Stop saying you don’t look good in pictures!

Many times I have heard individuals say “Don’t take my picture, I don’t look good in pictures.” Some are nervous just being in the same room as a camera. Are you one of them? Sadly, if you don’t take pictures you and your love ones won’t have pictures of you to share. Everyone wants to have photographs and be able to say “This is my grandma!, This is Auntie when she……, Look at Papa when he was…..” Also you need pictures to put on business cards and pictures that you feel properly represent you. Sadly, many people leave this planet and their loved ones have no images to remember of them. Don’t let your prior experiences keep you from having pictures taken. You should proudly look at pictures and be able to say “yes, that’s me!”

I know some people have had some justifiably bad experiences in front of the camera. Maybe the person taking the picture did not know how or didn’t care. There are some people who want to catch you in a bad light or doing something crazy. Then they have the audacity to show them to people who don’t need to see them. Certain people need to be photographed in a particular way. There are ways to pose, angles to shoot from, and lighting setups to make people look taller, shorter, thinner, etc. For professional portraits good makeup is a must for adults. It is flattering and it evens out skintones while covering some blemishes. Other blemishes often can be removed while still keeping a natural look.

I too am very particular about who takes my picture and what they are going to do with it. I feel that I should control where my pictures should be seen. When I am behind the camera, I realize that at first I need to take the time to build a rapport and trust with the person sitting. I take several pictures just to “warm up”. After a while there is a connection and the time is ripe for some great photography. Sometimes even the warm up pictures are wonderful. Pictures that aren’t good are immediately discarded.

As a photographer one of the things I love best is engaging with someone who hates to be photographed and show them how wonderful they look in pictures. It has happened time and time again. I am highly honored that an aunt who truely disliked having her picture taken now gladly sits still, smiles and allows me to photograph her. Her pictures are beautiful.

So forget about the past. Get in front of the camera and allow your friends and family to photograph you. Also have some professional pictures taken and have them printed large. Frame them and show them off in that special place in your home. You will be surprised how wonderful you will look! Plus, your family will have the beautiful images of you that they deserve.

I hope you will contact me and allow me to photograph soon. Don’t put it off.