How To Get Over The Unease Of Having Your Photo Taken
There are very few of us that love having our photograph taken. I can honestly say that 99% of my clients believe they are awkward and/or rubbish in front of the camera and I’m one of them which is why I slightly prefer being behind the camera and not in front of it. I’ve photographed people who come across as very confident and who are lauded as attractive and photogenic, and even they find being in front of the camera painful.
As a personal brand photographer I can tell you that I specialise in awkward clients and that is my role to make you feel at ease so that you can get the most out our time together, and also come away with images that really represent you and your brand. Before your shoot we will have a couple of calls for me to get to know more about you, your business and your brand, and how you would like to represented, where we are going to shoot, wardrobe advice (I will send you my Shoot Prep Guide once you are booked in) so before I even pick up a camera there will be a familiarity and reassurance already in place.
On the day it is perfectly normal to have some nervous trepidation, and over the years I have learnt to recognise the moments when clients are feeling most uncomfortable and have developed my own techniques to ease my subjects so that we have a fun day and an enjoyable experience.
All these learnings have come from years of experience but it still fascinates me why we feel such a level of discomfort as soon as a camera is pointed our way. In order to understand this from a psychological point of view, I spoke to psychologist and women’s leadership coach, Jess Baker.
Why do you think people find having their photographs taken so uncomfortable?
I think we all can forget that nobody is perfect so setting yourself up to show a perfect version of yourself is unrealistic. We all need to remember that we are good enough (in fact, we’re amazing!) and a professional image is about reflecting who you are, the essence of your business and really projecting your uniqueness and character as, we all know, that people buy from people.
What tips would you give to help people relax for their photos?
I’ve got loads! Starting with a big smile definitely helps. If someone smiles at you, your natural instinct is to smile back, and research shows that even a half smile can improve mood – if people think you’re happy it makes them feel at ease and helps build a positive connection. So, as you [Yolande!] do, smiling and making people feel at ease really does work.
As the subject, if you’re feeling awkward, it will show on your face and on your photos, which will make you unhappy with them. A good tip is to take a friend with you who can make you relaxed and smile or make a list of happy moments to retell to put you in relaxed and happy mood.
Moving around also really works. Do some energising stretching or moving around, like your own ‘warm up’, to get the blood flowing and shift your energy. Make your environment good for you so put some of your favourite tunes on or listen to a funny podcast during the shoot. Bring your happy with you.
How can people get their best photo?
A great tip is to maintain eye contact as eye contact helps build trust – even when it’s just a photo on a website, so make sure you have a least one headshot of you looking direct to camera. And remember this is your time; own it! Your shoot, your time, your moment to shine!
Thanks so much to Jess for taking the time to write these tips!
Jess Baker is passionate about women’s empowerment, helping you find your focus and stopping self sabotage and runs a popular free 5 day online challenge called ‘Tame your Inner Critic’ which over 700 women have found very useful (join the waitlist) You can find more information on Jess on her Jess Baker website and please follow her on Instagram