5 Tips for being on camera to help you feel more comfortable. The more comfortable you are the more confident you’ll feel in your pictures.
“Just act natural.” It’s easier said than done when you are in front of a camera and trying to look your best. You may feel a little awkward and maybe even a little insecure. There’s no need to be nervous going into your portrait session.
With these 5 tips for being on camera, you’ll be feeling confident and relaxed from the very first click!
Have Something to Hold
Hands can be the most difficult things to figure out what to do with. For some reason, it always feels awkward just having them at your side. My first tip would be to bring something to hold onto. For instance, flowers, a book, musical instrument, anything that is significant to you, can be the perfect addition to your shoot.
Natural Smile
Consequently, you don’t want to get caught with the deer in headlights look. Plus, faking a smile is often not very flattering. For example, one of the best ways to show your natural smile is to press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. The corners of your mouth will naturally draw up and it won’t look forced at all.
Wear Something Comfortable
If you aren’t comfortable in what you’re wearing this will show through in your images. Therefore, you will want to wear something you feel comfortable in. This not only helps you move around easily, but to feel confident as well.
Posing
While your photographer will help direct you in how you should sit or stand, it’s a good idea to know a few simple tricks when it comes to posing. First, just about everyone has an asymmetrical face. Most often one of the eyes is slightly larger than the other. You want to turn the side of your face with the slightly larger eye away from the camera. This will help balance out the face. Second, stick your neck out slightly. This helps elongate the neck and will eliminate the dreaded “double chin” that many people have. Third, ladies, cross your feet at the ankles. This elongates the body and adds a little depth to your images.
Think Happy Thoughts
Before you go into your shoot, you want to have an image, joke or happy story in the back of your mind. During the shoot, you’ll want to recall on these thoughts to help bring out a genuine smile. Finally, if you start to get nervous just think your happy thought and you will instantly begin to relax and feel more comfortable. I often ask my portrait clients to talk to each other, or me. “Tell the story of how you met” is a way to get genuine smiles.
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I hope you find these 5 tips for being on camera helpful.
If you are interested in finding out more about the experience and working with Jama Pantel Photography, you can read about it here. If you are ready to book or have any questions, contact me.
