“I’m not photogenic.” Have you ever said this? I’m pretty sure I have at some point in my life. But what does it mean? Do you mean that you don’t photograph well? Or do you mean that you don’t like the way you see yourself in photographs?
As I've grown older, I've learned that the way I sometimes see myself is not my whole truth. In fact, it's rarely even a big part of my truth. The fact that I don’t love every picture ever taken of me does not mean that I don’t look nice in my photos. It certainly doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be in them either.
I suspect this is the case for so many of us that tend to avoid the camera lens.
So what’s to be done? Well, I’m glad you asked!
My secret is really no secret at all. The trick to overcoming that unphotogenic feeling is to simply be yourself.
I know it’s not as easy as it sounds. I know! I think we get so hung up on creating beautiful, perfectly posed portraits that we sometimes forget what the pictures are supposed to be about. We want to appear as effortless as the influencer in her selfies.
Let me tell you another secret. Those “effortless” selfies? They aren’t effortless. You’re seeing one image out of maybe fifteen. You’re seeing one pose after thirty microadjustments.
Your photographer does not expect you to behave like a professional model. We’re not that crazy. When you think about it, though, most of us have some form of posing experience. Hello, cell phone cameras!
But even if you don’t know which side is your “good” side or how to stand just right, it’s okay! And if being yourself is sometimes awkward or uncomfortable? I got you. You don’t have to be a posing pro. You don’t have to have a single clue what you’re doing when you show up for your session. At least with me, you don’t!
In my time as a professional photographer, I’ve learned that the best way to give you photographs that feel like you is to talk to you. And by talk, I don’t mean instruct.
I’ll ask you things. You can ask me things. I’ll probably ask you to tell me some jokes. I might even tease you a little. But don’t ask me to tell you a joke. I don’t know any!
I recently photographed a lovely senior. She is a lot like I was at her age. Outgoing, but a little quiet and reserved. Definitely not a fan of a camera’s attention.
We had a fantastic session, but we started off a little stiff. We all do it. Someone points a camera at you and tells you to smile. Do you know what you get? You get a perfectly lovely, polite smile. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. But sometimes there's another side of someone's personality hiding behind that polite smile.
But how do you bring it out, you ask? Well, it’s different for every person. For my senior in this example, it was a joke.
Let’s set the scene.
We were standing in a field near the edge of a small creek. She stood in all the right places and turned all the right ways. She gave me her beautiful, but polite smile.
I could see there was more of her personality waiting to come through. I just hadn't figured out how to bring it out yet.
I was scrambling. Wracking my brain for ideas to draw that unguarded smile out. I finally asked her to tell me the best joke she could think of.
She looked at me. I looked at her. Crickets.
“Come on, tell me a joke.” She continued to look at me, and I saw it. I saw the smile fighting to break free! So I pushed a little.
“You’re a senior in high school. You have to know at least one joke,” I told her while laughing.
That did it. That unguarded, joyful smile finally broke free. It was everything I had been waiting for, and she never even told me a joke.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Smiling is not everything. Gasp! I can feel your horror through the screen.
Let me explain. People want photographs for a multitude of reasons. Seniors want to capture this season of their life. Families want to freeze time before their little ones grow up right before their eyes. A woman wants to remember what it feels like to love her body. The examples are endless. A smile doesn’t suit every situation and not every photo needs a smile or laughter in order to be authentic.
My goal isn't just to capture your smile. It's to capture your personality. Sometimes those are one and the same. Sometimes they're not.
The point I’m trying to make is that I want you to come to me just as you are.
You don’t have to practice. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to love my camera staring into your soul. You don’t have to be polite.
You just have to be you.
Come as you are, and we'll figure the rest out together. Let's photograph the person you are, not just the reflection you see in the mirror.
Maybe you'll see something new, too.
