Portrait Session with Lucy-Jo Hudson / photographed by James Melia

Working with Lucy-Jo Hudson again in my Manchester studio had that slightly strange quality of photographing someone you already know. Not just what they look like, but how they move through a space. Where they settle. When they go quiet. When they don’t.

There’s less warming up in those situations. Less performance. Which sounds counter-intuitive, especially with actors, but I think it’s true. The camera becomes less of a thing to react to and more of something that just happens to be there.

We kept the setup simple. Studio light, minimal distractions, time to try things without rushing. No big agenda beyond making work that felt honest to where things are now. That mattered more than chasing a specific look. I’ve learned that if you over-direct familiarity, you flatten it. So I tend to step back a little. Let moments arrive instead of building them.

What struck me most was how relaxed the collaboration felt. Not casual in a careless way, but calm. There’s a difference. It gave the shoot space to breathe. We could sit in silence between frames. Talk about unrelated things. Drift slightly off course. Often that’s where the most interesting images come from anyway. When you’re not trying to land anything.

As an actor, Lucy-Jo has spent years being photographed for characters, storylines, publicity. There’s a fluency there. But this session wasn’t about playing anything. If anything, it was about removing layers. Seeing what’s left when you don’t need to project or explain yourself. Studio portraits are good for that. They don’t offer much to hide behind.

I’m always aware that portraits live different lives once they leave the room. They get used for castings, profiles, press. They get seen by people who don’t know the context. That’s fine. But in the moment of making them, I’m thinking more about presence than purpose. Whether someone looks like themselves, or at least recognises themselves when they see the image back.

This shoot mattered because it felt unforced. Because it reminded me why I like photographing people I’ve known for a while. You’re not trying to define them. You’re just paying attention. Letting time do some of the work.

If you’re curious about Lucy-Jo’s wider work, she’s best known for her television acting and you can find her on Instagram here: @lucyjohudson