The Professional Photo Shoot.. Do we have to!?

Ah, the dreaded professional photo shoot! You know it’s a necessary evil for sure, and you also know it’s most certainly NOT super good times for us introverts. Alas, even though you get how important having professional head shots can be for your business, something keeps you from taking that step.

And, although you see how it can really up your game and create that sought after brand visibility that attracts that celebrity attention to your business, you kinda want to skip that whole photo shoot part cuz…, oh how stressful they can be!

Right? I know how you feel!

Personally, I ran from the camera up until I married my husband who is the biggest EXTROVERT on the planet! He would always; I mean always, feel the need to take pictures at every opportunity.

So… I learned to take pictures. I learned NOT to be so uncomfortable in front of the camera, but man, it’s still very draining and I feel like I need a nap after a day of random picture taking.

Not to mention, I had that ridiculously awkward smile like Chandler Bing from an episode of Friends! But, I wanted my husband to be happy so I figured it out.

Photo shoots however, are a whole new level of awkwardness! For the majority of my regular pictures, I was able to use my husband as a prop. You’ll see the same pose of us holding each other over and over, and when we deviate from that pose, I get all stressed out!

LOL! Seriously!

All of a sudden, I cant figure out what to do with my hands and that creates a domino effect which causes that weird smile thing happening. 

If you’re an introvert in business like me and you’re hesitant to take the plunge and finally get that photo shoot out of the way, don’t despair, you can do it. In fact, I want to share with you a few of the things I did to make the processes easier and semi stress free! I say semi because there’s always going to be some level of anxiety and uncomfortable-ness, but you can lessen the blow… First and foremost:

3 Must Do’s For A Semi- Stress Free Photo Shoot

Communicate with your professional photographer

Make sure you are keeping in contact with your photographer from the time you book your session all the way up to the event. I call it an event ‘cuz that’s what if felt like for me! Doing this will help you feel at ease around the person who will be taking that most important pic.

Don’t’ leave your brand identity up to a stranger, let them know during your discovery process that you aren’t normally that comfortable in front of the camera or hip them to any other detail they may need to know ( like being an introvert), that’s going to give them a better idea of how to work with you. She should know exactly how to make you feel good and keep that smile on your face during the shoot. The one thing us introverts hate is surprises, so the more you guys can map things out the less stressful things will be.

Brand your Photo Shoot

It’s important to have a clear idea of look you want to convey during your shoot. If you’ve done your branding ahead of time (which you should have) you will know exactly what you want to communicate in your images. You should already have your “Looks”: clothes, colors, shoes, jewelry etc., set out ahead of time. This makes the session go a lot smoother when you eliminate the guessing game.

There are times where your photographer may charge more to add a discovery session, if you don’t want to pay those extra fees, then the tighter you are with your branding the easier and breezier your process will be.

Take a day off before and after your photo shoot

If you still work in corporate America, or have a busy schedule in general, it’s imperative, especially if you are an introvert, to make time to prepare physically and mentally before the shoot and then take time the next day to re charge.

I know for me, as soon as I was done with my shoot I was so tired from smiling and such, I immediately took of my clothes off, washed my face, put on my sweats and took a long nap! And, I did absolutely nothing the next day! So make sure you take time to rest and give yourself a big hi-5 for getting through your photo shoot.

Once again, communication with your photographer is vital. Mess that up, and the whole process can go down the pooper.

Question…

What’s keeping you from getting those professional pics done? If you’ve mastered the art of the photo shoot, what do you do to stay and re- energized?

Til net time…

April

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"As an introvert entrepreneur I don't particularly enjoy chasing strangers online, networking events, talking about myself on social media or anything else you can think of that involves selling! But, because I learned how to market online the right way, I don't have to do those things."

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