Hate having your photograph taken? Then read on... | Outdoor Kids and Family Photographer, Loughborough, Leicestershire
This is me.
This photograph was taken by my lovely friend, Alison Mazzilli. I too, dislike being in front of the camera. It was taken a few weeks after I had given birth, I didn't look at my best and yet I love it. I love it because it shows the bond that exists between me and my daughter.
It is probably of no surprise to you when I say that most of my clients (particularly women) don't like having their photograph taken.
I find it really interesting that in my photography career to date I have only come across one child (and she was a teenager) that didn't like being in front of the camera. I wonder at what point we become self conscious and worried about what we look like?
I know my children (6 and 4) love to look at photographs of themselves - they also enjoy looking at photos of me. Not once have they said "Mummy, you've got bags under your eyes" or "your bum looks big" or "how many chins are you hiding there?" and yet these are things that we seem to see when looking at ourselves.
Think about photos that have stopped you in your tracks of your friends, your parents and your family. When you looked at them did you spend time looking at the flaws or did you look for the emotion, the connection, the feeling?
In fact, I'd go as far as to say think about your favourite photo of yourself - why do you like it? I'll bet my bottom dollar it's because you have an emotional attachment to it. It was probably taken on a day when you were having fun and were happy...my family sessions are usually fun and happy.
I get so many people saying - can you concentrate on the kids? I don't really want to be in them. This is fine by the way - I have no problem just photographing the children. But what I find is that the kids are having fun and the parents/grandparents are interacting with them and suddenly the parents are jumping into the photos without even thinking about it. During my Photo Shoots everyone seems to get lost in the moment. And this is what I'm photographing - these moments between you and your wonderful family.
Do you think your kids will look back at photos of you and look for your flaws or do you think they will look at them and be flooded with happy memories of the wonderful childhood that you have given them. And you'll probably look at them in 10 years time and think - I actually looked pretty good back then!
I am sure that you will agree that the lovely ladies below all look absolutely fantastic in their photographs.
Feel the fear and do it anyway! Go on, book that shoot - I promise that you won't regret it! Bookings currently being taken for the Spring. Visit my website to find out more.
As you know I like to celebrate some of the wonderful photographers that I get to meet and this week I would like to send you over to the lovely Karin in Fremantle. Karin is a newborn, baby and family Photographer and this week she talks about exercise during pregnancy in her blog. Pop over and check it out.
