One of the strangest things to adjust to as a blogger is taking photos (or having photos taken) of yourself all the time. If you haven’t spent a lot of time in front of a camera before, it can be a very new, very intimidating, and very awkward feeling (at least I know it was like that for me).

I did a post last month in which I shared some my favorite poses for blog photos, but I didn’t really go into detail about how I got to a place where I felt comfortable posing. Today’s post is kind of a follow-up to that. So, if you haven’t already checked out that post, I would suggest giving it a read before you dive into this one.

Without further delay, let’s talk about how to feel less awkward in front of the camera!

PRACTICE YOUR POSES

To begin, I’d first like to say that I think one of the biggest misconceptions people have about fashion bloggers is that they’re naturally comfortable and confident when it comes to posing for photos. Maybe some bloggers have a knack for posing, but certainly not all of us. It takes a while to build up that level of comfort and confidence, so if you don’t have it yet, please don’t get discouraged! Posing will become a lot less awkward the more time you devote to it. 

The best thing you can do for yourself is practice your poses before you actually go to shoot photos. It might sound funny, but I highly suggest standing in front of a mirror and trying as many different poses as you can. Having practiced your poses before going out to shoot photos will make them feel more natural and less uncomfortable. It’s kind of like preparing for a test at school or a presentation at work. You want to expose yourself to the material (in this case, the poses) so that it flows smoothly when it comes time to put it to use.

KEEP EXPERIMENTING

Experimentation is another important part of getting comfortable in front of the camera. In fact, I would say this is the step that has helped me the most with shedding my photo-taking awkwardness. Devote a little bit of time every now and then (even if it’s just a few minutes) to experimenting with different poses. I would recommend taking these photos yourself using a tripod and the timer setting your camera just because it will give you the  most freedom and flexibility, but it’s entirely up to you. Try out your funkiest poses ideas. See what works and what doesn’t work.

FIND INSPIRATION

It’s common to look for inspiration online for outfit ideas. But you know what it’s just as useful to look for? Finding inspiration for poses. Trust me on this: Pinterest will be your best friend when it comes to figuring out different ways to appear on camera. Bloggers tend to have the same kind of poses, so looking at a few of them should give you a good starting point.

SHOOT SOMEWHERE SECLUDED

Picking your location is an important part of taking blog photos. When you’re first starting out, I would say the more the secluded, the better. A lot of the awkwardness of posing in front of the camera comes from being around other people. So, by minimizing the amount of people around, you can also minimize some of the discomfort.

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

Despite what you may think, you don’t actually have to have all the confidence in the world to look like you do. That fashion blogger you always see doing the cutest poses in their photos on social media might not actually feel as relaxed as they seem. It’s all about how they project themselves and the mindset they have going into it. Keeping your thoughts positive and telling yourself to be confident can make a huge difference.

OTHER POSTS TO CHECK OUT:

Easy Ways to Make Money As A Blogger

Blog Photography Problems

Let’s Talk: Blog Photo Poses

Ways I’ve Improved My Instagram

Do you have any tips for feeling less awkward in front of the camera? 

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