One of the things I hear a lot from people is that they don’t know how to feel confident in front of the camera or they hate having their photo taken.

Now, there is a difference between these two – everyone can look good on camera – whether you enjoy the process to begin with is another thing!

 

But it is possible to not only look great on camera but to not hate it, heck, even enjoy being in front of the camera and embracing your brand shoot.

 

And that feeling of not being confident in front of the camera is a big barrier for many people when it comes to booking their brand shoot.  In fact, not just their brand shoot, but often being more visible in their business, going live on social media and being the face of their brand.

 

I want to share my top 5 tips for feeling camera confident so that you can embrace your face and actually enjoy your brand shoot.

 

 

Give yourself permission to enjoy it

It’s almost ingrained in us to not enjoy being in the lime light, to shy away from being in front of the camera and we’re primed by society to look for the areas of ourselves that we don’t like in a photo.  I do this myself, even on my own brand shoot, my eyes are drawn to areas that I’m not 100% happy with when it comes to my body.

But if you go into the shoot with the mindset that this will be something fun, out of your comfort zone but fun all the same then you’re one step closer to feeling amazing on your brand shoot.

 

Work with a photographer you feel comfortable with

Just like your clients trust you in whatever capacity you work with them, you need to feel comfortable and trust your brand photographer.  They will be there every step of the way to plan the shoot, advise on what to wear, how to stand etc, as well as being your personal cheerleader.  It’s hard not to feel great when you have someone taking your photo, looking at the camera and saying how awesome you are.

But on the flip side, if you’re having your photo taken by someone you don’t click with, then you’ll spend the shoot worrying what you’re going to look like, are they getting your best angle, do they have your best interests at heart.  And all that worry will be stored in your jaw line, you’ll see the tension in your face and there won’t be that glimmer and sparkle in your eyes.

 

 

Breathe

It’s amazing how many people hold their breath on a shoot, a bit like when you’re swimming and you hold your breath for the full length of the pool (or is that just me?!).  Again, not breathing stores up the tension and you start feeling uncomfortable, so relax those shoulders, take a deep breath and let your photographer bring out that sparkle and personality in the best way possible.

 

Remember why you’re doing it

Your brand shoot isn’t just about you getting some photos of you, it’s about being able to share what you do with a wider audience and reach more potential clients.  And yes, that’s great for business, but most of us don’t go into business just to make money, we’re often driven by a deeper sense of wanting to help people or support people in whatever way we have chosen.  So, remember your why, think about all the additional people you will be able to help just because you will have the photos to share in your marketing that really resonate with those ideal clients.

Your brand and your future clients deserve to know who you are.  It’s more than just you, you’re doing it for them ????

 

 

• Look through the images objectively

This one is actually for when you receive the photos, as this practice will help you reinforce the confidence your photographer helped you grow on the shoot itself.  As I said earlier, it’s easy for us to look at photos and focus in on the areas that we don’t like.  And from when you’ve left the shoot buzzing, to when that gallery email arrives with access to the photos, chances are those gremlins may have had chance to sneak back in.  So, when it comes to looking at the photos, remember to go in thinking about your reason why and purpose for the shoot, remember how amazing you felt at the end of it, how much fun you had… Then open the email.   Look at the photos through the eyes of your ideal client, which ones would they instantly be drawn to.  And something that really helped me, is asking someone else who isn’t as self-critical to help you choose the images that you will use in your branding, as they will look at the image as a whole not zero in on the areas you don’t like.

 

One thing I can guarantee, when you share your new brand photos on social media for the first time, you’ll be greeted with a flurry of comments and written squeals of delight from your audience about how incredible you are and how the photos have captured that.  Embrace those comments – these are your cheerleaders; they have your back.

 

Until next time,

Amanda x

 

---

 

Do you want to feel confident in front of the camera for your brand shoot?

I have worked with over a hundred entrepreneurs and I love bringing out the best in my clients (the kind words in my client showcases and testimonials back me up!)

Why not book a call to chat more about your own brand shoot?

 

---