We get it. Being in front of the camera isn’t natural. The majority of us are not models, and it feels weird to have a camera following you around all day. You feel nervous – will I look ok? Am I making a stupid face? Did I lose enough weight? What about my outfit – is it good enough? These are common things we hear all the time. We all have our own insecurities, and more often than not we see them on a way bigger scale than anyone else would. For myself personally, one of my biggest insecurities is my hair. I have ridiculously thin hair that drives me crazy and I hate seeing it in photos. Even when these insecurities creep up and the nerves set in, there are some tricks to help you to stay confident in front of the camera.
Get to Know Your Photographer
When you feel like you know the photographer, it will help calm your nerves just a little bit. You can get to know your photographer through emails, meetups, phone calls, and reading their blogs and social media. By reading their blogs and social media, you’ll gain insight into how they work and approach their sessions. Every photographer does things a little bit differently, so it’s important to understand how they approach their sessions. Some people may want a lot of direction and posing; however, for others having constant direction may leave them feeling anxious. By understanding your personality first and finding a photographer that matches your needs, it will help you be confident during your session. We like to keep things relaxed, natural, and fun – for our style it’s important that we let the day unfold naturally to ensure we get the most authentic moments.
Wear Something Comfortable
It’s so important to be comfortable during your photo session. It’s easy to want to sacrifice comfort for looks, but it could actually end up having the opposite effect. If you’re really uncomfortable it will show through your photos – it will change your facial expressions, your gestures, and your overall mood. For example, myself I don’t wear a whole lot of makeup, and when I went to my makeup trial for my wedding it was totally different than what I was used to. I felt like it was so dark and made me look pale – because it was something so different and new, I sure didn’t feel confident! If I were to have done photos on that day I know I just wouldn’t have been with it.
Go in 100%
Your photographer will be helping you through the session, but it’s much easier to help someone that’s willing to be there. If you’re not 100% in the moment, it will affect your photos. Letting yourself go in the moment will create the most authentic emotions and the best expressions. When you put all of your worries to the side and focus on the moment, you’ll have a lot more fun with the session which will create a natural confidence.
Have Perspective
Remember why you’re there. You’re there for your memories, you’re there for your family, your friends, your loved ones. You’re there for your story. So maybe you didn’t lose the 5 pounds before the session – but I can promise you that’s not what your loved ones will remember. They’ll remember the fun, they’ll remember the moments, they’ll remember laughing with you – they’ll remember the story.
