Confident business woman during brand photography session
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Overcome camera anxiety: 5 positive psychology tips for better brand photos

You know that feeling when someone points a camera at you and suddenly your mind goes completely blank? Your shoulders creep up to your ears, you forget what to do with your hands, and that confident businesswoman you know yourself to be just… disappears.

You’re not alone in this. Even the most accomplished women I work with tell me they feel awkward and self-conscious the moment a camera appears.

What gets me is that these people have messages the world needs to hear – they’re brilliant at what they do, and camera nerves shouldn’t be the thing that stops them.

Now, I’m pretty good at helping my clients feel at ease during shoots – it’s one of the things I’m known for. But for those deeper levels of camera anxiety, and if you want to absolutely nail your session, these techniques can make all the difference to your photoshoot confidence.

When you’re relaxed and connected to your purpose, that energy translates directly into images that feel authentic

While obviously not a psychologist myself, I have a family full of them: My mum is an author and academic who writes about this stuff (psychology not camera nerves) and I’ve been absorbing it for most of my life.

I realise that doesn’t actually qualify me! I share these tips on the basis that I have tried and tested them. They’ve helped me countless times, including with public speaking and preparing for difficult conversations, as well as being on the ‘wrong’ 🤪 side of the camera.

1. Embrace your strengths

Spend some time reflecting on your unique qualities and achievements. On the morning of your session, write them down to remind yourself of these strengths. This will help quell self doubt and help you to project confidence and authenticity in your photos.

2. Visualise success

In the run up to your session, practice visualising what a successful session would look and feel like: For example, imagine yourself in front of the camera, feeling relaxed and confident, and enjoying the process. Visualisation can reduce camera nerves and trick your brain into believing that this is familiar territory rather than a relatively rare experience.

3. Practice gratitude

Focus on what you’re grateful for in your business and your life, including the ways in which you’re grateful to your body. This is especially helpful if you tend to be critical of your body and appearance. Gratitude helps to shift your mindset from fear and lack to appreciation and abundance, helping you to feel more at ease and genuine in front of the camera.

4. Set positive intentions

Before your session, set some clear and positive intentions about how you want to feel and what you want to convey through your photos, as well as about the values you want to embody. This focus can guide your energy and expressions during the shoot.

5. Connect with your purpose

Remind yourself why you’re doing this. Connecting with your deeper purpose – the people you help and the impact you make – can inspire confidence and authenticity in your photos. When you remember that this is not actually about you but about your clients and their needs, it’s much easier to get out of your head and into the present moment (which is where we really need you to be!)

Bonus tip: BREATHE

I recommend spending a few minutes doing 4-4 breathing, for mental clarity (count slowly to four on both in and out breaths), or 4-4-4-4 box breathing, to relieve stress (breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four). Our breathing tends to get shallow when stressed or nervous and a few intentionally deep breaths can work absolute wonders to calm the nervous system and reassure our primitive brain that there’s no actual danger. It really works!

Why this is worth the effort

When you’re relaxed and connected to your purpose, that energy translates directly into images that feel authentic and compelling.

These techniques aren’t just for your brand photography preparation either – they’re tools you can use before any situation where you need to show up confidently as the face of your business.

Ready to put these tips into practice?

If you’ve been putting off updating your brand photos because of camera anxiety, let’s chat about how I can help you feel genuinely comfortable and confident during your session. Get in touch here – I’d love to hear from you!

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