10 Steps to boost confidence at that photoshoot you’ve been dreading

March 14, 2022

You have a photoshoot booked in a couple of weeks and have been dreading it. I think that everyone has feelings of under-confidence prior to a photoshoot. It can be uncomfortable and can expose those areas of ourselves that we hate.

Is it possible to overcome these feelings?

Yes, 100%! Life coach Jules Hobbs and I (the photographer), agreed on some helpful steps that you can implement to help boost your confidence prior to a shoot.

Jules looking confident and happy, and this completely shines through!!

Everyone is beautiful and should not delay their next photoshoot because of body hang-ups

I believe that everyone is beautiful and that your weight at a certain point in time should not prevent you from having your photoshoot. I know that feeling more confident no matter your size is easier said than done. I’d like to remind you that a good photo is all about the best angles and lighting. You can be the heaviest you have ever been and still achieve a good photo through knowing your body as it is and enhancing your greatest assets.

A confident and positive mindset is key to great photos!

The camera loves confidence. Learning to love your body as it is will is make you more confident and help you shine during your photoshoot. Being more confident will help you let go of inhibitions, experiment with different poses, and just be more natural in front of the camera.

Here are some simple steps that you can implement to help build a positive mindset;

Prioritise your sleep in the run-up to your photoshoot – getting good quality sleep has been proven to help both your mind and body. A blog post on SCL Health suggests that the benefits of getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep include but aren’t limited to;
Boosting your immune system – making sure you’re on top form for your photo shoot will certainly help on the day. No one looks their best when they are full of a cold. Although Photoshop is very good at hiding a red nose ;).
Apparently getting a good night’s sleep can help prevent you from gaining weight. A lack of sleep can produce a hormone that increases your appetite.
Better Sleep = Better Mood – Good sleep can help boost your energy levels.
Sleep can help boost exercise performance. Turning up to your gym sessions a couple of weeks prior to your photoshoot may not drastically change the shape of your body but it may help your confidence. I ALWAYS feel more confident and happy with my body after a consistent string of gym sessions.
Start gratitude journaling
Choosing gut-healthy foods – there is a growing amount of evidence that points towards eating gut-healthy foods can help boost both mind and body. But try not to drastically change your diet, especially if you are prone to an upset stomach.
- According to Forbes, some of the best gut healthy foods include;
  - High fiber foods like beans, oats, and fruits. These foods will help aid digestion and prevent constipation. Some of these foods include things like beans, lentils, oats, dried foods, wholewheat pasta, fresh fruit, nuts & seeds.
  - Probiotic foods like kimchi, kombucha, and kefir the beneficial microbes that exist in these foods will join your body’s existing microbes.
  - Include prebiotic foods like garlic, asparagus, and bananas to help fuel the good bacteria in your gut.
  - Try adding anti-inflammatory foods like oily fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts. “Anti-inflammatory foods contain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, that can help cool down inflammation. “These play a role in the natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways of the body, which may also promote the health of the gut,” Romano says.” Please do take these suggestions into account, but never start restricting your diet. Implementing these elements will make you feel better on the day. You do not want to turn up to your photography session with zero energy. Both myself and anyone I’m shooting usually feels exhausted after their photography session. It is usually a bit of a workout in itself and you definitely need to be fueled properly to perform at your best and get the photos you want!!
Identify and address the negative thoughts that you have about your body.
Cleanse your social media accounts, try following more body-positive accounts (such as JulesHobbsLife, Lucy Mountain, Alex Light, Jonna Jinton (not strictly body confidence but her stuff is pure escapism for me)). Stop depressing yourself by following accounts showing impossible results. For me triggering accounts include people like the Kardashians, this may be completely different for you.
Practice, practice, practice – invest in ring light and stand and practice posing by taking photos on your iPhone. We also ALLLL have a perceived “good side” so practice and have a think about whether you prefer a particular side or angle. These types of things, will certainly help the photographer. It can take me (as the photographer) a full session to work this out, so communicating this at the start of your session can 100% help give you the best shoot results.