? When it comes to your profile photos, we've got you

We’re used to hearing clients tell us that they’re a bit nervous or they hate having their photo taken (although by the end of their shoot they’re usually loving it). But if you have anxiety, it’s much more than feeling ‘a bit nervous’. Dating with anxiety in general and also going on a dating photo shoot when you have anxiety, can seem like a mountain to climb. There are so many ‘what ifs’ to cope with, especially as a dating photo shoot is not something most of us do every day. But let us put your mind at ease, so you can get that awesome set of dating photos you need.

Be upfront

If you have anxiety, the best thing you can do is to tell us, either when you book your shoot, or when your photographer gets in touch. Some of us at team Hey Saturday have experience with anxiety too, so when we say we empathise, we really mean it. We know that being able to be honest and upfront can help with anxiety symptoms. We’ll always be discreet and sensitive.

dating with anxiety

Prepare well

When dealing with anxiety, we know that some extra preparation can really help you feel in control. Our Welcome Pack has plenty of advice and tips and our client questionnaire helps you get in the right mindset for your dating shoot. Prepare the outfits you’re going to wear a few days before your shoot. Plan your journey in advance, especially if you’re coming a long way.

Arrive early

The last thing you want is to be rushing to your shoot or worrying about running late. This will not help you get in the right mindset to get great dating photos. Instead, plan to arrive for your shoot 20 minutes early, so you can grab a tea or coffee close by and congratulate yourself on how awesome you look. Hot dang!

Take breaks

It may help to take a couple of breathers, especially if you’ve booked one of our longer shoots. You might want to take a few minutes to yourself and this is totally fine – just let your photographer know. Feel free to bring drinks or snacks along to your shoot, so you can stay hydrated and feeling refreshed.

Connect with your photographer

Finding a connection with your photographer will really help you relax into your shoot. At the end of the day, a dating photo shoot is just two people walking around with a camera. When you see it like that, it feels less daunting and less of a big deal. Plus our team are a super friendly, laid back bunch who love to chat and are experts at putting you at ease.

Ignore other people

You might be worrying about what other people will think of you on your shoot. Will people stare? Will they know you’re having photos taken for dating? The reality is that most people are too busy with their own lives to really pay much attention. So our advice is to ignore everyone else, and focus on being in your own dating shoot bubble, where nothing else matters but you, your photographer, and creating some kick ass photos.

Don’t catastrophise

When you have anxiety, it’s easy to picture the worst case scenario and focus on that. You’ll end up fretting to the point where you’re dreading your shoot. Instead, try to visualise your shoot working out perfectly – everything goes smoothly, you enjoy the shoot, you and your photographer have a right laugh and you absolutely love your dating photos. (FYI – we don’t like to boast but we think this is the most likely outcome!)

How Hey Saturday has your back

We are flexible

We’ll do our best to accommodate any needs, for example choice of location, timings or any other matter. We even offer customised shoots too, which are completely tailored to the individual. Speak to us if you think this would help you.

Our photographers are awesome

Our team of Hey Saturday photographers are brilliant, compassionate, friendly people. Some of them have anxiety too. They’ll do whatever they can to make sure you really enjoy your shoot and are super happy with your photos.

We understand everyone is an individual

We are not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of company. Everything about our brand is geared towards giving you a personal experience that reflects you and your personality. And that includes your mental health.