Angela Heenan | Studio Portraits with James Melia

11 Feb

Some shoots start with a careful conversation about intentions and outcomes. This one started with a laugh and the shared realisation that we’d known each other long enough to skip most of the formalities.

I photographed Angela Heenan in my Manchester studio, and from the first few minutes it felt less like a “session” and more like catching up with an old friend who just happened to be standing in front of a backdrop. That changes everything. There’s an ease that can’t really be manufactured, and thankfully doesn’t need to be.

The studio setup stayed simple. Clean background. Controlled light. No dramatic reinventions. When someone spends a lot of time on television, there’s already a public-facing version of them floating around. I’m not especially interested in competing with that. I’d rather make space for the in-between moments. The bits that don’t feel like they’re trying to prove anything.

We worked slowly. Not because we were being precious, but because there was no rush. There were pauses to talk about completely unrelated things. A few moments of mild chaos when we both agreed something “wasn’t quite it” and quietly moved on. Those bits are important. They keep things human. They stop the whole thing turning into a performance of a photoshoot.

What I enjoy most about working with someone you already trust is that the camera becomes less of a problem to solve. It’s just… there. You stop thinking about how you’re being seen and start paying attention to how you actually feel in the space. The expressions that come from that place tend to be simpler. Sometimes funnier. Sometimes unexpectedly thoughtful.

The mood stayed creative rather than intense. Exploratory rather than polished. There were moments that felt settled straight away, and others that only made sense later when I looked back through the frames. That’s usually a good sign. If everything feels obvious at the time, it often doesn’t last very long once you step away from it.

There’s also something quietly grounding about photographing someone who knows you well enough to call you out if you overthink things. That familiarity keeps you honest. It stops you hiding behind technique. You still care about the craft, obviously, but you’re less tempted to show off.

By the end, the portraits felt like a natural extension of the time we’d spent together rather than a neatly packaged outcome. Open. Considered. A bit playful in places. Which, to be honest, is exactly what I’d hoped for.

You can see more of Angela’s work over on Instagram here:
@angelaheenan