shyness Archives - Sleeklens - Tools and Training for Photographers

Many people experience intense anxiety at one point or another. The feeling is often paralyzing, forcing a person to believe that they don’t belong anywhere. Though it’s a very private experience, anxiety is also a universal feeling which many of us can relate to and understand. In the photography world, anxious thoughts are powerful enough to affect even the most confident minds. Fortunately, embracing photography can obliterate uneasiness and push us to be more courageous when facing both personal and creative challenges.

Anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes, from a tiny pang of fear to a heavy storm of relentless doubts. If you’re not comfortable whilst socializing, you might fear the idea of photographing strangers or working with new models. If self-portraiture is something you wish to experiment with, you might be afraid of getting unflattering results. Natural as such insecurities may be, they can be removed with the help of a camera. All you need is persistence and a tiny drop of courage.

If you’re a beginner, especially one who’s interested in portraiture, then taking self-portraits first will greatly benefit you. When I first began taking photographs, I was both anxious and shy. The very thought of asking people to model for me made me queasy. Because I wasn’t confident in my own creative skills, I didn’t believe anybody else would be. This resulted in many solitary hours with the camera, which taught me much about photography’s technical aspects and my own posing abilities. Having to be in front of (and behind) the camera opened my mind; this, in turn, helped me understand the models I would be working with later on. Being able to relate to the modeling side of photography helped my future subjects feel relaxed in my presence. Knowing that I myself had been afraid of the camera made them trust me. If the photographer could face her self-doubt, why couldn’t they?

Self-portraiture let me confront my own fears and express negative emotions creatively. This was both cathartic and artistically productive. Since emotional images are often associated with tears and fury, we aim to avoid them. However, vulnerability doesn’t revolve around fragility only; it’s a combination of sensitivity, openness, and self-awareness. Understanding your emotions will not only help you create touching photographs, but it will also enhance your empathy, allowing you to be comfortable with any kinds of emotions. Viewing deep feelings through your lens will provide you with an objective perspective, one that will enable you to understand yourself and your needs better. Once you get to know yourself, your anxiety will lose its intensity and self-portraiture – or any other form of art – will become a place of creativity and growth.

If you’re not interested in portraiture but still feel anxious when taking pictures, find a comfortable location and photograph anything that appeals to you. Not having to worry about being disturbed by strangers will relax your mind and enhance your creativity. Go out on days when everybody else is busy or find a spot in your area that is rarely visited by people. These places will become comforting homes outside of home. In them, you’ll find the necessary time and space to familiarize yourself with your camera and various lighting conditions. Once you begin to “feel” your camera, you’ll feel brave enough to explore more, photograph more, and challenge yourself more bravely.

If you think photography causes anxiety, then think again. Photography can be a place of comfort for the frightened and a refuge for the weak. In the world of photos, sensitivity is happily embraced and nurtured. Furthermore, the same sensitivity is turned into amazing works of art which challenge and motivate others to improve. Practicing in any way will:

make you comfortable with your camera
give you space to understand yourself as an artist
enable you to empathize with future clients and models
help you embrace your own emotions

Most importantly, all of these things will allow you to beat anxiety, one photo at a time.

Good luck!

Martina Bertacchi is a talented photographer from Italy who photographs people in worlds unlike our own. Her portraits are charming and striking, focusing on the subject’s raw beauty and their surroundings. In this interview, Martina talks about her inspiration, ambitions, and the tips she’d give to aspiring portrait photographers. I hope you enjoy this eye-opening conversation!

What inspired you to start taking photographs?

I started taking pictures by chance about 6/7 years ago when I was still at school, and photography became a sort of safety valve on the days of full study. I took inspiration from the smallest things, also in the house, but mostly when I went out I really liked to capture nature, leaves, and flowers. My main source of inspiration was the Internet, sites like Flickr and Facebook have helped me a lot. I saw some photographs and I remained amazed by their beauty, so much that I wanted to start playing around with my camera and make it my own. Only much later I began to get interested in portraits.

You have many stunning photos of people. What do you look for in a model?

I love spontaneity in people. I think that in every single person there is a beauty. I consider it very important to constantly look into it, details even in the face. Sometimes the imperfection can become perfection. I prefer delicate, dreamy faces that tell something.

The subjects in your photographs are always very sharp and well-lit. What advice would you give to aspiring portrait photographers?

The advice I would give to a young aspiring portrait photographer is to not be fooled by the desire to have super expensive equipment but to also start experimenting with a simple camera, play with the lights and natural shadows. I think good post production is more important, as that is what gives meaning and feeling to your photo. Lightroom helped me a lot in the beginning.

What does your editing process consist of?

First I shoot in RAW. I find it essential to recover the lights in the background, and it’s more appropriate for the white balance. To develop the raw format I use Lightroom – as I said before, I modify the lights, use Photoshop to work on the skin, and then I play with colors, curves, tones, and contrast.

Who are your favorite artists and why?

I do not have a favorite artist. There are so many that I admire and I esteem. I prefer to quote emerging photographers that inspired me a lot, like Marta Bevacqua, Alessio Albi, Laura Zalenga, Alexandra Sophie. They represent fully the emotions, through their stories – almost fairy-tale atmospheres that fascinate me a lot.

Is there anything photography-related you wish you could tell your younger self?

I would say to always be themselves, to never give up, and never stop to create and experiment new things and to be inspired by anything that surrounds them.

Your models look very graceful and natural in your images. How do you make them feel comfortable in front of your camera?

I’m actually very shy. It happened several times to turn on the music and let myself and my models be carried by it. I always try to make them express themselves without forcing anything.

Is there a photography genre you’d like to experiment more with?

I’d like to experiment more with taking pictures indoors, with natural light, and why not also self-portraits. I find them very intimate and full of emotions.

What do you find most challenging about portrait photography?

Surely to capture the perfect moment, whatever fills my heart with joy and creates something magical and beautiful.

If a photographer approached you and asked for 3 tips, what would you tell them?

Yes, I have three pieces of advice for people who love making photography:
Let yourself be guided by your feelings and inspirations and most importantly, take the time to observe the environment in which you take pictures and always give a close look to your subject’s details in order to give value to your portraits.

You can find more of Martina’s work on her Flickr and Instagram.

Tag: shyness

Beating anxiety, one photo at a time

Photographer interview: Martina Bertacchi