It's easy to feel awkward in front of the camera. Even I do. Although, having said that, I've found that I'm a little more comfortable if I'm just having fun, and if I am reasonably confident that the person holding the camera vaguely knows what they're doing...
E and I headed out to the woods for a confidence boosting shoot. The aim was to help her to feel more relaxed in front of a lens, and to work on some posing techniques. She was pretty nervous to start off with, so we headed to a quiet area and started with some very gentle chatter and relaxed shots. We started with not having to look at me, and just having a conversation, before gently building up to images where she was looking straight at the camera. By the end of the session, she was strutting her stuff regardless of numerous bystanders (I was so proud of her!), and I'm sure you'll agree she did a fantastic job!
So many people hold off from family photos, or duck out of the way (or hide behind someone else's head!) because they feel self-conscious, and that's totally natural. However, time goes past so quickly that sometimes it's easy to realise that a whole period of life has gone by without any images of us, and it's so important for our family and friends that we exist in photos, especially for our partners and children. If you're thinking about booking a family session but are holding out until x, y or z, please be reassured that I will be there to help you to relax, and when you relax your images will reflect that and your personality, which is beautiful. If you're thinking about wedding photographs but feel a little unsure about having so many cameras around or being the centre of attention, most photographers will offer engagement sessions to their couples - I certainly do - and these can be a great way to test the water, work out what you're comfortable with and build a rapport with your photographer without any stress or time limits, and crucially build up your confidence so that you're not fretting about it on the day. And of course, if you'd like a private confidence boosting session then I'm always here, and happy to help out!
Have a little look at E's shoot below - you wouldn't believe she was camera shy before!