Singapore personal branding photographer, Rebecca Downie, shares her top 6 tips for feeling more confident on your photoshoot.
HATE HAVING YOUR PHOTO TAKEN? PLEASE KNOW THIS IS A COMMON FEAR, BUT WE SHOULDN'T LET IT STAND IN THE WAY OF BEING VISIBLE IN OUR BUSINESS AS WE DESERVE TO SUCCEED, WE HAVE GIFTS TO SHARE AND DREAMS TO ACHIEVE!
I don't meet many people who enjoy being in front of the camera. Almost all of my clients, despite being beautiful, confident, and successful women, have shared with me that posing in front of a camera fills them with dread. There is no denying that camera phobia is a common fear.
However, avoiding having your photo taken can be detrimental to your growth if you are running your own business, especially if you are the face of your brand. The right personal branding photography can make an incredible difference when it comes to connecting with your audience. Marketing theory has proven that people buy from people, and all purchases are a mixture of logic and emotion. We need to give people a reason to buy from us.
Shared values and a connection is a great way to do that. How? The most effective way to build trust and convert casual clickers into loyal customers is to show up consistently in your online marketing.
I have been told that my super power is making people feel relaxed, have fun and forgetting they are even on a photo shoot! In my many years as a branding photographer, I've learned a lot about how to overcome your fear and feel confident in front of a camera, here are my 6 simple tips:
1.Prepare, prepare, prepare
My number one tip to becoming comfortable in front of the camera is to prepare, prepare, prepare! Many people feel anxious about getting photographed because they are unprepared in the first place — they don't know what to expect, what to wear, and what their goals are.
Before each photoshoot, I will send you a Shoot Plan Guide and will support you every step of the way in the planning and preparation for your shoot. This is to help you feel comfortable so that you can get the most out of our time together and come away with images that really represent you and your brand.
Some key tips I recommend to my clients are:
- I always recommend wearing outfits that are comfortable and that make you feel confident. Now is the time to wear that outfit you always get complimented on!
- Creating a Pinterest board of inspiration images you'd like to use during the shoot. These are great for getting clear on the type of visuals that resonate with you. It’s an exercise my clients find so valuable.
- Think about your marketing plans. You want super useful story telling images that resonate with your content and audience, not a portfolio of pretty pictures. Remember these are marketing images so need to be purposeful.
- Booking professional hair and makeup.. Photographic make up is different to normal make up and helps you look your best self under the lights and lenses. I highly recommend working with Kelly L Nash, who is a renowned hair and make-up artist.
Watch my 'Behind the Scenes' video below to get a feel for the fun of a shoot.
2.Use props to avoid awkward posing
Having something to do with our hands makes a huge difference! Some ideas to use when taking your own photos or engaging a brand photographer is your...
- Laptop
- Mobile phone
- Notepad
- Tools of the trade (e.g. fabric, medical equipment, microphone, products etc.)
- Coffee cup / croissants
- Favourite book
- Your cat or dog!
3.Choose a location you love...
Does Sentosa fill your soul, a nature walk around the Botanic Gardens or perhaps the city vibe of Raffles Place?
Considering the location of your shoot will be the backdrop for all your photographs, it's important to make sure it's representative of your business and values. But it is equally important it is a place that makes you feel totally comfortable and conveys your personality. Being comfortable in your surrounds will show in your photos, and help you attract clients who share your values and likes.
You may wish to consider having your photograph taken from home if you find the idea of people watching you fill you will dread, or if you feel energised by the buzz of the city then you may wish to consider a favourite neighbourhood or the central business district.
That’s something I discuss with and help my clients decide on. In a full brand shoot you will have time for multiple locations to capture real variety! A recent coaching client chose a shop house apartment, Joo Chiat colourful streets and East Coast Beach. A wealth Al manager I worked with choose her city office, Raffles Place, Singapore River backdrop and at home with the kids. Options are endless and designed to be personal to you.
4.Keep moving
Energy is key in creating good images. Keeping moving and the energy flowing helps create images that are alive. You can:
- walk,
- jump,
- skip, or
- twirl, whatever works for you!
By bringing relaxed movement to your shoot, you'll be able to let go of all that nervous energy, leading to energetic and expressive photographs. I love chatting to clients, capturing those natural smiles and laughs.
5.Bring a friend
Sometimes nerves can take over. That’s ok, we all get like that from time to time. My shoots aren’t rushed to allow us to go at your pace and I’d never push a client to do something that felt unnatural. If like me you love the support of a friend, is to bring one along who can make you relaxed and smile. It's great to have ‘clients’ in your images, and bringing a friend can make what might have been a daunting experience into an enjoyable, laughter-filled one.
And finally, have fun!
Having a little nervous trepidation on the day is perfectly normal but rest assured that with me as your photographer you will be in safe hands. My clients constantly tell me how they felt more relaxed and had more fun than they expected.
This is what Moran Baillie, Women-Centred Coach had to say following her shoot:
“Rebecca is an outstanding brand photographer! if you are looking to work with someone professional, lovely and fun - Rebecca is the one. You will have an experience with will leave you with a smile on your face and loads of images you will absolutely love!”
Rebecca Downie offer personal branding and lifestyle photoshoots for entrepreneurs and founders based in Singapore or Sydney who are looking to start up or scale up their businesses and need images for Linkedin in profiles, social media marketing, website refreshes and launches, speaker one pages, book covers, offline marketing and much more.
