BUILD YOUR CAMERA CONFIDENCE IN 4-FOUR STEPS

In this post, you will learn how to build your camera confidence.

I see and hear it all the time about:

Men stylishly running away from the camera at events or in the studio.

Women “jokingly” asking if I can make them look younger and make their belly slimmer

Many hide in the back of group photos and have a super old social media photo.

Men not booking photo shoots for themselves because they’re feeling self-conscious.

Feeling confident in front of the camera is possible.

Being confident on camera comes naturally for some but for a lot of people it doesn’t. In fact, the sight of the camera and studio lightening is practically an invitation for panic.

You know the feeling: as soon as you know you’re on camera, your palms get moist.

Suddenly, your body seems incredibly uncomfortable.

You start to shiver, and your eyes don’t know where to look.

When you are shown what has been taken, it’s almost difficult to watch.

You criticize your pictures and ask the photographer for confirmation.

Turns out you’re just as vulnerable as everyone else out there: you’re not camera confidence.

So how do you build your confidence?

1. Practice Makes Perfect

My first major recommendation:  PRACTICE. Literally, just try it.

Don’t try to rush it, with constant and consistent practice you will become camera confidence.

Your practice might look different, depending on the source of your camera-shyness. If it’s a body image issue, the best thing you can do to prepare is to teach your brain to see yourself positively.

Don’t focus on the negatives, not even to try and make them seem less of a problem. Instead, highlight the features you really like about yourself.

 

 

 

The more time you spend in front of the camera the more relaxed you’ll get.

It’s the biggest photo tip ever: being relaxed makes for great photos!

2. Act Natural And Avoid Perfectionism

If you find yourself constantly deleting and retaking pictures, you need to stop this habit now.

The problem with a lot of photos is that the subjects try to fake it to make it real. They fake the look and end up with a rictus grin instead of a nice, natural smile.

Avoid perfectionism: research has shown that true perfectionists are ultimately held back in life because they’re too anxious about the mistakes they might make to actually do anything.

3. Find A Friendly Photographer

If you have a professional photographer who knows you well and is willing to walk you through the experience, great!

One of the secrets of professional photographers is making sure their subject is so relaxed and comfortable that they almost forget the camera is there. Then they behave in a more natural way and look much more like themselves.

During photo sessions at 363 photography, we take our client through a journey that will enable them to produce a neat, professional looking picture without hassle and stress.

4. Don’t Choose Your Own Photos

It’s a sad fact that when you have body image issues, you can’t trust your gut instinct when it comes to pictures of yourself.

You might think that your smile looks forced and your skin is too shiny, but your friends (and even strangers) will see a happy, friendly face.

A good photographer, or a good friend, will only show you the pictures where they think you look great.

Maybe there’s only one or two that you can stand to look at, but trust your photographer’s instincts. Get a second opinion if you can.

Confidence is hard to gain and can take years to attain. It is a process and is easier for some than others. But if you work at it, it will build.

Just in case you missed this, we wrote a post to teach you how to confidently pose like a model

To recap, make sure that you always do these 4 things to become camera confidence:

1. Practice To Become Perfect
2. Act Natural And Avoid Perfectionism
3. Find a Friendly Photographer
4. Don’t Choose Your Own Photos

This 4-step secret recipe is not foolproof, but it has absolutely helped our client to be more confident on camera, and it can help you too.