I think we‘ve all run into people who really don’t like to have their photo taken. You know the ones… all of the photos you’ve ever seen of them include a hand trying to cover their face or the back of their head. Of course, this never results in quality shots or flattering photos. It’s kind of like a vicious cycle.
I used to be a camera-shy person. I figured that since I wasn’t photogenic I’d rather not have my picture taken. So I’d do the hand or back of the head thing. Still, I liked to see photos of people, but I was never in the action. This didn’t really bother me until I hit high school and the yearbook came out. Although I was near the action in many of the yearbook shots, I wasn’t in any of them. It was almost like I didn’t exist.
That helped change my mind about photos. I came to realize it’s better to have some photos of yourself (even if you’re not photogenic) than to be absent. Once you understand this, you can do a few things to get others to let you take their photo.
* Take photos of people when they’re doing something they love. They’ll instinctively look their best because they’re genuinely happy.
* Take candid shots when the subject is absorbed in an activity. Half of the time, people hate their photos because they look fake or posed.
* Take shots of people when they’re at their best. I don’t mean that you should have them primp or prep before a photo (they probably wouldn’t do it anyway). I mean take photos at flattering angles and in good lighting.
* Don’t force it. If they really don’t want their picture taken, that’s okay. Another hand shot probably wouldn’t help the situation.
Using a few of these tips may help the people who are hesitant to have their photo taken trust you to take a great shot that they’ll be happy to see.