Photoshoots and self confidence

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  • Hey, I hope this is the right forum, but does anyone have tips and tricks for self confidence when doing photoshoots ? c;

    I have looked up some tutorials for posing (mainly by Elite Cosplay on youtube), but I still kinda lack confidence to do such thing.
    My confidence has certainly grown a lot since puberty, but I still hate posing on pictures. It makes me feel super awkward and that's visible in the pictures.
    This summer I may probably do a few shoots with some of my best friends to 'practice'.

    How did you overcome this?

  • Finding someone to shoot with who makes you comfortable is a huge help at improving. When you're shooting with friends, it's low stakes-- you can take your time, try some crazier shots, and if it doesn't work you can just get a good laugh out of it later.

    Posing tutorials are super helpful, but you also have to extend them to personal practice. Try doing those poses yourself in front of a mirror. It seems silly, but you can see what looks weird from another perspective, and sometimes what you think might be a good pose is actually not great (or vice-versa).

    Try looking for more 'neutral' poses too, if overly dramatic ones make you feel awkward. For example, take note of how you stand normally. Standing with your weight shifted to one foot, hand on hip, is a very natural stance to take. Combine that with a 3/4s turn and you're good to go!

  • Thanks a lot for the reply! I will certainly keep that in mind c:

  • Like Cassiopeia said, finding someone you are comfortable with is the best first step. Professional photographers that know what they are doing and understand how to treat their model are also a blessing because the anxiety just melts away naturally.

    Also, while this tip doesn't have a lot to do with the photoshoot, being comfortable in the makeup you have plans to wear for the costume or the photoshoot itself is a very good way to boost your confidence. Knowing how you look to yourself is super important, put on that makeup, stand in front of a mirror and make faces! See what works and what doesn't or what you don't like doing, it all helps!

    And posing in parts or you whole cosplay is also a great way to make yourself feel better or to see what makes you uncomfortable...or what isn't as possible as you thought it was! It'll also help you see what poses will help enhance the look of your costume.

    Basically it all comes down to being comfortable. Put on your cosplay, stand in front of a mirror, and practice~

  • Thank you! That's actually some really good advice!
    So far I have done one makeup test and it's a huge deal to get used to that as I never wear makeup in my usual life (I never really felt comfortable with it, even as a child).

  • [QUOTE=Shienra;5025094]Thank you! That's actually some really good advice!
    So far I have done one makeup test and it's a huge deal to get used to that as I never wear makeup in my usual life (I never really felt comfortable with it, even as a child).[/QUOTE]

    It's okay, I totally understand that.
    The only time I ever wear makeup is for anime conventions/cosplay so I am always rusty with stuff. But I do try and do small things like my eyebrows or eyeliner so I don't have to struggle with that too much by the time a convention rolls around.
    Or I might throw on some concealer but that's only ever to fool people into thinking that I sleep well at night.:spinner:

  • Keep in mind that it is photographer's job to make you look as whatever the character should look (confident, vulnerable, angry, happy etc).
    I get this a lot with my corporate gigs. "I don't photograph well" or "I don't have a manager face", they say. Some just need a little more help than others. :)

  • One thing about cosplay and modeling in general is that it's really just a form of acting. If you spend countless hours making a costume, definitely spend some time getting into the mind, feelings, and background of the character too! Another thing that may help is taking an acting class if you can.

    For posing for cosplay photos these are pretty good guides too:
    [url]http://wjscosplayphotography.tumblr.com/post/128802273305/posing-tips-for-cosplay-photos-part-1-of-many[/url]

  • Thank you so much for the comments! I will keep that in mind! (and that link is super handy as well!)

  • Spend some time viewing yourself on a camera program too. You'll start noticing your personal strengths and blind spots. Some people may not always point on where you may or may not need to improve, so being able to see yourself in action always helps.

    I used to record myself with a friend on camera and we'd act out our characters.

    Initially it'd just end in me laughing, but likewise with my cosplay photos, I'd start laughing when doing a picture with someone. Over time I learned to train myself to contain my laugher and stay in-character so I got the mood right for photos.

  • Hey there! Photographer here! Hopefully I can help out with this, since this is a huge part of my responsibility on a shoot.

    So first of all, let me just clarify that it's one hundred percent normal to feel this awkwardness about posing for photos, especially if you're not used to it. So no matter what, don't blame yourself for it. It happens to almost everyone.

    Anyway, let's move on to how to try and help the situation. First off, I'll go ahead and reiterate what everyone else in here has said: shoot with people who make you feel comfortable. Friends are a great place to start, since you're already comfortable around them. However, a photographer can also do this. All you have to do is talk to them and get to know them in the days and weeks before the shoot. If you find a photographer whose work you really like, meet up with them (be safe please - do it during the day at a public place and bring a friend). Once you meet them and get to know them a bit, hopefully you'll be able to see if you feel comfortable around them and if you can be yourself around them. If they can make you feel relaxed when they're just meeting and talking with you, it's a really good sign that they'll be able to do it when you're shooting.

    Apart from that, a lot of the previous suggestions are excellent. Practice posing in front of a mirror (ideally a full-body length mirror so you can see a head to toe view), and try to think of things that your character typically does. If you're cosplaying Master Chief and you're not doing a weird spin on it or a humorous shot or two, chances are you're not gonna be rollicking in a field of flowers. Allow yourself to role play as the character rather than yourself wearing a costume, and try to keep in mind how they would act and what they would do. Practicing your makeup in advance is also a fantastic tip that's sure to save you a ton of time and trouble come con / shoot time.

    Apart from that, just remember that it's primarily the photographer's job to be the eyes. They should be able to relax you and direct you into good poses, while keeping an eye out for little details that can improve the shot and make the pose look more natural. Also, one thing to remember is that there are definitely poses that feel weird when you're doing them, but look fantastic on camera, so as long as you're not uncomfortable, trust your photographer. If you can relax and trust the photographer, you can then focus on just being your character and playing around with the costume, location, props, and character. You'll have a of fun that way, and don't be afraid to have all that fun! If something makes you want to burst out laughing, let it out! You can put the pose back together once you're done and get the shot again, and you'll have some wonderful bonus candids if your photographer was paying attention ;)

    Hope this helps and that you have a fantastic time shooting! :)

  • You have to understand that you want to get photographed and that is already being confidence. However it really depends on terminology of communications. I have been photographing a lot of people recently and so far the same goes with any other art form.
    You are transferring the energy of the subject to the sub-conscious of the viewer. Even so the shots you did not want might actually be the shot you wanted. So you shouldn't really try think to hard. It is like illustration/Drawing and seeing somebody crumple up a piece of paper.