The Women in the Room — Headshots, Wild & Wild, and Why I Loved Every Second
There are some jobs you say yes to and just know, immediately, that it’s going to be a good one.
Shooting two pop up headshot sessions for Wild & Wild in Cheshire was exactly that. I’ve been wanting to write about it properly ever since because honestly, a quick Instagram post just wouldn’t do it justice.
So here we go.
First Things First. What is Wild & Wild?
If you haven’t come across them yet, where have you been?!
Wild & Wild is one of the UK’s fastest growing women’s wellness and empowerment communities, and it was born right here in Cheshire. Founded by April Wild, a yoga teacher of over 12 years, mother of four and passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, Wild & Wild creates uplifting spaces where women can connect, grow in confidence and prioritise their wellbeing. We’re talking yoga retreats, women’s networking, brunch clubs, netwalking, wellness workshops. Real community, not just a mailing list.
April has won the Enterprise Vision Award in Health and Wellbeing and genuinely, it is no surprise. She is one of those people who just radiates purpose. What she has built feels rare because it is. It is not performative, not transactional. It is actually nourishing. Every time I have been in the Wild & Wild orbit I have come away feeling fired up and slightly in awe.
If you are a woman in business in Cheshire and you have not checked them out yet, honestly, sort that out. You can find all their upcoming events and book through their website at wildandwild.co.uk.
Right. Let’s Talk About Headshots.
A lot of people treat getting a headshot done as a bit of a chore. Something to tick off the list. Get a photo, bung it on LinkedIn, job done.
I completely get it. Most of us are not exactly desperate to stand in front of a camera.
But here is the thing. A genuinely good headshot is not just a photo of your face. It is the very first impression you make before you have said a single word. Someone lands on your website, your LinkedIn, your Instagram bio, and they look at you first. Before they read your about page, before they check your prices, before they even clock your business name. They look at you and make a snap judgement about whether you seem trustworthy, warm, credible and worth their time.
That is not me being dramatic. That is just humans being humans.
And so many brilliant, talented, hardworking women in business are still using a photo taken on someone’s phone at a wedding three years ago. Or worse, no photo at all. That breaks my heart a little bit, if I’m honest.
Because these women are extraordinary. Their images should say so before they have even opened their mouths.
What My Headshot Sessions Are Actually Like
I should be clear about my style here because I think it matters.
I am not interested in stiff, corporate, arms-folded-staring-into-the-distance headshots. That look belongs firmly in 2003 and it can stay there.
My approach to professional headshots in Cheshire is studio based, classic and refined. But the whole point is to let the actual person breathe through it. Good light, thoughtful posing, no rushing. I want to create something polished and professional that still feels warm and alive. Natural beauty is not something to be masked or overdone. It is the whole point.
The best reaction I ever get at the end of a session is when someone looks at the back of my camera and says “oh, that actually looks like me, but better.” That is what I am going for every single time.
Pop up sessions like these Wild & Wild ones have their own particular magic too. There is an energy in the room when women are cheering each other on as they step in front of the lens. That atmosphere does half my job for me. The nerves dissolve so much faster than they do in a solo session and you can see it in the final images.
Working With Local Women in Business
I want to take a moment here because this bit really matters to me.
Getting to work with local women led businesses and be part of events like these is something I genuinely cherish. Cheshire has the most remarkable community of women quietly and confidently building brilliant things. And getting to be the person who photographs them, who helps them put their best self forward, is a privilege I do not take for granted.
Walking into a room full of women showing up for themselves and for each other is energising in a way that is really hard to put into words. April has created exactly that kind of space with Wild & Wild and I felt it the moment I walked in.
There is a lot of talk in business about collaboration over competition. April actually lives it. The way she brings women together to genuinely connect rather than just perform networking is something special. I left both sessions feeling like I had been part of something that actually meant something.
That doesn’t happen with every job. It was a good one.
Thinking About Getting a Headshot Done?
This is your nudge.
You deserve an image that does justice to the work you do and the person you are. Whether you are a business owner, a freelancer, a coach, a creative or just someone who has been putting it off for far too long, a professional headshot in Cheshire does not need to be a stressful or uncomfortable experience. Done right, it should feel like the opposite.
I offer portrait and headshot sessions from my studio in Sandbach and I occasionally partner with events and businesses for pop up sessions like these. You can find out more about what a session looks like and what is included over on my portraits page.
And if you have any questions at all, just get in touch. I would love to hear from you.
A huge thank you to April and to every single woman who stepped in front of my camera at those Wild & Wild sessions. You were brilliant, the lot of you. Roll on the next one.
Little Primrose Photography is a fine art portrait and newborn photography studio based in Sandbach, Cheshire, offering professional headshots, maternity, newborn and family photography.