One of the biggest apprehensions that I hear from people who try to take pictures is not feeling comfortable or confident in front of the camera. Trust me I get it. I was that super awkward person that didn’t know what to do with their hands either! But feeling more comfortable in front of the camera is going to take some work. Lucky for you, I’m here to help you fast-track it!
Here are my 8 tips on feeling more comfortable in front of the camera:
1. Wear what makes you feel beautiful or handsome
Whether that is makeup, no makeup, high heels, jeans, a bowtie – whatever! Wearing something that you don’t feel comfortable or confident in will only result in a picture that you look uncomfortable in. I have completely changed my outfits for photoshoots specifically because I wasn’t comfortable with what I was wearing. And it definitely showed in the pictures I was taking. If you feel uncomfortable then you will look uncomfortable – trust me.
2. Look up posing references
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with your body – especially your hands! But by looking at what other people are doing, it might give you some direction. I personally like to ‘save’ posts on Instagram when I see someone doing a pose that I want to keep in mind when I am taking pictures. This also becomes very helpful to do for me when I need ideas for posing with products for a campaign. I don’t want to make it look like I am just holding products at the camera. It’s more fun if I am more involved obviously! You can even add some razzle dazzle to your photos to really make your posts pop.
3. Don’t try to pose
This is kind of a disclaimer for the above point. Everyone you see on those posts or in magazines developed their own personal style of posing for what feels natural to them. In other words, they have already developed their own confidence and comfortability on camera. Don’t go in front of the camera trying to mimic EXACTLY what someone else did. Just use those poses as a reference. You’re you! Act and react as YOU would otherwise it may look fake. Sooner or later you will develop your own natural way of posing that looks and feels 100% you.
4. Play music
Honestly, I still play music when I have the chance to without disrupting other people in public. I play music that makes me feel fierce, invincible, and what puts a smile on my face. Playing music will help loosen you up and it will help you have something to react to – pose-wise and facial-wise. I have a lot of songs that help me pose and portray the feelings of the theme of my picture. Listen to my curated playlist on Spotify to give you the confidence you need to take some great pictures.
5. Get your photographer involved
This sounds weird, right? But trust me. If your photographer is having fun with it, you’ll find that you don’t feel so uncomfortable. It will feel less like they are taking your picture and more like they are just hanging out with you. My husband, Cody, loves doing this by saying things like “oh girl, get it. POSE POSE WORK IT!” Having someone like this behind the camera definitely brings a smile to your face. And that smile will be so natural that it just radiates beauty for miles. Not to mention that your pictures will come out looking stunning!
6. Don’t be afraid to dance
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the music tip. I found it easier to pose when I was dancing at the same time because a lot of my poses were just dance moves that I stopped doing for a split second for the picture and then kept right on going. This will also help you loosen up your shoulders. If you’re tense or nervous, it will show in your shoulders.
7. Wear sunglasses
I found it much less intimidating to be in front of the camera when I was hiding my eyes. Especially because I could look down or to the side and the pictures would look like I was looking at the camera. My sunglasses were able to hide my shy eyes and the pictures came out looking a little more confident! Not to mention with the current times of wearing a mask, that also helps tremendously! There are still some people I feel self conscious taking pictures with, and wearing a mask helps me to not have look like I am faking a smile in front of them for a picture.
8. If all else fails, get an alcoholic drink (if you are of legal drinking age)
Going back to my OG days of taking pictures, I know this will help. I’m sure we all know the effects that a drink has in boosting confidence, plus it will get you feeling a little bit loosey-goosey and not so stiff. Pair this with wearing your favorite shades and playing music if you’re still feeling nervous, and I promise this will work!
Feeling comfortable on camera takes practice
After a few years of working on my own style to take pictures, I can now take pictures in almost any setting naturally and happily. It takes some time to feel comfortable on camera whether it’s picture or video so give yourself time. Change does not happen in one single photoshoot.
With these 8 tips, you can be sure to feel more confident in front of the camera. It’s not so scary and it’s not that intimidating once you get used to it because practice makes perfect! I hope these tips help you take pictures next time you need content for your social media. Work past those uncomfortable feelings because once you get past that, you will start to glow on your own.
