12 Things to Do if You Hate Taking Pictures of Yourself
There are plenty of reasons you might hate taking pictures of yourself. Maybe you have an unflattering bone structure or a funny-looking nose, or maybe you feel like the camera makes your best features look worse and your worst features look even worse.
That’s totally fine! It happens to even the most confident people sometimes—and it doesn’t mean that you’re not beautiful on the inside or anything like that (it just means that as human beings, we tend to notice flaws more than we notice our own beauty). Still, if it bothers you, there are some things you can do about it.
List the reasons you hate taking photos of yourself
You’ll realize why it’s so difficult for you once you make a list of the reasons why you detest taking pictures of yourself. You can then start working on one or two at a time. For example, if it’s about your body and feeling self-conscious in front of a camera, maybe start by taking pictures of yourself doing some exercise or when dressing up with friends. These are small steps that will help build confidence before tackling larger issues like sitting for a professional photographer or asking someone else to take your picture.
Seek out inspiration
Get inspired by other people’s selfies. Try to find photos that you love and understand why you like them. Identify what elements they have in common with each other and try to replicate those elements in your own photos.
If a photographer takes beautiful portraits of people with similar features or backgrounds as yours, try replicating their style when taking self-portraits (but don’t go overboard—you don’t want your style to be too derivative).
If you’re not a photographer, try drawing yourself instead. It’s easier to get a feel for how and where your features should be positioned on paper than it is in real life.
If you’re not a photographer or an artist, try taking photos of other people. You can use their features as inspiration for your own self-portraits.
Keep a log of what works and what doesn’t work for you
It’s important that you keep track of what works and what doesn’t work, or it can be hard to see where you have made progress. This is where keeping a journal can be helpful. Write down the time of day, lighting conditions, and camera settings. You’ll also want to note any changes in your mood or energy level that led up to a successful photo shoot as well as any changes in room temperature or lighting conditions that might have affected the success rate of your photos.
Once you’ve got some good data such as how far away from the camera lens works best for different poses and angles (for example: are selfies more flattering when you stand at arm’s length away from the camera? Or do they look better if you’re close enough that they fill up most of the frame?), start experimenting with different poses until something clicks!
Either way, keeping a log is one of the most useful things that you will do while trying to improve your skills. The best thing about it is that there are no rules—just do whatever works for you! Just make sure that whatever system or process works best for you doesn’t get too complicated or confusing over time; simple is better when it comes down to it!
Do it with a friend
The most obvious way to get over your self-consciousness about taking photos of yourself is to have someone else take the picture. There are numerous methods for doing this, including:
- A friend or family member taking photos while you are doing something else (e.g., making a funny face).
- A professional photographer who you trust and feel comfortable around (if they don’t know who you are).
- Some sort of automated camera like a selfie stick or GoPro that takes pictures without any help from people at all (you could also use these cameras for other things too).
The idea behind this approach is to get someone else involved in the process so that there is no need for any conscious decision-making on how your body looks in this particular moment, which can help reduce anxiety about being photographed.
If an image ends up being taken that looks good enough and reflects how attractive/pleasing/attractive/etc., then great! You’ll be happy with it because there were no expectations going into the photo-taking session itself—and if not? Well then at least now there’s one less thing left for us all to worry about when looking back on our lives years later!
Focus on your best features
Focus on your best features. What is it about you that people always compliment? Is it the way you move or speak? Is it how you laugh or smile? Is it because of something specific to your appearances, like a nice hairstyle or a certain sense of fashion? Whatever it is, embrace that part of yourself and incorporate it into your pictures.
Don’t try to be someone else. When we take pictures of ourselves, we want others who see those photos later on down the road—whether they’re friends family members coworkers acquaintances whoever—to know what the real us looks like without having seen us before so they’ll recognize us again next time they meet up with us later on down life’s path when maybe even decades have passed since last seeing each other before then…
Have fun with filters and editing
If you’re the type of person who feels too self-conscious to take pictures of yourself, you might be surprised at how much fun it is to play around with filters and editing software. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are great places to start since they offer a wide range of effects like cartoon filters that can make even an unflattering selfie look stylish.
You can also try using more traditional photo editing software like Photoshop or PicMonkey for more dramatic results. If all else fails, there are always photobooths at parties!
Practice makes it at least tolerable!
The best way to get comfortable with taking pictures of yourself is by practicing. Try taking selfies at different times of the day, from different angles, and using different filters or lighting. Learn how to use your phone’s camera by exploring its settings and figuring out what works best for you.
It may feel uncomfortable at first, but over time it will become easier and more natural!
Play music while you take your pictures so you can dance
To get the most out of your photos, you should also consider playing music while you take them. Music can help you feel more energized and creative, which will allow you to do things like move around or even dance (which tends to make people look better in pictures).
Melody can also help you feel more relaxed and confident, energized, creative and positive—which helps with the whole “getting in front of the camera” thing. And since most people associate music with happiness, it’s no surprise that some studies have shown that listening to your favorite songs can actually increase your levels of oxytocin (AKA “the love hormone”). Plus, you can also add music to Instagram posts. So keep those dance moves going through every photo shoot!
Get fun props that make you feel good and look fun
Presuming that you’re not feeling like yourself, try using props that make you feel good and look fun. Maybe it’s colorful sunglasses, a flower crown, or a giant phone. You may want to use all of these things at once!
Props are great because they give you something to do with your hands—and if you’re trying to take a selfie with your arm extended out in front of you for five seconds straight, it can get pretty boring! So find some props that match the mood of where we’re going here: fun and colorful.
Use makeup to draw attention away from problem areas
Try using makeup to mask any problem areas if you’re uncomfortable with the way your skin appears in photographs. You can use concealer on blemishes, contour and highlight your face, or even wear funny makeup like oversized glasses and a mustache! An exemplary foundation will make a huge difference.
If your body shape is something that people often criticize, there are also ways to camouflage it through clothing choices. This may be a little more difficult at first because many of us are used to dressing for our “flaws” instead of hiding them (which is the way we should be going about things). However, once you start learning how clothes work together and what looks good on different body types, finding outfits will become easier than ever before!
Be silly and laugh at yourself!
There’s a lot to be said for laughing, and it’s especially true when it comes to taking pictures. Laughter makes you feel good, which in turn helps you look better in photos. So go ahead and make yourself laugh—really laugh out loud! When you’re comfortable and relaxed, your smile will come through naturally.
You can get the same benefits from a little silliness. It’s often easier to take a silly photo than one that is intended to be serious.
Taking pictures is fun!
Remind yourself that taking pictures is fun! The next step is to let go of any fear you may have around taking pictures and start playing.
It’s easy to forget that a picture doesn’t have to be perfect, or even good—it just has to make you happy.
If there’s something you want in the picture, go ahead and put it there; if not, don’t worry about it. It’s okay if the background isn’t perfect or if your outfit isn’t stylish enough for Pinterest—it’ll still be fun!
Takeaway
We hope that our tips will help you to feel more confident and enjoy taking pictures of yourself. We’ve been there and understand how difficult it can be. But with practice and patience, we promise that you’ll get over your anxiety about this common activity. The most important thing is to remember that everyone else will feel awkward at first too—and if they don’t, well then they’re probably not human! So let’s all keep smiling because we’re living in the best time ever where taking selfies has never been so fun or easy!
Click the following link to learn how to take the perfect selfie.
