IT'S ONE THING KNOWING YOUR BUSINESS WILL BENEFIT FROM PHOTOGRAPHS, BUT IT'S A WHOLE OTHER THING HAVING THE CONFIDENCE TO STEP IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA
In my experience, not feeling confident in front of the camera pretty much boils down to three
things -
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So which are you?
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People often think that because I'm a photographer I must love having my photograph taken...boy are they wrong.
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I don't always like myself in photographs, I hate leaving my comfort zone and I'm awkward as hell!
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It took me time to build confidence and realise that not only does my business benefit from photographs of me, but so does my self-esteem. And photos can do the same thing for you.
DON'T LET THE FEAR OF HAVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN STOP YOU FROM TELLING THE STORY OF YOUR BUSINESS
You know when you have a hot chocolate, but it always tastes better when someone else makes it? Photographs are the same. Don't compare the impact of professional images to a selfie.
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YOU LIKE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Don't we all! We love being in our safe little bubble of a comfort zone because it's easy, and it stops us from failing. And before you say 'we're talking about having photographs taken, not about a fear of failure', it's all tied together.
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We don't want to show up and show our faces in our business because if we fail then it's almost as if it's not associated with us. We disconnect ourselves from our business so that we limit the risk, or so we think. But in reality not showing who you are is hurting your business.
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People buy from small businesses because they like buying from a real person. They want to create a connection and get to know you, and they can't do that if they don't know who you are.
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Showing who you are and allowing your audience to get to know you won't hurt your business! You'll create stronger connections with more customers which means ultimately, you'll make more money.
You don't like having photographs taken because
You avoid showing up in your business because
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YOU DON'T LIKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOURSELF
This one is something that a lot of us struggle with and it can be a hard one to get your mind around. It's mainly because we focus on our own insecurities and we aren't as familiar with our own face as you think.
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You're probably thinking, 'I look at my face every day in the mirror, I know what I look like'. But that's the thing, you're looking at a mirror image. So when you see a photograph of yourself that's 'the right way round' it doesn't quite look like what you're used to. Even if you don't realise that that is why it feels off. The more we see photographs of ourselves, the more we see what everyone else sees and we get to know our face a little better.
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If you're anything like me, the first thing you look at in a photograph are the things you don't like about yourself. It's so easy to do! And it took me a long time to accept the fact that other people don't see the same things as you do. Your audience and your customers don't focus on your insecurities. They are something that is so personal that your audience won't even notice them. They'll just like getting to see who you are.
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Remind yourself of that every time you post a photo or video of yourself and it won't feel as daunting.
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YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
None of us are perfect in front of the camera. It's normal not to know what to do and to feel awkward!
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This is the one that you need to leave to trust. Trust that you've chosen the right photographer. Find the right person and you'll relax, you'll act like you and you'll feel comfortable.
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And remember that you don't need to be 'perfect'! Your photographs should show your personality - if you're full of belly laughs, fab! If you're a little weird, embrace it. If you love a funny expression, show that! Don't be afraid to show who you are. Your customers don't expect you to be perfect, they'll relate to you more when you're not.
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Trust that your photographer will make sure you don't look bad!
You don't have the confidence to step in front of the camera because
IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT HAVING PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FOR YOUR BUSINESS
5 QUICK TIPS TO BOOST YOUR
CONFIDENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHS
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1. WEAR SOMETHING YOU LOVE
Sounds simple but it's true. We all have that go-to outfit that makes us feel fab. When you're wearing something you love, that fits well and that looks good you'll feel good and will instantly be more confident. My go-to is always leopard print!
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2. CHOOSE A LOCATION THAT YOU LOVE
Whether it's somewhere you feel comfortable like your workspace or your favourite coffee shop the location of your personal branding shoot can make a big difference. When you feel comfortable in an environment you're familiar with you'll relax. When you're relaxed it's easier to enjoy the experience and if you're having fun you'll naturally be oozing confidence.
3. WORK WITH THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER
Not only do you need to find a branding photographer who's work you love, it's important to find someone you feel comfortable around. You need to find a photographer who is someone that you get on with, that you could have a conversation with and someone that you can relax around. If you don't feel comfortable with the way that they work or trust them to tell your story then you'll struggle to feel confident in their ability and in front of the camera.
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4. THINK ABOUT ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS
Sometimes we all feel a little better when we have our hair and makeup done professionally. This is by no means a necessity of a brand shoot, but it's one less thing for you to think about. You don't need to worry about how your makeup might look on camera, if it will last the length of your shoot or about needing to rush about before your shoot. You can spend the morning pampering yourself and treating yourself to a professional mua. I chatted recently to my fav mua Vicky from Glamorama Makeup about why it might be something you'd consider - you can watch us chat about hair and makeup for your branding shoot here.
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5. WAIT UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN YOUR PHOTOS
It's not unusual to feel nervous during your shoot. Even if you've done everything you can to make yourself feel comfortable and confident, when that camera get's pointed at you it feels unnatural. And it's okay if it feels like that. Feeling nervous doesn't mean that you won't get images that you love and tell your story. Sometimes your confidence boost comes from seeing how amazing your photographs are. Once you've seen your images and you can see that you look fantastic, that you don't look nervous and you look confident, you'll be dying to show up! You'll realise that it wasn't as bad as you thought and sharing your images and showing your face won't seem daunting.
