Are you afraid of not being photogenic? Perhaps it is the greatest fear after bad weather and the reasons are absolutely understandable. The solution may seem paradoxical, but it is to make more photographs! Let us explain.
The wedding day is a unique event, full of emotions and great expectations from everyone. Marriage makes you move, smile, excite and the wish of the newlyweds is always to involve their guests and let them spend a nice day.
During all this, the photographer shows up! A strange figure, full of cumbersome and curious equipment that continually observe you! It could be for you the first time in front of professional cameras.
On the day when all eyes are on you and you must swear eternal love to your soulmate, the photographer get’s in your way saying: “Spontaneouuuus, so we will have beautiful photographs!”. Easier said that done. You surely would avoid him!
The point is not that you like or not have been photographed. In fact, attitudes in front of the camera could be different:
- You do not like being in front of the camera and therefore you are afraid of not being photogenic
- You like photographs but you do not know if the photographer really understands your desires
In any of both cases the essence does not change: having the camera on you creates a good deal of emotions.
The most widespread solution for this problem is an emblematic request from the photographer: “Pretend that I’m not there”. Websites of wedding photographers are full of words like discretion, invisibility and other synonyms. Quite correct: a photographer must know how to move properly without distracting or generating discomfort, but to pretend he is not there seems to be very difficult for the couple.
First because as discreet, he is clearly visible thanks to its equipment and then, because he can not take all the photographs from 200 meters away with its telephoto lens like a paparazzo! He is always nearby.
There should be another solution.. Let’s try to change the point of view ..
If you are planning an important evening, a party or an important dinner, I guess you will test your outfit. It is a common habit to check if you have something suitable for the evening or buy it. You may match everything: shoes, accessories and all that is needed. If the appointment is on Saturday, you will probably wear what you have chosen on Friday evening, checking if you look good to eliminate any doubt and to be sure to be comfortable.
The same thing applies to the photographs. You can not think of adding some other stress during that day already so intense. There will be other emotions that await you.
The solution is there and it is the “outfit test”: photographically speaking, the pre-wedding photographic session!
This session, also called Engagement, is the perfect opportunity to face and overcome all your fears in front of the camera in a much more relaxed and peaceful environment, free from the typical time pressures of the wedding day. Let’s see how and why …
It’s about taking pictures on a day when you have no other plans, in order to not risk getting late or waiting for someone.
You can relax in a place that is particularly dear to you with the sole objective of having fun for a romantic couple of hours (and testing the photographer!).
Empathy between newlyweds and photographer is fundamental. In a simple way, there must be a perfect harmony between you and the photographer, because he will probably spend with you more hours of everyone else during that day!
At the same time, those shots are fundamental for the photographer, because he will have the opportunity to study the couple’s emotional and photographic strengths and get prepared for the wedding day.
To see the photographs of the pre-wedding session before the event, to understand that the camera is an absolutely manageable presence, to be sure that the photographer has understood how to portray and enhance you best: all this gives you a great photographic confidence which you can take with you on the big day.
As happens for the outfit test, during the Engagement there will be changes, changes of perspective, attempts .. until the perfect mood that would makes you comfortable will be found.
This means being absolutely comfortable, during the wedding and in front of the camera. You have already tested both the camera and the photographer and you have got to correct any margins and reassure yourself that everything is as you wish.
You can not think of doing all this during that day, it would really be an excessive emotional stress. That is why we would resolve those fears first, because it frees you from stress to being photographed giving you the opportunity to fully experience your photo shoot with real spontaneity.
To overcome the fear of not being photogenic, the best solution is to take even more pictures!