4 Quick Tips to help you feel less awkward when going on a couple or family shoot! Plus BONUS tips!

Being in front of a camera can be straight-up weird. It feels vulnerable, and I would argue that's a good thing! But heck—why do we have to feel so awkward?!

I know the feeling! I'm probably waaay more awkward in front of the camera than half my clients. All our insecurities run to the surface when that lens is being pointed in our direction! You kind of forget how to look like a normal person and because you're nervous you're probably making *really* weird-looking faces and gestures that you don't normally do—been there, done that my friend!

In this blog, I want to walk you through a few quick tips to beat the awkward and open yourself up to real emotion when doing any photoshoot AND kick your "expectation vs. reality" fear in the butt.

Tip #1: Stop looking at the camera

(Unless of course your photographer tells you to!)

The best thing you can do (especially during a couple and family shoot) is to ~just~ interact with the person/people you're shooting with like you normally would! This is photographer heaven—trust me!

Throughout the shoot I will guide and direct you into poses or activities that bring out natural movement, but if you keep looking at the camera that's when it’s going to feel awkward AND you’ll see it on camera! Instead, when you're for example walking hand-in-hand, look at each other, or look out at your surroundings instead of the camera. And when you're in a closer pose with your faces together you can really take a deep breath and be in the moment with your partner—close your eyes or see how many colours you can spot in their eyes.

My husband always tells the guys "your only job is to distract her from the camera" and I must say that's solid advice right there! Kiss her, hold her, look at her, tell her jokes, pick her up, tickle her, [insert whatever you like] —and trust me you'll soon forget there's a camera clicking at the speed of an AK47 right next to you.

Bonus tip: close your eyes when you kiss (open eye kisses look slightly awkward on camera)—you can thank me later!

Tip #2: Leave your preconceived ideas at home

I'm a big believer in a good mood board to help you plan a shoot and prepare yourself mentally for what you're going to be shooting. BUT if you have too many Pinterest pictures in your head and you're trying to make those happen instead of flowing with natural moments it's going to feel forced and it's probably going to show on camera.

I always welcome it when clients want to send me pictures of what they want because it means they want to make sure I'm on the same page with them—that's 100%! However, I take those ideas, I internalise them, and come shoot day I play around with you and your surroundings creatively and aim to give you images that reflect your personalities and dynamic as a couple or a family—not some other person you saw on Instagram or Pinterest.

Inspiration is great—but trusting your photographer to do the job that you hired them to do is waaaaaay better! And if something doesn't go according to plan (like your perfectly planned location being closed), just let go and trust that your photographer will still make it work.

Bonus tip: if there's a specific photo you want to have done on your shoot, of course, tell your photographer about it! You can discuss it via email before the time or you can tell them right before you start and they will work it in where it will make the most impact!

Tip #3: Don't wear heels!

A.k.a. don't wear things or do things you don't normally wear or do!

This might sound obvious to some, but it merits a mention here. Your engagement shoot or your family shoot should be in an environment that makes you comfortable and you should 100% be wearing what makes you feel amazing!

If you want to wear band t-shirts and shoot in a skatepark I'm all for it! You know why? Because that will bring out your truest personality and it'll be much easier for you to connect emotionally. If a summer dress on a wine farm is your weekend vibe then let's plan your shoot for the summer and have some wine on hand!

And of course, if you wear heels every day—go for it! Just make sure we don’t shoot on a mountain ;)

Bonus tip: If you have no idea where to shoot or what to wear, just give me an idea of what you like and your personalities and we'll plan the perfect shoot together that won't feel stiff and stuffy. How about that?!

Tip #4: Remember these are not school photos

You're not just having your picture taken so that your mom can print one for her fridge (although that likely will happen anyway). This is an experience that will document your relationship and preserve these memories for a lifetime! It's meant to be fun and intimate and sometimes super emotional. The more you can let go and be in the moment with your partner the more precious these memories will be.

Imagine this: when you look back at these photos you remember how much you laughed or how loved you felt by your partner by the way they're looking at you or how beautiful the sunset was that day. That sounds much better to me than the memory of sitting in a cold white studio with lights trying to fit into a fake suitcase with a daisy in my hand—anyone?!

Bonus tip: before the shoot spend time with your partner or your family doing things you love doing together—make the whole day special. Write letters to each other to read during the shoot or just simply take a few minutes before you arrive to look into each other's eyes and say how much they mean to you. It will make aaaalll the difference!

The truth is, it’s not really about you feeling awkward—the root is trust. If you can trust your photographer to hold the moments and to guide you in such a way that you feel comfortable then really nothing can go wrong.

I don't want a bad photo either, so I'm going to make sure I'm taking the best images I've ever taken when I'm with you. It's really a win-win scenario!

So what *exactly* are you waiting for?!