Earlier this month, I shared my secret to looking confident in photos on Instagram. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find it here. In that post, I shared how I learned how to be confident and even the things I did to prepare for my very first photoshoot! But I didn’t go in-depth about those things I did, so I wanted to share more in a separate post here. Here are 5 ways I practiced how to look confident in photos when I was first starting out.
Prepare your poses in advance
I use Pinterest and Instagram as sources of inspiration for photoshoots. For Pinterest, I have a mood board dedicated to different poses (it’s public if you wanna check it out!) and Instagram bookmarks to “save” poses I’m inspired by. It might help to dedicate boards for different poses e.g. sitting, creative, group, etc.
Practice posing in front of the mirror and take photos by yourself
I stand by the belief that true confidence is earned and owning that confidence is just a result of the time you put in to better your strategies. If you want to be a part of a band, you don’t just announce you want to play for them (I mean you can, but Good Luck Charlie). You put in the work to get really good at it so you can show them what you got. This applies to looking confident in photos too! It’s a lot harder to feel comfortable posing in front of a photographer or a public audience until you feel comfortable posing for yourself. Put in the time and show up for yourself. You’ll be surprised to find what you can achieve in a week even if you dedicate 5 minutes a day to this. ou don’t need a fancy DSLR, hell you don’t even need a point and shoot. Your phone will work perfectly fine.
This is actually great practice because you can see how you’re posing in real-time and adjust when needed. From there, you can review the photos from your inspiration board and copy the models. You don’t have to copy them completely. See what angles and poses work best for you and add your own spice to it ?
You have the option to use the self-timer, but I personally prefer using a remote. You can find remotes here. This is my trusty iPhone remote and has not left me down after so many years!
You might also need to invest in a phone stand (piles of books and using rubber bands to tie your phone to your blinds can only go so far). Here’s one from Amazon I recommend.
Learn more details about the location and familiarize yourself with the surroundings
If you’re working with a photographer or even just taking photos with a friend, familiarize yourself with the location beforehand if possible. It can be challenging to work somewhere new, so getting acquainted with the space will help you feel more comfortable on photoshoot day.
If you’re working with a photographer, collaborate with them and ask them where you’ll be shooting.
Offer places you had in mind. Don’t be shy! Most photographers are more than happy for a challenge to shoot at unfamiliar places
Show your photographer some of the photos/mood board you saved and ask them to help YOU by recreating the pose and giving you feedback on how the model’s posing aligns with yours.
Ask feedback from people you trust
A few years ago, I was on a shoot with this photographer and he lightly said, “I know you don’t really smile in your photos, but I think it would really bring out the photo if we tried that.” I didn’t even realize that was something I did (The #RBF game was too strong.) Honestly, I was just trying to “smize” my way through shoots that I didn’t even really think to add different facial expressions. You might already know your best angles, but there are other things that highlight your best look that others love to see!
Every single professional model in the world didn’t become an expert overnight. While yes, there are some that come as “natural,” there are still things that are learned over time by looking at their own photos and thinking about how they can improve.
And don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from people you trust and who will be honest with you. Remember that these people care and would only want to help you get better. They aren’t interested in hurting you. But also, don’t take that feedback and think you need to completely change your style and poses.
Reflect on their feedback and take time to really think about what they said so you can decide for yourself where you can improve (and be honest with yourself too).
Have fun and don’t overthink it!
Why do you want to feel confident in front of the camera? Seriously why? Ask yourself why it matters so much. I’m going to take a guess and say it’s because you want to look and feel good. Or maybe you want to show off how confident you look to all the eyes that are BLESSED with the chance to experience a photo of you in all its glory.
When you try something new or something you haven’t had enough practice in, it’s normal to feel nervous or unsure of what you’re doing. But in the same way you know how to use a computer or boil water, you don’t think “am I doing this right?” You just simply do it because you’ve done it countless times before. I promise you that if you put in the time while envisioning that confident person you already are in a photo, you’re already a step ahead.
Do you ever think about or question the way you’re doing something you’re already good at it? 9 out of 10 times I can confidently say you’re not.
BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW you’re good at it!
You don’t need to think twice or question how you’re doing because you’ve done it so many times already. When you try something new or something you haven’t had enough practice in, it’s normal to feel nervous or unsure of yourself or what you’re doing.
Are there other ways you’ve learned to be more confident in photos? Let me know in the comments!
