5 Reasons to Get in Front of the Camera More
Some of us are born risk-takers. Some of us are homebodies while others are social butterflies. Some of us like sweet popcorn while the rest of us will always opt for salty. And – if you didn’t already see where we were going with this – some of us are very happy to position ourselves behind the camera, rather than in front of it.
It’s okay to be camera shy. Most of us know how it feels to look back at photos from an event, and find something worth criticising. It’s easy to start feeling like, instead of risking that feeling again, it’s better to be the one taking the picture – maybe, once in a while, letting their finger make a blurry appearance in the bottom right corner.
It’s an easy trap to fall into, but it’s one that is 100% worth getting out of again. Here are just a few reasons why.
1. You’re the star of your own story
Our photo reels have the power to turn our lives into long, wonderful stories. Even though they may have their boring moments – those twelve identical shots of the hairline crack in your windshield aren’t about to spark the next big biopic, after all – everything is part of that big, beautiful tapestry.
These days, social media is the ideal platform for retelling your story (albeit in more aesthetic ways). But, as you start to grow that story, you can also make a habit of printing photo books straight from your Facebook – a great excuse to be your own headlining act.
It’s only right that you should get a prominent role in that story. Even if it doesn’t feel important now, it will feel important someday – and that brings us onto our next point…
2. Even if you don’t want to see those pictures, others will
How many times do we say to one another, ‘This will be a great story to tell the kids/grandkids one day’? The answer is, in all likelihood, a lot. We all go through so many weird and wonderful and unique experiences, and the photographs are one of the best forms of memory we have.
One day, even if it’s years from now, having those photos of yourself – your iffy haircut in 2019, your fashion sense that has always been very much ‘of its time’, that tiny apartment you stayed in when you first moved to the city – will mean so much to you, and to your loved ones.
3. It’s a great confidence booster
This one is more about perspective than anything else, but it’s worth a short. While all of us – even celebrities with a fleet of makeup artists and hair stylists behind them – will occasionally have a bad photo taken, the opposite is also true – and much more common.
If it’s a question of unflattering shadows, then make a beeline for soft, natural lighting – no harsh glares. If you feel ‘on the spot’ and uncomfortable with a lens pointed right at you, then just encourage your friends and family to crowd in next to you. It’s a great way to feel more natural and at-ease. If your partner is just a poor photographer, then get them to read our guide to taking better pictures of your significant other.
And, when your camera roll starts to fill up with the photos you do love, you can take advantage of the massive confidence boost that comes with it.
4. Some moments will prove harder to remember than others
Some of life’s most amazing, affirming moments are also the hardest to remember clearly. Take weddings, for example. They’re the best days of our lives, but they go by in such a blur of petals and confetti, music and laughter, that the photos are a key part of reliving the scene years down the line.
We’re not saying every occasion has to be as special (or as frantic) as a wedding in order to warrant you getting in front of the camera, but that, even if a moment feels memorable, you’ll never regret having a few photos to remember it by.
5. If you don’t try, you’ll never know
It’s so easy to get used to being ‘the person who doesn’t get in front of the camera’. We fall into habits and roles and, eventually, it can feel impossible to break out of them, even if a part of us wants to.
Tell someone close to you that you’re ready to appear in photos more and the chances are that they will be more than happy to make that happen. Give it a go – we promise it won’t be as bad as you’re expecting it to be.
