Most people who book me say some version of the same thing: "I hate photos of myself."
One bride told me she doesn't do selfies and avoids photos like the plague. She loved her wedding photos. That's not unusual. The people who dread being photographed are often the ones most moved by the results.
Here's why it's so hard. We see ourselves in the mirror every day, and a photo shows us the opposite way round, so it looks "wrong". We only meet photos of ourselves when we're being told to pose, which makes anyone stiff. And we zoom in on our own faces in a way nobody else does. The people who love you see you, not your chin.
I'll tell you who photos are for. They're for your kids. Your partner. The future you, who needs reminding you were doing a better job than you thought. Nobody in twenty years will be looking at your photo and judging it. They'll be looking for you.
What actually helps:
Say it out loud. Tell your photographer what you hate. I've heard every version, and it makes me work around it.
Skip the pose. There's no wrong way to stand. Move, talk, laugh. The good ones happen in between.
Wear what feels like you. Not what you think you should wear.
Give it ten minutes. The start is always the worst bit. It passes.
Don't judge them in the first minute. Give it a week, then look again.
If you run a business, this matters more than you'd think. People buy from people. A photo that looks like you on a good day builds more trust than any stock image ever will.
My psychology and care background means I notice when someone's tense and I change what I'm doing. That's most of my job, really.
Hate photos of yourself? Tell me. It's the best place to start. Let's make a time to chat.
