I was working in a very tough industry working with some pretty traumatizing stuff. I use photography to inject joy and color directly into my brain to give me dopamine and chase away the demons lol
I stick with it because it genuinely gives me joy to show people how gorgeous they are and accentuate their natural features with just a little bit of lighting and knowledge on how to pose. People leave my sessions feeling good about themselves and keep getting compliments once they use my images.
I always shoot with a color correcting card (more accurate than just a gray card) and calibrated monitor. Doing it by eye is never going to give you the same results.
Something that I learned from Lindsay Adler in one of her workshops is to focus on 3-4 adjectives to describe your style. Mine is clean, colorful, and fun!
No matter what my subject is, my style comes through. So if I'm shooting portraits, they generally have a similar look. Street photography or families (though I shoot these less) is very similar. I am typically a portrait and fashion photographer, but my visual style is what ties them together.
Focus more on descriptors of the images themselves, rather than categories (documentary, lifestyle, etc). You might figure it out easier this way.
I require a 50% deposit in order to book with me. Haven’t had an issue since!
I do a ton of self portraits, mainly because I like to experiment with different techniques and lighting styles and it takes a lot of work to coordinate with different subjects. It can be a great way to explore identity as well.
Try distancing yourself during the shoot and editing process by referring to the images in camera as "the subject" and focus on what you're trying to convey through your subject (in this case, you). I find that when I don't have a cohesive story I'm trying to convey, I get significantly more self-conscious about myself and my body. But when I have a vision of what I'm trying to achieve, it becomes easier to focus on that to get to an artistic goal.
What type of lighting are you trying to learn about? If you got frustrated before, it's possible learning about strobe lighting just isn't for you unless you're trying to learn how to mimic natural light.
Peerspace might be a good option as well
Practice practice practice! Just keep moving and trying things with your face and body. Try it in the mirror or set up a self timer. Find your light source and point your face towards it. It sounds like your friend and you have good chemistry, so just keep trying out new things and it might inspire him to suggest something else to try
I love this challenge! I would definitely suggest playing a game together. Tag, tug of war, build something together. Flirty looks over your shoulder while shyly tucking a strand of hair behind an ear. Pretending to whisper a secret to one another. Seeing who can jump higher. There’s SO much you can do here!