How To Build Confidence By Doing Photo Shoots
Underneath those khaki work pants, you’ve got killer legs. That messy bun and those thick glasses are just part of a master disguise, so people won’t confuse you with some super model and beg for your autograph… Gah! So annoying… The cat fur on your shirt is more than decorative. It provides extra warmth for those long winter months.
Is daily life becoming mundane and making you feel not so sexy or confident?
Or, all kidding aside, do you suffer from low self-esteem possibly brought on by the mistreatment from others in your childhood or adult life?
It sounds like somebody needs a photo shoot!
If you think a well planned and finely executed photo shoot could help you become more confident, you have found the right read! As a total photo nerd with over 10 years of experience jumping in front of countless cameras, I have many tips on how to make your confidence building photo shoot the best experience possible!
Planning
Research
Don’t ditch the big sexy glasses yet, because you may need them for all of the research that’s coming. But, before you start that research, ask yourself these questions:
- What kind of photo shoot would help me build the most confidence?
- What kind of look do I want to achieve? Professional? Sexy? Sweet? Badass?…
Search Terms To Help You Decide On A Look
- Pinup (Old school look that may require some shopping, hair, and makeup styling tutorials to pull it off correctly! Fun. Silly. Lots of smiling!)
- Professional Headshots. (Keep those khaki pants on if you want! Think real estate agent photos.. Warm, friendly smiles. Make that sale, baby!)
- Boudoir (Classy soft looks. Dramatic lighting. Usually serious. Sexy face with no smiling or soft smiles. Smile with eyes. Lingerie)
- Nature (Oh, the options that nature provides!! Cool canyons, flower fields in Spring, creepy dead trees in Winter! Nature shots provide the opportunity for lots of body movement like running, jumping, throwing leaves, etc.)
- Bikini (Cover that killer bod in coconut oil, and mist water on your skin! Or not.. just an option. Sexy face. Whatever that is to you: sexy innocent, sexy wild, sexy serious, sexy smile, etc.)
- Implied Nude (Tasteful/classy. Implied nude means you are naked, but you are covering your naughty bits with either your hands or a bedsheet or something like that. Usually relaxed body and relaxed facial expressions.)
- Nude (Tasteful/classy)
- Steam-Punk (Have fun with this one. Make it whatever you want. Lots of freedom here!)
- Sci-Fi (Do it!)
- Cosplay (Costume themed photos, often based off of an anime. Why not? You know you’ve always wanted to!)
- Photo shoot time is THE time to use your imagination, cut loose, and have fun! Make the shoot whatever you want it to be!
Styling: Clothes, Hair, And Makeup
Styling is such a fun and essential part of planning a photo shoot! The right clothes, hair, and makeup can have a huge positive impact on helping you build confidence for your photo shoot!
Choose clothes, hair, and makeup that fit the theme you have chosen to do. Make sure the clothes you have chosen love you as much as you love them! What I mean by that is, sometimes I fall in love with an article of clothing, and I have to reluctantly admit that it just doesn’t look good on me. It happens.
The whole point of your photo shoot is to build confidence, so always make sure to find clothes, makeup, and hair styles that you feel the most confident in. Think of your favorite features about yourself and aim to flatter them or draw attention to them.
Choose at least one fantastic outfit for your photo shoot, including accessories and shoes. Try to compile 3 outfits if you can. That way, you and your photographer will have options to play with!
Practice Before Your Photo Shoot
Lots of people assume that models are effortlessly beautiful and confident. Like they could emerge from a crashed airplane with perfect makeup and hair while striking perfect poses for reporters. However, the truth is that most models actually have to practice in the mirror and in photos before they can achieve those epic shots.
You will want to practice, too, in order to get the best photos out of your upcoming shoot! Practice is essential for building confidence through photo shoots.
Technique For Practicing Facial Expressions For Photos
Experiment with different facial expressions by using this technique:
- Take lots of selfies in quick succession by either using a timer on your phone or just by snapping the pics. Try a different facial expression for each pic. Try tilting your head at different angles and looking in different directions, too. Don’t think about it too much, relax, breathe normally, and just do it!
- Look at the pictures and decide which ones you like the best and why. Which pictures make you feel the most confident about yourself? Delete all the duds.
- Practice recreating your favorite expressions in selfies until you have mastered them, so that they will come easily to you on photo shoot day.
- Make sure your expressions align with the look you are trying to achieve. For example, smile flirtatiously if you plan to do pinup photos, or practice a relaxed face with soft and inviting expressions for boudoir.
How To Achieve The Best Facial Expressions For Photos
The best facial expressions for any type of photo shoot are always going to be the most sincere ones! And, the best way to achieve sincere expressions is to fully root down in the moment and enjoy your time in front of the camera.
However, if you are nervous or just not fully immersed in the moment and setting, you can think about something that makes you feel the emotion you are trying to convey.
For example, if you are planning on wearing a sweet dress while standing among beautiful flowers for your photo shoot, you may practice thinking of baking cookies with your Grandmother as a child. This will help you achieve that innocent, warm expression you are going for. (Unless your Grandmother wasn’t so sweet, haha!)
Another example that would work really well for something like a professional headshot is to remember a time when you felt super confident in yourself. Think of a memory where you crushed that job interview, graduated from college, or felt really proud of your child for something great they did.
Take notes of the memories for inspiration, and put them in your makeup bag to take to the shoot. Notes can help you remember how to achieve the look you want on photo shoot day. It’s easy to forget things when you’re actually in front of the camera!
Practicing techniques like this is a confidence building exercise, and capturing those emotions on camera helps to seal them inside of your consciousness forever. Every time you look at those pictures of yourself, you remember that feeling. And, the more you remember that confident feeling, the more your confidence grows.
What To Do With Your Body In Photo Shoots
What to do with your body in photo shoots is highly dependent on what type of photo shoot you are doing. I gave detailed explanations of what to do with your face, because that is probably the biggest challenge for many people in photo shoots, especially if you are trying a style of shoot that you have never done before.
However, a good photographer will often guide you through some good body movements to achieve a great shot.
Practicing before the shoot is still highly recommended, so you can be confident about what you plan to do when you are in front of the camera.
Try the same technique for practicing facial expressions that I mentioned above by snapping tons of selfies if your phone has a timer mode. Or, have a trusted friend take your photo. As mentioned above, identify the pictures that make you look and feel the most confident and memorize them for the day of your photo shoot!
Find Your Photographer and Collaborate
After all of this planning, I think you are more than ready to start searching for your photographer! You can find the perfect photographer to collaborate with in the following ways:
Google Maps Search
Just go to Google Maps and type in “photographer” or “photography” in your area to see what pops up. Make sure to read the reviews, including the negative ones. Every photographer I have ever worked with has made me feel safe, respected, and fabulous. But, unfortunately, there are some shady ones out there, too.
Ask Your Friends
Do you have a friend that is always posting the coolest professional photos on social media? Check the photographer credits.
Ask your friend any questions you may have about their experience shooting with that photographer. Asking someone you know and trust about their honest experience with a photographer will help you be more confident at your shoot.
If your friend’s photos aren’t the exact style you are aiming for, check out that photographer’s website or social media page. They may shoot a variety of styles for you to choose from.
Social Media Search
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook… If it’s a social media site, a quick search for photographers in your area will yield results. It may be a little more difficult to find reviews for the photographer this way, but you can try reaching out to people tagged in photos and ask them how their experience with that photographer was.
Findaphotographer.com
This website is an incredible resource to help you find a photographer! At findaphotographer.com, you can search for a photographer near you by style with over 20 style options to choose from! The site also offers a ton of articles with tips for helping you plan for your photo shoot.
I am not sure how inclusive this website is for locating all photographers in your area, but the lists for the areas I searched offered quite a few options.
Collaborate
It’s time to talk turkey. Contact a photographer you may be interested in working with. After the initial greetings, whether it be in person, on the phone, or through a message, I find that the following guide is a great way to make the collaboration process a direct and efficient use of everyone’s time:
- Compliment their work! Tell them why you may want to work with them.
- Tell them your vision in as much detail as possible. If you can use terms they are familiar with, that will help them understand what you are shooting for. Photographers understand themed shoots like: boudoir, professional headshots, fashion, etc. Discuss location ideas (indoor/outdoor).
- If you plan to shoot boudoir, bikini, lingerie, nudes, or implied nudes: Be upfront about your comfort level before the day of the shoot. Always speak positively and respectfully, but make it clear how much skin you are comfortable showing. This communication will ensure that you are both on the same page for shoot day, which will help you feel more comfortable and confident in front of the camera.
- Ask about rates, scheduling, and all that type of stuff. Also, ask if they let you choose your final photos! It’s common for photographers and clients to disagree on favorite photos from a shoot. The reasons a photographer usually hates a photo is because of something on their end that they feel doesn’t look good like lighting, blur, or some other technical thing. Photographers have deleted photos that I really loved, because they weren’t happy with some technical aspect of it! If choosing your final photos from a shoot is important to you, ask how that editing and selection process works.
Your Confidence Building Photo Shoot!
Prepare For Photos The Day Before
In order to get the best photos out of your shoot and boost your confidence, make sure to eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and get good rest the day before your shoot. Prepare by packing your outfits, accessories, and everything you’ll need, so you aren’t in a rush the next day. Here is a basic packing list that you may want to add to or customize:
- Outfits (Take 3 options if you have them!)
- Accessories like jewelry, hair ornaments, hats, sunglasses, shawls, etc.
- Shoes for each outfit
- Hair brush and product for touch-ups
- Makeup (Arrive with it on, but bring it for touch-ups)
- Paper towels and makeup remover (You may want to change lipstick colors for each outfit!)
- Props (if any)
- Water, drinks
- Snacks! Sometimes photo shoots can last a long time. I’ve done shoots that have lasted 4 hours before! Some shoots can burn more calories than you may expect. If you’re trying to capture that perfect jump shot, hair-flip shot, or running shot, you might need a snack-ums.
- Toothpick or toothbrush and toothpaste… For all the snacks… If you take a snack break and go back to shooting, you’ll want clean teeth!
- Notes for how to move/pose for each outfit. Notes for thoughts to think of in order to achieve the most sincere expressions.
The Day Of Your Shoot
You’ll want to prepare early the day of your photo shoot, so you can arrive a few minutes early. Hair and makeup can take a long time! Just ask your boyfriend. Ha! Burn.
Wear loose fitting clothing to the shoot that won’t leave imprint lines on your skin. I used to shoot with a photographer that absolutely hated sock lines! He spent a lot of time editing them out in photoshop, but always asked people to not wear socks to the shoot. I knew another photographer that loathed hair elastics on the wrist.
Bringing a friend or relative to the shoot with you can help with styling consistency. Photographers are often so focused on lighting and other techy things, that they won’t always catch things like the tag that is sticking out of your corset, the lipstick on your teeth, or that your Betty Page bangs are parted in the center of your forehead all weird like a curtain. I hate when that happens.
How To Be Confident In Front Of The Camera
If you have followed all of the steps I mentioned above to prepare for your shoot, it will pay off and help you to be confident in front of the camera! Relax. Have fun! And, remember your best angles, movements, poses, and facial expressions.
Ask the photographer if you can play music to help you feel confident.
Ask if you can see some of the photos while shooting. Some photographers don’t like to show their clients the photos during the shoot, but it really helps me know what I’m doing and how to get a better shot. Politely let them know that you will take better photos if you can see some of your pictures during the shoot.
Maybe you’re not like me, and you just want to keep shooting without looking at the progress, and that’s OK, too!
Do not get discouraged if you see some photos you don’t like! I always take at least 300 photos per shoot, and only end up keeping about 10 at the most. It’s part of the process for capturing the most magical shots.
How Photo Shoots Build Lasting Confidence
Use your finished photos however you please to build lasting confidence!
Share them online with friends and family.
Send them to your significant other via text.
Hang them in your house wherever you want, and don’t feel bad about it. So, when you’re at home on a Sunday, strutting around in your fancy fur coat, (that is actually just a regular sweater covered in cat fur), you can look up at your photo on the wall and say, “ah yes, that’s me. I’m sooooooo pretty!!!”
In a previous article, Brandy told her story about how she traded body shame, that she learned from childhood, for body confidence by doing photo shoots. And, in another article, I told my story about how doing nude photo shoots helped me build some much needed self-esteem.
Everyone has days where they don’t look their best, and some of us start to lose confidence on those days. However, when you have a few really cool photo shoots under your belt, you can think back on them, and project that confidence into the world everywhere you go!
Thanks for reading! Have fun at your shoot!!