I am not a fan of being in front of the camera. I am awkward and often end up with a shit grin. That being said, I LOVE photography and candid photos that capture an array of beautiful emotions.

Last year I joined a networking group with my friend Michele who is a branding and boudoir photographer (check out her website here). Michele and our group’s make-up artist Jenny (learn more about her services here) hosted a headshot event for our members, organized by our virtual assistant Jennifer (learn more about her services here).

Here’s a few things I learned that I hope might help anyone who feels as awkward as I do in front of a camera:

Do some prep. I didn’t bring a back up outfit. I am most at ease in all black clothing and it’s what made me feel most like myself. But then when I got to the photo shoot, I wondered if maybe I should have brought a secondary outfit just to try. It doesn’t hurt to be over prepared.
Be yourself. You will be most at ease being yourself.
Be open to trying poses that might seem unnatural to you but actually suit you in photos. As much as you want to be yourself and unnatural poses might make you feel unlike yourself, it also doesn’t hurt to try!
If you feel weird, tell the photographer because you also don’t want to feel so unnatural that you get in your head and then end up shit grinning your way through the rest of the photos. If a pose feels weird, tell the photographer. Michele was AMAZING at directing me on little details that I didn’t think of or at guiding me to try poses that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.

I am so happy with my experience that I actually want to do it again! Michele made me feel so comfortable that I didn’t have time to get into my own head. I am hoping to book a branding photo session with her in the near future and I am really excited about it!