Beth Nixon came in without any fuss. We talked a little before picking up a camera. Not about shots or outcomes, just enough to let the air settle. When someone works as an actor, especially on something as well known and long running as Coronation Street, there’s often an assumption that they’ll slip easily into “on” mode. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t want to. I try not to rush that part either way.

The intention here wasn’t reinvention. It was clarity. Studio portraits can easily tip into something overly polished if you’re not careful. Perfect skin, perfect posture, perfect distance. I tend to resist that. I’m more interested in how someone occupies a frame when they’re not being pushed toward a version of themselves. When they’re allowed to pause. To look away. To reset between frames.

We worked simply. One main light, minimal adjustment. Small shifts rather than big changes. A different angle of the shoulders. A breath. A moment where the expression drops and something more neutral comes through. Those are usually the frames I pay attention to. Not because they’re dramatic, but because they’re honest in a quieter way.

What I noticed during the shoot was how collaborative it felt without needing to name it. There wasn’t a lot of direction being thrown around. More of a shared awareness of when something felt right, or when it didn’t. I’ll often show a frame on the back of the camera if it helps, not as reassurance but as a reference point. A way of saying, this is the territory we’re in. We can stay here a bit longer if you want.

Being photographed in a studio can feel very different to being seen on screen. There’s no narrative context, no scene partner, no movement to hide behind. Just stillness and light. I think that’s why these sessions matter for actors. They offer a chance to be present without the pressure of story. To exist in between roles.

By the end, the shoot felt settled. Not rushed, not overworked. The kind of session where you stop because you’ve said what you needed to say, not because the clock tells you to. Those are usually the ones I think about afterwards. Not in a loud way. More like a quiet note left on the desk.