I get so many messages about my confidence. Girls asking me for advice, girls congratulating me and girls asking HOW ARE YOU SO CONFIDENT TELL ME YOUR SECRETSSS. And the truth is, I am not that confident. Sorry for all the lies.
I am quite an anxious person and struggle to find confidence in every day life- in social situations, in my work and just in general. But one hing I believe I have mastered is my confidence in front of the camera. I mean rewind 4 years ago when I started this little blog and you would not BELIVE the pics I was generating. I think it took me over a year to pluck up the courage just to put up a snap of my face. And even then I was always awkward or looking down or covering my face with my hands or arms or hats or whatever was readily available to me.
So the first thing I want to say is if you are new to this whole blogging, snapping pics of yourself and posting them all over the internet then don’t beat yourself up for being a little camera shy. Its perfectly natural!!
If you are looking to gain a bit of confidence or just want to stand in front of a lense without sh*tting your pants then here are my top tips for gaining a bit of confidence.
Confidence photographs well
The first piece of advice I can give you is that confidence looks GOOD on camera. It photos really well and I promise that you will be so much happier with the outcome of the snaps. So if you are ever feeling a bit silly about posing or looking into the camera, rather than questioning what you are doing, just own it! Play around with your hands or your hair or your bag, but do it with a purpose. Make all your actions looks confident, look deliberate and I promise you the outcome will be fab!
Comfortable
When it comes to shooting, the biggest thing for me is that I am comfortable. I am very lucky to be able to say that my photographer, Ami, is actually a long term friend of mine. We’ve known each other since we were about 15 and didn’t know aperture from contrast. So when I had my first every shoot with her I was immediately put at ease. I understand that this isn’t exactly the case for everyone. So when it comes to finding a photographer, you can always start off small. Ask your mum, your boyfriend or your neighbour! Anyone you are comfortable having a laugh with. If they put you at ease then it will show in the photos.
Location
When it comes to shooting locations, I have got to the stage where I don’t give that much of a crap if it is busy or not. Heck the last location we shot at I stripped in front of a 60 year old man and his wife (LOL they must be scarred for life). When you are starting out however, I can understand how daunting it is having people staring and pointing and asking if you want a pic together. Thanks Margerie but like I’m shooting a really cute outfit so like NO.
When you are starting out, pick a quieter location or maybe just a quieter day to try and snap there- also pics never look good with a thousand people photo bombing in the background!
You’re never going to see these people again
I always take comfort knowing that the strangers who point and stare are STRANGERS. They are people that I am never going to see again and don’t even know their names. Who cares if you make a bit of a tit of yourself in front of them for a few minutes. They’ll only see you for a second and then you’re GONE (if you get that reference we can be friends for LYFE).
My point is they really don’t matter- and if they really care that much just tell them your instagram handle and watch their mouths drop. Its a very satisfying feeling, let me tell you.
So there you have my top tips for gaining a bit of confidence in front of the camera!! Just play around, take a few snaps and, most of all, HAVE FUN. Nothing looks better on instagram than a snap of you genuinely enjoying yourself!!
