Hey Y'all ! Thank you for taking time out of your day for reading my post ! Today's topic is how to conquer taking pictures in public. Taking pictures in public is one of the most nerve wrecking things to do. It does not matter if you've been doing it for a while or not. I get my pictures taken all the time whether it is for a shoot for my blog or if I'm looking cute and I'll ask a friend or complete stranger to take my picture for me. I also do photography, (check out my portfolio @ www.capturedbytwiggy.weebly.com) so I know exactly how vulnerable an individual can be in front of a camera. Even though I have been taking pictures for a while now I still find myself struggling. However, I've managed to find a way and I will be sharing some tips. These are not just for bloggers/influencers who wanna step up their picture taking game, but these tips can be helpful to any body.
1.) Come prepared. This in my opinion is the most important step. Now being prepared can mean a lot of things, such as knowing the type of shots you want to take (ex: headshot, full-body, detail oriented), location, poses, accessories/props, and etc. When you are prepared, you automatically will feel more confident and you are more prompted to slay your pictures. Preparation is key and it makes everything come full circle. If you feel like you struggle with poses (I DO ALL THE TIME, it is totally normal) , turn to Pinterest and find Inspo through there. You can even go through your explore page on Instagram and find inspiration through there. Coming from a photographer POV I love when people bring photos of how they want to pose because it makes my job easier !
" If you don't like your outfit then 9/10 you will not like the picture either "
2.) Feel comfortable in your appearance. Imagine being in front of a camera and not feeling comfortable in what you are wearing :( It will change the whole vibe of the shoot and it will show through your poses. Before you leave your house look in the mirror and make sure you LOVE your entire look. If you do not absolutely love the outfit you are wearing try on the right fit until you find the right one. If you are shooting in multiple looks try all of them on in front of a mirror to make sure you feel like the baddest thing walking in all of them. It's rough sometimes, especially when you just want to put something on to have content on your feed, but if you don't like your outfit 9/10 you will not like the picture either. Trust me been there done that ! DO NOT waste your time taking a picture in an outfit you don't like make sure you love it so you can slay even harder :)
3.) Look for Inspiration. If you feel like you are not completely confident in front of the camera it is perfectly fine study others and find inspiration. I mentioned Pinterest, but if you have a friend who loves the camera try watching them and seeing what gestures they do. If that is weird for you then tune into some fashion show videos on youtube and watch how confident the models are and think of them when you strike a pose. When I was little I wanted to be a model (funny story) so I would watch Tyra's Americas Next Top Model. I would study the girls and the critiques she would give them LOL. I'm not a super model ( I'm 5'0) , but the confidence of these girls inspired me .
" Remembering the " why " always keeps me going no matter what"
4.) Remember why you are doing it. Taking pictures in public whether it is inside or outside can be nerve wrecking. However, never forget why you are taking the pictures. In my case, I take pictures because I am a blogger and I am building a brand. Most importantly I love sharing my different looks with others. It is also a rewarding feeling when you get positive feedback from envisioning a idea that you brought to life. Remembering the " why " always keeps me going no matter what. My pictures aren't only for me, but they are for you too !
5.) Have fun !!!! DO NOT forget to have fun ! Pictures are meant to be fun even if it is your job. Don't be so serious, shake off those nerves and loosen up. Close your eyes and take a deep breath and have fun taking the picture. I always say the best pictures are the ones that are in the moment. Pictures are meant to be captured in the most precious moments . Try not to look too posed . Sometimes as content creators we tend to forget that, but make sure however you decide to do it have fun :)
6.) Block the haters. I don't think people care that much to be honest . The inevitable will happen. People will stare and sometimes laugh when they see someone posing for a picture. Lets face it, people just dont know how to act when they see something they are just not used to. Well then again, this may all depend on where you live . I live in New York and I feel like people are used to seeing these things happen all the time LOL, but I still get the occasional stares and laughs. I always just smile and keep it pushing. My only pet peeve is when people will deliberately walk in front of me when I am getting my picture taken. In my head, I' m like " I hope you don't think someone is pointing their camera at me for good looks LOL I'm tryna get s*** done here !" Sometimes people are nice and they'll hype me up too . Either way, do you boo and don't let nobody prevent you from shining .
" Tell yourself that you are the bomb.com and you will dominate in front of the camera "
7.) Be your own hype man . I love when I'm with a group of friends and we're hyping each other up when we take pictures. You can't even lie, pictures come out way better when you have a personal hype man ! Even when I'm taking pictures of others I'm ALWAYS the hype man LOL anyone that has worked with me can say that. I do that for others but not every photographer that I've worked with will do that for me sadly. However, thats okay because sometimes you have to tell yourself that you're a showstopper. Tell yourself that you are the bomb.com and you will dominate in front of the camera. If you work on doing this you will be a lot more confident in front of the camera.
8.) Practice makes perfect. This last tip is pretty self explanatory. The more you work at something the more confident you will be.
Thank you for reading my darling ! I hope these tips are helpful to you :) Comment below and tell me if you find any of these tips helpful !
Until Next Time My Loves,
Twiggy Versatile xoxox
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