Raise your hand if you often find yourself ducking away, sliding behind a relative, or opting out of photos altogether. 🙋🏼♀️ Want to feel less shy in front of the camera? Here’s how to feel more camera confident.
Until a few years ago, I would have raised my hand in agreement.
I never wanted to see the photos taken of me. Partly because I felt like the click of a camera was an interruption of the present moment, but mostly because I didn’t feel confident. I started to challenge my fear of the camera a few months before leaving for a trip to Europe in 2019.
I knew I wanted videos to save and photos to use in scrapbooks but needed (to hack) how to capture my authentic smile on camera without feeling self-conscious. Although, I quickly found that it was hard to not smile when standing in front of the La Sagrada Familia, sipping wine varieties in Paris, or running through the rain to the train station just in time, It’s also so much about approach—no matter where you are. Some of my favorite photos are from the surprising moments of the everyday.
I now recognize the captured nostalgia that lives in old photos and with months of practice and hundreds of photos taken, I have found three keys to unlocking camera-confidence.
TIPS for the CLICK
- Aesthetic is Overrated
Not all photos have to live up to an aesthetic standard. In fact, most of photos I take
are inspired by the more mundane parts of life. My purpose for photos isn’t just to share or post them, I capture images of myself, others, and objects so I can have a physical snapshot of a place or time that feels joyous. Some wonderful daily moments that immediately transport me somewhere: The way my cream slowly falls into my cold brew or a foamy cappuccino art design. Photos of my friends taken on Polaroid film in the summer. Or a not-so-perfectly-lit photo of a new recipe I tried for dinner.
- Simply Photo Ready
Spend time finding a daily makeup routine that is timeless and compliments your natural features
so that you always feel photo-ready. I have a daily routine that only takes about two songs to apply. I queue Spotify and challenge myself to <10 minutes. If you haven’t spent much time in the past learning makeup, remember, makeup evolves with different phases of life and YouTube is full of tutorials. After exploring your makeup style, you will find what look feels natural—then repeat this every day. For me, that routine looks like:
-Sunscreen. Always a must: Obagi’s Cool Tone Sunscreen is my go-to.
-A full and moisturized looking lip: lip liner and a tinted lip balm. Check out my hydrating morning and evening skin care routines for an extra boost: Best Products for Dry Winter Skin and The 5-step Nighttime Skin Care Routine [That Works While You’re Dreaming].
-I opt out of foundation and instead use NYX01 concealer for blemishes, my upper cheek bone, and right under my eyes.
-A slightly winged eye: I use eyeshadow for this, so it looks more natural and isn’t so stark against my fair skin.
-Contour forehead, nose, and cheekbones: Clinique’s bronze chubby stick is my favorite because it’s compact, dewy, and easy to apply.
- More Is Mostly Better
Take lots of photos, the more you take, the better chance that you will love a handful of them. A few things to remember when posing:
-Have good posture. This always helps me feel taller and more powerful.
-Imagine you are shooting a campaign for one of your favorite brands—because you are. YOU should be your favorite brand.
-Fake the smile if you need to, yes, fake it.
-Wear something that you feel comfortable in–this will make it easier to move around and try
new poses.
-Play upbeat music to help loosen up (I have playlists linked on my Instagram profile).
-Give yourself permission to explore out-of-your comfort zone styles and outfit combinations.
Let go of what you think others are thinking when you’re taking photos; this is about you capturing a moment.
A few reasons you shouldn’t even consider other people’s thoughts:
-You’ll probably never see them again
-They wish they had the courage to capture that memory or photo the way you are
-Most of the time passers-by are not even paying attention to you
I still resist the camera sometimes, and when I do, I remember these three confidence enhancers. I have never regretted taking a photo and having it to recall a memory later. By changing my frame of reference to what memories I could collect.
conclusion
Some of my favorite profiles on Instagram for photo inspiration: Payton Sartain, Margot Lee, Valeria Lipovetsky.
xxx
Allie M.
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