Not Confident in Front of the Camera? Read This.

Over the years the most consistent question I have received through DMs on my Instagram is, “how do you pose so naturally?” Let me assure you that it wasn’t always like that. When I first started taking photos for the blog and Instagram, I was so awkward! I would look uncomfortable and completely out of my element. I never knew what poses to do and I remember periodically asking Trev, “what do I do with my hands?!”

Finding the confidence to stand in front of a camera in a natural way can be overwhelming or seem impossible but there are actually several things that you can do to help. By practicing the below things I was able to be fully confident when a camera is pointed at me and the same can happen for you!

First thing is first…you know you best!

You know your angles better than anyone else! You might not think that you know your angles or that you even have them. But as women we have all spent extra time in front of the mirror checking out our outfits, dancing, or if you’re anything like me you were just making silly faces and being a weirdo. It’s also very unlikely that you’ve never taken a selfie, and when taking a selfie you know what side, facial expression, and look you feel most confident in. I once had a photographer tell me that if I just pretended that I was taking a selfie, my facial expressions would look more natural and she was 100% correct. The first thing that I did that revolutionized my photos was just thinking of it as taking selfies. I knew what angles I liked when I was framing my face for a photo so I just started using those same angles for full body photos.

Move ya body!

Shift your weight back and forth, maybe place a hand on your hip or try playing with your hair. Letting my body flow into movements that feel natural like; walking, jogging, dancing, swaying, etc. is something that was major for me. I remember the day I discovered rapid fire mode on my camera and I thought if I combined movement with rapid fire I would get more natural looking photos and I was right! Movement makes photos look a lot more organic and makes you look a lot more confident because you’re not necessarily posing.

Wear something that you’re comfortable in…

This may sound like a no brainer but you don’t know how many times I’ve witnessed women trying to take photos in outfits that they are not comfortable in which in turn makes you look not confident. If you’re working on becoming confident in front of the camera I highly recommend wearing something that you feel sexy and powerful in. Your outfit, accessories and even locations play a huge part in your confidence when you are first starting out. At this point in my career, I have posed for a photo in front of a restaurant full of people, I’ve posed for photos in front of busy intersections where people stop and stare, etc. When I first started out I choose more secluded locations where I felt more confident and then I worked up to being able to take a photo literally anywhere.

Try holding a prop!

Back to not knowing what to do with my hands…holding a prop is a great way to give you something natural to do. Maybe you’re shooting a campaign for a workout fit, try holding a water bottle or some weights. If you’re taking some beach photos, try holding your beach hat, or a tote or maybe your sunnies. Some random props you could also use; a Polaroid camera, balloons, your purse or maybe a delicious iced coffee! Having a prop might affect your confidence in front of the camera more than you know.

Enjoy the process!

My biggest piece of advice is this…enjoy the process of building up confidence. I find so much beauty in looking back and seeing where I started and where I am now. It might take a minute for you to become confident and for photos to look natural but the process should be fun. Experiment with your poses, think outside the box, ignore the rest of the world and remember to just have fun!

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