How I’ve Gotten More Comfortable With Being On Camera

Back in December in a post called Being the Face Behind the Blog, I talked about my struggle with feeling uncomfortable being the person in front of the camera from time to time. I know this might come as a shock to you (lulz), but I'm not a model and being in front of the camera does not come naturally to me. I've gotten more accustomed to the fact that sometimes people stare when you're taking photos in public and you have to shoot around people walking by and in the background. And, to put it frankly, my self-confidence and self-assurance have managed to increase tenfold. So like, that's cool?

I'm not really camera shy, but I wouldn't call myself photogenic either. I always floated between the two, my reluctance or willingness to be in front of the camera shifting fluidly depending on my mood. And as a blogger, learning how to pose and move and make photos look fluid and natural was, and really still is, a struggle. But the good thing is that it doesn't make me sick to my stomach nervous anymore. I don't feel like I don't belong there just because I'm not like, I don't know, Karlie Kloss or something. It's been a long process but it feels nice to be able to say that I'm, for the most part, not completely uncomfortable being on camera.

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Practice, Practice, Practice

Confidence, unfortunately, doesn't grow overnight. Sometimes it's a long process and one way to get yourself to a place of contentment in front of the camera is by just practicing and pushing yourself to take photos. They don't have to be great photos right off the bat. Don't let any bad shoots or days get you down about being on camera. Not everything turns out perfectly the first time and practicing will help get you acclimated to the world of being on camera!

Vogue Pose in a Mirror

Yeah, I'll admit it: I practice my poses in the mirror. You'll catch me fifteen minutes before I need to leave for a "shoot" (I say this as if I have a photographer–obviously I mean before my mom and I leave or meet up so she could take my photos for me) staring in the mirror doing weird things with my face and hands. It's impossible to know exactly how a pose is going to turn out in a photo, but it's easy to visualize what it could look like in a full-sized mirror.

Choosing Outfits I'm Comfortable Wearing

How am I supposed to feel more comfortable on camera if I'm physically uncomfortable in what I'm wearing? It will show on my face if I don't like what I'm wearing and trust me, you can tell. Y'all have seen my RBF. My facial reaction to being uncomfortable in an outfit is even worse. You know your own level of comfort better than I would (it'd be like, lowkey weird if I knew your sense of comfort let's be real), so just create outfits that are within your comfort zone at first. If you want to spice it up, change up one aspect of the outfit. Adding accessories or switching up your shoes or jacket is a great way to elevate a simple outfit! Also, there's literally nothing wrong with a simple outfit either. Remember: it's all about comfort, not about trying to wear the most bizarre outfit with one thousand different feuding elements.

Take Advantage of Shooting Without People Around

In an ideal world, you wouldn't have to worry about people walking by or in the background of your photos. However, that really isn't the reality most of the time, especially if you live in a bigger city. But, if you're just getting used to shooting out in public, you can totally find places with less foot and/or car traffic that will give you some privacy to get used to posing and getting your photos taken. It gives you time to build your confidence with posing, which not only yields better pictures in post, but also can shorten the amount of time you need to spend shooting (especially in busy locations) if you know your angles and how to pose in a shorter period of time!

Take Multiple Shots and Review Between

In my post about how I taught my mom how to take my blog photos, this was a pretty important step for making sure that the photos were coming out in focus and clear. But I also used to look at them to see if the poses I'm doing look natural or, truthfully, good. Most of the time I look like a total nerd and need to make a mental note not to do that weird thing with my hand or make a conscious effort not to look like a raging bitch and angry at the world. This usually leads to better shots in the long run too, which is always nice when it comes time to sort through the photos to edit them.

Turtleneck: Target

Sweater: American Eagle

Jeans: Levi's

Shoes: Public Desire (via ASOS)

Sunglasses: Free People (great dupes for Karen Walker Super Duper Strength sunglasses)

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