Does this ring true; is that how you feel?
It is certainly true for me! Prior to having children I was always keen to be in front of the lens but since, I have shied away from all cameras whenever possible! I now cannot look at a photo of myself without cringing.
Considering being photographed is an increasingly standard part of daily life, but for many of us when asked to have a picture taken, it’s “no, no no!”. I personally blame the smart phone! Snap, snap, snap and always when I’m not ready or aware the photo is being taken! As convenient and sometimes nice as these photos are, it is very unlikely that I will put them up on my wall!
So why do so many of us shy away from the camera?
Is it because we don’t like the way we look overall, or is there a certain feature that we are conscious about? Research has shown that it is not always the taking of the photo that we dislike but the outcome of the image.
So what are we left with? Hundreds of photos of those in our life, but not many good ones of us; great big chunks of our life only marked by those around us. For those mums out there, like me, how many of you can hold your hand up and say I have family albums and/or wall mounted photos of yourself (with or without the family) for us all to look back over in years to come? I think these days, I am in less than five percent of photos in my house and my husband percentage is even fewer.
I believe a lot of us dislike images of ourselves because we are far too self critical; always comparing… We need to see the positives and beauty inside and out.
If you have read this far down and you’re thinking “yes Annie, I agree but therefore why would I book a photoshoot with you for myself?”, then let me tell you a little about how my photoshoots run.
I promise you a photoshoot with me would be completely different…
I’m not a scary person, I’m quite nice if I say so myself (I can hear my husband’s thoughts as he reads that, haha!). As a portrait and family photographer, I work closely with my clients, I like to find out how you feel about the shoot, and if you are camera shy, please do say so. As you know now, I completely understand your concerns and worries about being in front of the lens. I will not push you into doing anything you are not comfortable with. It is amazing how quickly I see shyness dissipating being overtaken by a feeling of confidence and empowerment as the shoot progresses. I love watching this transformation. It means we are able to up the level of fun!
As I mentioned earlier, phone photos are normally very candid so our posture and pose is normally less than flattering! This can naturally be the cause of some disappointment. I personally have terrible posture and slouch a lot so when having my photo taken, I always tell myself “straighten your back!!”. During your shoot, I will guide you with posing whilst in front of my studio lights, so that the combination of the pose and lighting flatters and compliments you perfectly. A slight turn of the head or a move of a hand can make all the difference. I want you to feel and look fabulous because I want to provide you with images that you will be proud of and that will stand the test of time.
One of the questions I hear most is “What should I wear to my photoshoot?”. The answer varies from client to client as I like to make each shoot as bespoke as possible. I am happy to help you with colour themes and styles; if you are still unsure why not bring different options on the day and we can make a decision together. Predominantly, make sure you feel good an comfortable in what you wear as this will be reflected in your photos!
To conclude this short blog post, I have only one request from you – please don’t let your camera shyness hold you back from getting some beautiful, timeless photographs taken. It will be a fun and enjoyable occasion, with stunning keepsake images for you to take away. What a perfect gift it would be for you or a loved one…
Look forward to seeing you soon!
To book please contact Annie Griggs Photography
