Having professional photos taken is a great way to immortalize important moments in time. But if you are like a lot of other adults or children, you may not feel comfortable in front of a camera. If you do feel camera shy, there are several ways that you or a professional photographer can help you to feel more at ease.
The first thing is to dress comfortably
If you don’t feel confident walking out your door to the photo shoot, you should change something. Wearing something that makes you feel good, and confident will help you to get your day off to a much better start.
Depending on the photo shoot, you may not have much room for attire choices, but you can almost always find small ways to make yourself more comfortable. A good luck charm, favorite hairstyle or perfume could all go a long way to having a successful day.
Hold the photo session somewhere comfortable
By choosing an environment that makes you feel at ease, the photos will come out much more natural and relaxed. If you feel awkward doing poses in a crowded area, find somewhere more secluded so the only eyes on you are your photographers and those in the session with you.
You’ll feel less judged, and as your confidence rises, you may even become more adventurous with the photo poses as the day wears on.
Build a connection with your photographer
Before the camera gear comes out of any bags, get to know the person behind the lens. Ask them about their experience, their favorite and least favorite jobs or funny stories to help you feel more confident about yourself and their quality of work.
Talk to them about your life as you see fit, and you’d be surprised how fast your guards come down and you feel like you’re talking with a friend.
Be honest with yourself (and your photographer)
If you’re camera shy, there’s usually a good reason for it. More than likely, you have something about yourself that you deem as a “flaw” this could include a scar, bad teeth, or weight issues. If you know it’s something you don’t like about yourself, let your photographer know before they start taking photos. You’re not the first person to dislike a part of your own body, and chances are they have heard it all before.
A good photographer will be able to take your insecurities and turn them into an authentic piece of art. Having you do poses to minimalize these “flaws” or editing the photos to make the target areas not stand out. Knowing that they’ll have your best interest at heart, will make you more confident in the photos and give you a peace of mind knowing that the photos will turn out amazing.
Ask for pose ideas
If you’re not naturally photogenic then chances are you don’t know the best camera angle tricks and poses. Ask your photographer to pull up images to look at either on a smartphone or tablet that can help give you some good ideas of poses that you can get inspiration from.
You don’t need to copy them completely, but use them for a good starting point and get feedback from your photographer on whether or not they think the poses would work for you and your setting.
Your photographer may even do some of the poses with you, to make it feel more fun and fair, thereby raising your comfort levels.
Music
It takes a lot of effort to resist the beat of some good tunes, and if possible, have music playing during your photo session. Listening to your favorite radio station or iPod playlist can help you feel really good about yourself.
Lip syncing, dancing and having fun are all great ways to get the most natural results. This helps to keep the session light and playful while you stay distracted from the camera.
Props
If your photographer knows that you’re camera shy, they’ll have this part well-covered. Having something to hold or something to do while posing for cameras can make you appear much more relaxed in the photos, even if you aren’t really. By holding onto something, like a flower, you now have something to do with your hands and a focal point to focus on.
Ice breaking prompts
Your photographer will have some of the best prompts to ease the tension and help you overcome the awkward feelings you might be encountering. A great one for a couples photo shoot is called “Sexy Vegetables.” This is when your partner comes in really close to you and whispers into your ear the names of their favorite vegetables in the sexiest, most seductive voice they can. This almost always results in amazing reactions and as a result, it can make for some amazing photographs.
