How to be more Confident infront of the Camera

Ever have that feeling when you’re having you picture taken, where you just freeze up and what ever photoshoot you are having (whether it be professional or just every day) feels and looks more like you are literally going to be “shot”? Perhaps you would hypothetically prefer it to the awkwardness that can ensue.

Well don’t you fret or fear, the official “how to be more confident in front of the camera” Guide is here!

To cheer up your Monday I’ve got 5 simple pointers and an interview with Model, Actress, owner at Shabby Chic Boutique and super Mom Sabrina Culver in helping you to overcome any frigidness in front of the camera!

Before we get to the pointers we have to think about the main problem of why people feel this way in the first place: the main reason people get nervous is because of fear. It’s perceived expectations in your own mind that you might not like the outcome of the photos, how you think you look and how you want to appear. There may be more reasons (I know I’m a bit self conscious of my stained teeth and enormous crooked nose) but it all has alot to do with your personal self esteem. A camera’s lens is alot like a magnifying glass and it brings it out.

People are photogenic because they like having their picture taken. They therefore appear much happier and relaxed when the camera comes out. It has nothing to do with looks, you are who you are. I´ve had one of the most plain models who turned out to be my best and the most photogenic because of her positive attitude towards the camera and me! So here is pointer numero uno!

• 1. Trust your Photographer. There has to be some reason you´ve chosen your photographer. They want you to look good just as much as you do! And they want you to like your photos. A good photographer should know how to get good angles of your face and body. If you are feeling concerned about certain areas be sure to let them know before your shoot. At the risk of sounding a bit like Austin Powers, your photographer should also be able to give you verbal directions and approval like: “that looks great! keep doing just that, can you please relax your shoulders?” etc.
• 2. Do what is normal for you. Unless you are professionaly modeling then it’s most likely that the photographs will be for you or someone you care about. You should act normally and do what is comfortable for you. There’s no harm in dressing up a bit and looking your physical best, but don’t have a last minute drastic change of style or backdrop that has nothing to do with you or your personality. You’ll end up looking like some one else in the photo.
• 3. See Yourself! There had to be some time when you were a kid or even teenager that you spent sometime in front of the mirror gazing. You may have thought about your good features and the things you didn’t like- maybe you even made a few faces. Well, it doesn’t hurt to practice! Have a good long look in the mirror. Know your good side (if you have one). Strike a few poses and remember the ones you liked. Did you know that there’s a mirror inside the camera? Next time on set pretend you are looking into a mirror.
  
  Sabrina Culver says:

  I have been really nervous before auditions and shoots before. In fact it just happened to me the other day at a casting for Atlantis resorts in the Bahamas. I was in the waiting room and I started to feel nervous but instead of eying the competition (we had to be in bathing suits) I put my ipod on with the headset. During the casting in my swimsuit I just focused on being the mom with her child pretending to try on straw hats and the camera was the mirror.

• 4. Embrace your Quirks. We’ve all got something about ourselves that we might not appreciate but those things add to the uniqueness of you! Quirkiness can be a very good thing. For instance: talk show host Jay Leno is famous for his large protruding chin. Perhaps you didn’t know that it was actually declared a deformity by doctors who offered to fix it for him! Luckily Mr. Leno has kept his unique feature which makes him so recognizable. So learn to love yourself, moles, beauty marks, flappy ears and all.
• 5. Fake it till you make it! Are you still feeling like you’d rather take a trip to the dentist that stand in front of that camera? Some times the best way of overcoming our fears is to face them! There is such a thing as an unflattering photo. And if you feel that you’ve taken one don’t fret. Place it away in a box and take it out again in a few years. You might surprise yourself in actually liking how you looked back then and if you still don’t like it then no hard feelings parting with it.
  Sabrina Culver says:

  When I was at a photoshoot recently and started to feel nervous I found a happy thought and focused on it. Such as my chidren’s smiling faces or if the shot calls for something a bit sexy I picture somebody that I love and I see him in the lens. It takes some effort but the more experience you can get in front of the camera the easier it gets.

  Thanks Sabrina Culver for your great Model insights and I hope this article gets some of you infront of the camera with more confidence!

Don’t miss out!

I am very pleased to announce (as promised and after many requests) the second Mommy and Me Photography Day of workshops! I’ll be hosting several small workshops through out the day to insure personal attention and in-depth learning. This will also help some work around their child’s nap times! Learn better without your child? I’ll have one Parent only into course in the early evening! Dad’s are always welcome and last course made up half of the class!

Times are as Follows:
10:00-11:30 Workshop I
12:00-13:30 Workshop II
14:30-16:00 Workshop III
17:00-18:00 Parents only workshop

Contact me with your name and which workshop you’d like to attend (by clicking here)

A brand new year, a Brand new style!

It’s crazy to think that just over a year ago I took the plunge into starting a small photography business. While I had been doing hobby photography for over a year in Holland, it was the wonderful ladies from CRAVE Amsterdam that helped me take it a step further. But with a baby on the way I was limited in both time and physical ability.

Adjusting to life as a mom has been an adventure! One that I’m happy to say that has affected my photography in a great way! Now that baby is more independant I am diving back into the work world and learning new things every day!

And what better way then to reinvent myself a bit? I’ve redesigned my business, created the ultimate welcome package and am working on a whole new price card! I am also still working on the website so please bare with me and check back for updates!

Now, with Fall on the way I’ll be hosting my second Mommy and Me Photography workshop (as promised upon request) as well as an Autumn mini shoot especially for families and children. Up next I’ll be blogging about how to be a better, more confident model infront of the camera with advice from Model and actress Sabrina Culver so stay tuned!

Let’s Pretend!

For all you crafty parent’s out there, or for those who are just young at heart and remember the days of blanket tents, forts, and couch ships, check out this genious rainy day photoshoot by Bard Photography based out of Nebraska. Makes you wonder what you could set up in your own home!



From Bard Photography: “I wanted to get some nice photos of my children to put in my bathroom and I thought of the kids playing pirate in the bathtub would be cool. Since my bathroom is tiny, I decided I would use my brother Joey’s bathroom since he had a nice claw foot tub. I called my sister in law and asked if she wanted to bring her daughter along for a few shots and she loved the idea. So together with the kids, we made the flag, the hat, the sword, etc… it was a family affair!!! Loved the photos that came out of it! But most of all, it gave us a great activity for a Rainy Day!”

Belly of Laughs

This Mum claims she’s going to be super strict, but I think she might just be joking with me. She and her partner can’t even look at each other with out having a good laugh. But I can testify every gaze is full of love and that they’ll have some one extra to gaze at! They must be super excited for their little one to arrive soon and it shows.





More tiny things for a very special tiny person! Coming soon to a crib near you!

Twinkle toes

A special thanks to my Mommy Model! I just couldn’t get over the shoes! A day and a photoshoot later and I am still oogeling over those tiny shoes and how lucky they’ll be to meet some tiny toes soon! And it looks like this Mommy-to-be is even more excited than me!



She’s all a glow and it shows!

Happy Father’s Day

It’s me Melody Rae here and I just wanted to give a shout out to all you amazing Dad’s out there! Personally, I believe that Photography really is the gift that just keeps giving. Dads with their children are one of my favorite things to photograph, especially new dads. They just have a special look in their eyes.

After I heard my partner wanted a photo of our son for his office I quickly printed out an I Heart Papa sign and had B hold it for a photo. Naturally B was more interested in eating and throwing the paper.

We started having some fun so I took the liberty of printing out a sign for Opa too! Simple but effective, I think this will make a great first father’s day for us! Did you plan something special for your leading Dad this Father’s day?

If you think I’m handsome, you should meet my Daddy

I don’t mean to be the bragging Mom, but I just loved my last two subjects. I was visiting my friend and fellow photographer Nadine Van Der Wielen to help her set up her new home studio, and my darling sleepy head son and partner volunteered for a few studio shots.


I just love his little sleepy look. Imperfection is wonderful!


There’s no body like Daddy!

I CRAVE some girl time!

I just wanted to take a moment and thank all the CRAVE ladies that attended the NY borrel this last weekend. There’s nothing like networking and swapping a few stories with both new and old gal pals. Drinks and snacks were held at the lovely Shinkel Haven near Vondel Park. I had the great opportunity to photograph this Cafe and it’s owner for this year’s CRAVE Amsterdam edition, but it was nice to see it in it’s evening setting.



It’s so hard to believe that it’s been one year that I’ve worked with CRAVE. I feel like I’ve done a full round trip but have had so many special things happen over the course of that time. Many of those things including my entire pregnancy (from start to finish), parties, photoshoots and meeting so many amazing and inspiring business women which all came about thanks to my connection to CRAVE. So here is a virtual blog toast to one year of learning new things, meeting new people, and finding myself. I can only hope and wish that 2011 will outshine last year even more!


Nadine Van der Weilen, Cristina Stoian from Criss Pix, and Myself Melody Rae