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Unless you are a born model, most of us have this fear of being in front of a camera. We are perfectly ourselves when there is no camera involved. But for some reason, when a camera is pointed at you, you start to feel unnatural, which is called camera shy. In this article I’ll talk about how to overcome that fear and be the best of you could be in front of a camera.
Tip #1: Find a photographer you trust and feel comfortable with.
This is my number 1 tip, because who you are shooting with is important. Taking a photo is somehow an intimate interaction, because you feel vulnerable in front of a camera, everything about you is under exposure. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person who is pointing the camera at you, it’s going to make the experience worse.
So your starting point is to find somebody you trust and feel comfortable with. You may not have the opportunity to meet many photographers and get to know them. You can follow some photographers in your area on Instagram and see what they are like on social media. You can get to know them a little bit that way.
Another way is to find a photographer through referrals. If your friends have worked with certain photographers and they recommend the photographer to you, you can learn a little bit about the photographer already through your friends.
Tip #2: Don’t wait until you are perfect to get in front of a camera.
I know how many of us want to be in front of a camera, but we feel insecure. Oh I need to lose a couple of pounds. I’m not skinny enough. I want to do better makeup. I don’t have the best outfit. The list goes on and on. If you give yourself these kinds of excuses, you would never get started. At some point, you need to tell yourself, you are the best version of yourself, just go for it.
The truth is that you don’t have to be a supermodel to be in front of a camera. You want to look presentable of course when you step in front of the camera, but don’t be overwhelmed by how pretty or good you need to look. Just look your best, that’s good enough. And remember it’s our photographer’s job to make you look good, we would find the angles that make you look good. Not all photos would make to public anyway, only your best ones would go out. So chill, girl.
Tip #3: Go to the gym if you need to feel more confident about your body.
If you feel really self-conscious about your body and how it looks, AKA you don’t feel hot about yourself. Then go to the gym three times a week to work out. It’s not about how you actually look, it’s about how you feel about how you look.
If you work out, you feel better about your image even if your workout may not directly make you look better; it just helps you feel better. Plus working out is good for your health, so that’s a win win situation. You win no matter what.
Tip #4 Look at the photos of models and fashion bloggers you like for posing ideas.
When you first started, you need to learn from somewhere. What’s a better way to learn how to pose than studying the photos of people you like? You can start collecting photos on Instagram or Pinterest. When you see a photo you like, you can try to figure out how they posed in the photos. Where did they put their hands? How did they stand? Or this one her back was facing the camera. Take notes, and you can practice in front a mirror too.
When you do go out to shoot for the first time, try to give your photographer a little more to work with, even if they are small variations of the same pose. Try not to stand in the same position the whole time, unless your photographer tells you to hold a pose. Ideally, you want to give a different pose every time the photographer click the camera. But we know you are not a professional model; just try your best to give some varieties.
Tip #5 Remember you will not be left hanging by your photographer. You are not doing this alone.
I get it, there is a lot of pressure when you step in front of a camera. The pressure to look good. The pressure to give cool poses. But remember you are not doing this alone. Your photographer should guide you along the way. The more experienced your photographer is, the more he or she would be able to help you with your poses and suggestions. Even if you are working with somebody who is relatively new, he or she can still help you correct your poses because they can see what you are doing when you don’t.
There are times my face is so tense in front of a camera; my photographer literally told me to relax my facial muscle. It happens. You just need to do it to get better. And your photographer would work with you to help you get better. So it’s ok if you don’t get it the first time or you may not look great in some of your photos, but some of them will! And it would be worth it.
I hope this article will help you conquer your fear of being in front of a camera. Most importantly, you need to find the right photographer to work with, which I will address in another article. So let’s start shooting soon, what are you waiting for?
Photographer: Ben Decastro
Imaginesville 