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Camera Shy? Learn to Love the Camera.

January 29, 2017 sgodphoto Corporate corporate headshot, portrait 0 comments
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Most people HATE having their photo taken. They are “camera shy” not “camera confident”. And I’ll tell you a secret… Other than the usual “I hate my teeth” or “I’m getting old” or “I have a zit”, there’s actually another reason and it’s not vanity.
The only way you can see yourself is through the reflection in the mirror, but a camera doesn’t capture your reflection, it captures what everyone else sees. Because that captured image is reversed (from your perspective), it will always feel “off” to you… And that just adds to the anxiety we all have about imperfect teeth or weight or age.
So how do you learn to love the camera when your inner being would rather have a tooth pulled than go get a required headshot?
One: You are not Alone.
You are in good company because I guarantee that most of your colleagues are also camera shy. Alleviate your anxiety by going to a shoot in pairs. Cheer each other on. Having a wingman (or woman) will bolster your confidence and they can give you a second opinion on your photos so your own, completely biased, judgmental opinion is appropriately supplanted.
Two: You are Perfect Exactly as You are.
How many times have you looked at a photo of yourself from two years ago? Five years ago? Ten years ago? Twenty? If you are like most people you can appreciate how you used to be… Whether it was younger, happier, or more carefree.  So accept yourself for how you are now because in another five years, you’ll look back on this moment and appreciate yourself again.
Three: Get Comfortable.
1. Don’t try out a new hairstyle or cut the week before a shoot. If you don’t like it, you will always hate the photo you have taken.
2. Wear clothes that are not only appropriate for the look and feel your company requires but clothes that you love and that are comfortable… No wrinkly, frayed or aged fabrics (more on that here).
3. Realize that minor issues like a zit or a wrinkle or tired eyes can all be improved in Photoshop. No one is trying to make you look ten years younger but we could all benefit from looking five years fresher.
4. Ask the photographer how you should stand or sit… “Stiff” photos are usually the result of stiff “poses”. A good photographer can direct you so your whole body is relaxed and you can concentrate on looking into the camera.
5. Don’t be hesitant to give a full array of the expressions you have. If you are having fun, laughing, scowling or making faces, there are bound to be image choices that will work for what you need.

Great expressions come from the heart… and if the heart isn’t happy, your expressions won’t look authentic. Although we are really good at getting people to relax on set, you’re ahead of the game if you can “fake laugh” three times before actually setting foot on said set. You’ll be a lot more relaxed, your endorphins will be flowing and we’ll take care of the rest. Being camera shy will be a thing of the past.

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About Susan Goddard

Officially, Susan Goddard Photography creates dryer-fresh advertising, corporate and editorial imagery for advertising agencies, design firms, magazines, and corporations, both public and private.

Unofficially, I've lived in the USA for 30+ years after narrowly escaping a rainy future in England. I can discuss American politics but not English ones, unless you count the politics of the school playground. I love chess. I've won one lottery (although there was no cash involved, just an elusive Green Card). I play six-degrees-of-separation for fun and find that in Denver, it's usually only two or three degrees (even if it's the President or a Hollywood movie star and sometimes it's one and the same). I have seen one low-flying, UFO in broad daylight. I am completely in love with my dog, Bodhi, who lives up to his name in every way (a being of wisdom and enlightenment). I am bummed (how's that for eloquence) that neither DaVinci or Einstein are still anchored to Terra Firma because I'd love to meet them, sit around a fountain somewhere (hopefully with an Americano in hand) and ask them what their take is on "Life, The Universe and Everything"... (Thank you Douglas Adams.) I love "Game of Thrones", "Homeland" and all things "Shameless". And I love being in the business of photography.