Tips for people who hate having their picture taken!

People ask me all the time: What do you recommend when someone hates having their picture taken?

Everyone is different. Some people love to have their picture taken but some find it awkward and painful. Here are some tips if you happen to be on the camera-shy side:

· First, I applaud you for taking the step and having your picture taken. So many people avoid it, and those who care for you would appreciate having a great picture of you. Trusting a professional is a great idea because we have experience with people who dread having their picture taken and we are pretty good at putting you at ease and making it quick and painless.

· Choose a photographer who makes you feel comfortable. Trust your instincts! If your conversation on the phone or email feels awkward or you don’t feel good about the exchange, you will probably feel the same way in person, and it will show in your facial expressions. Take the extra time to have an in-person quick meeting or at least a phone call to see how you feel. You want to be with someone who makes you feel like you can be yourself, and not uncomfortable.

· Schedule your session for a time of day when you tend to feel your best. Don’t schedule it after a frustrating bunch of meetings or sitting in rush hour traffic. Try to take some time off on the day of your photo shoot so you can make it a nice experience for yourself. Feeling good about this whole thing will show in your pictures. You will get the best results.

· Bring a friend with you to your shoot who makes you feel happy and relaxed! This can make a huge difference.

-Make a playlist of your favorite songs so you’re really in your groove. You can play it in the car on the way there or ask your photographer to play it.

· Get your hair and makeup done. This will 100% improve your photos. You will just plain look your best. And, when you feel like you truly look your best, your pictures will show it.

· Plan out what you are going to wear so that you feel and look amazing. It might be a good time to go shopping and get some great new items, but it’s also great to wear things that you’ve had for years that have some meaning to you. Do you always get compliments when you wear that blue shirt? Wear it! Not sure if you should bring that old favorite leather jacket? Bring it! If you don’t know, ask a friend for advice or hire a professional wardrobe stylist. The right clothing can make a huge difference. What feeling do you want to convey in your photos? Your photographer can help you decide what works best for you, and get photos in different looks to show different sides of your personality.

· The day of your photos, after you get to the photo studio and park your car, sit for a minute in silence or listen to some great music and take some deep breaths and visualize what you would like your photos to look like. Stand up in Superhero pose with your hands on your hips and feel super confident. It feels silly but it works!

· During your session, if you feel rushed, anxious or like things aren’t going great, focus on your breathing. You can even take a little break while you are changing your clothes. Take a minute to close your eyes and get back to your more relaxed self.

· You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do at your photo shoot. You also don’t have to choose pictures of yourself you don’t want. Trust that your photographer will get some great shots of you and that most likely there will be at least a few in there that you like. Sometimes you only need one shot! Worst case scenario, you can just go back and do it again! This isn’t your one and only chance to have your photo taken.

· It’s totally ok if you don’t love having your picture taken. You might just have to get it over with and move on. It will feel better once it’s over. It is hard to look at pictures of ourselves sometimes, it’s true. We can be our own worst critics. But it’s important to have great pictures of yourself for business, for family, for your own history. Go book that photo session!