SELF-PORTRAIT | 8 TIPS TO HELP YOU LOOK NATURAL IN YOUR LIFESTYLE AND BUSINESS PHOTOS

April 22, 2020

As our job requires meeting people one on one, 2020 has hit the photography industry hard, for both clients and photographers.
So I thought I could give you my tricks for taking photos on your own. Not only will that be useful if you need to create a lot of online content (without always hiring a pro), it will also help you when working professional photographers, as the process of posing naturally will come easier to you.

This article will focus on ways to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera, not on light, posing, or how to use your material. Before you start, I will nonetheless give you some extra tips.

If you don’t live alone, you can always ask your partner or roommate to press the button for you.
If you have no one to take photos for you, learn how you can use the timer on your phone/camera and how to shoot multiple photos at once. Buying a remote is also a very good option.
Look for flattering light. You won’t like the results if the light isn’t good. An easy tip for indoor light is to stand near a window with indirect light (no sun rays coming in.) Look towards the window for soft light. (Check diagram at the bottom of article) Outdoor lighting is best when the sun is low. On cloudy days, the best is stand in shadow, with you face turned towards where the light comes from.
Also, turn off the lights in your house. The color of those lights isn’t the same as the outdoor light and you will end up with undesired colors in your images.
You can use a mirror. Place it behind or near the camera so you can see how you look, how the lights hits you, and if you need to change your posture. But don’t rely too much on it.

I tested the tricks on myself before writing this, and got more great photos than I expected! I tested both indoor and outdoor. And I had a silly session with the cat.
To take the indoor photos I used a remote, and set the camera and remote to take multiple photos at once so I don’t have to press every single time. The outdoor photos are taken by my boyfriend and the camera is on a tripod.

TIP

ACT, DON’T POSE

Don’t stay still. Keep moving. Don’t always look at the camera.

Holding the same pose makes it look forced and staged. Your smiles starts to fade and hurt, your body becomes stiff. Try it now. Smile and hold a pose, then count 5 seconds in your head. Notice how your face starts to strain, and how uncomfortable it feels. Really! Do it!

You need to imagine you are making a soundless video with music only you can hear. You wouldn’t just stay still, would you? The important thing is that while you focus on moving, you lose your awareness of the camera. It is the goal to distract you from it, to make it look as if the moment would happen regardless.

TIP

USE ACCESSORIES

With lifestyle photos, you need to set a scene. What will you be doing? Working? Relaxing with a book? Preparing Tea? Using accessories will bring natural movement to your portraits. Use a coffee mug, bring it to your lips and take a sip. Take a book and flip the pages.Play with a hat. Work on your computer. Take notes in a notebook. This will help you break the ice if you don’t know what to do and how to move.

Holding the accessory distracts you from the awkwardness of posing. Once you get more comfortable in front of the camera, it’ll be easier to let go of it and proceed to do normal portraits.

Please note that lifestyle photos are more about situations than classic portraits. Don't do like me and stay in front of a wall. Sit at your table, on your couch, in your bed. It needs to look natural.

TIP

PLAY MUSIC

This is the awkwardness killer here! I don’t often play music when I work with clients, as I talk to them and know where I want to go. But on my own? Hell yes, please!!

Playing music will:

Help set a mood

Help you to move naturally

Break. The. Awkward. Silence

Play inspiring music that fits with the mood you want to convey. It will be different whether you want a quiet and relaxed mood, or a happy and dynamic look.

Personal Tip: I prefer instrumental music, otherwise I can't help singing. But singing can help if you need big smiles, as long as you take the photo at the right moment.

TIP

ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE SILLY

Feeling awkward is ok! Relax and have fun. Trust the process. You can do your selection later.

Don’t take this too seriously. What we want to have, is emotion and genuine expressions. If you don’t relax and have fun, it’ll show. Sometimes we’ll look silly, and sometimes those will be our favorites shots. Sometimes, the silly thing you just did, will be what will make you laugh a real genuine laugh. Those are the shots we are looking for, not the forced ones.

Allow yourself to feel awkward for a bit, and laugh about it. If you need to, pull faces at the camera for a few shots before you begin. Make your ugliest faces. You’ll realise it’s not so bad after all… aaaand that you can’t do worst than that.

TIP

TAKE AS MANY PHOTOS AS YOU WANT.

IT'S ABOUT SELECTION

In my session here, I took nearly 200 photos. I narrowed it down to 20 during my selection. That number is actually really high, and I achieved that by using all the tricks mentioned above. I used to never keep more than two!!!

It’s ok if you throw most of the photos away. Only keeping the best of the best is why you do a selection. And please, don’t judge yourself on your “not so good” shots. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has those. Laugh about it, throw them away and move on.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes. Believe me. Now it takes me less time to get the results I want.

TIP

CHANGE ANGLES

For variety, or to make sure you took the photos in the best conditions possible, either move the camera or you around. Here for example, I stood too close to the wall when I started, so my face is the same colour as the wall. There is no contrast. I moved my seat forward a little, and moved the camera to a slightly different angle. Bam! Magic!

TIP

SHOOT WIDE

CROP LATER

By that I mean that you can take photos that includes more of the scene around you. You can crop later. That way you make sure you are not cutting away anything important.

Be careful not to crop too much and lose quality.

TIP

KEEP YOUR BRANDING IN MIND

What colors represent your brand? What is the general mood?
Those question can help you chose what you will wear, or what colors your accessories will be. It’ll help you decide if you prefer a bright and airy look, or a darker and more dramatic style.

In my case I knew my colors are green and gold, so when it was time to do my “about me” photo for my website, I made sure it was coherent with the brand.

EXTRA

PINTEREST IS YOUR FRIEND

TIP

If you need inspiration, pinterest can be very useful. It can really help you achieve the kind of mood you are looking for. It can also help you find ideas for your lifestyle photos. Just be careful not to copy exactly what you see!

My pinterest board is filled with inspiration for lifestyle and branding photos. Go have a look!

This is all! If you apply these tips, you should be able to get more comfortable in front of the camera.

Just as a reminder, here is a list of all the tips I have given:

Move, don’t pose.

Use accessories.

Play Music.

Allow yourself to be silly.

Take a lot of photos, select later.

Change Angles.

Shoot Wide.

You can use Pinterest for inspiration.

Keep your branding in mind.

Make sure you have a way to take multiple photos at once.

Use a mirror if you need to.

Now get out of your comfort zone and get shooting!

BASIC LIGHTING DIAGRAMS FOR INDOOR PORTRAITS

INDIRECT WINDOW LIGHT, SUBJECT AND CAMERA

Most flattering light. Flat

Modelling light. Angled.

One sided soft light

The closer to the window, the harder the light (more contrast). For a soft flattering light, don't stand directly in front of the window.

Note: No sun should shine through the window. When the sun hits the floor or objects, it reflects back on your face from bellow, which is very unflattering.

SELF-PORTRAIT | 8 TIPS TO HELP YOU LOOK NATURAL IN YOUR LIFESTYLE AND BUSINESS PHOTOS

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