How To Feel Comfortable Getting Photos In Public

Don’t shy away or you might miss out on the best photo ops…

One of the more dreaded things about blogging, or being an Instagram influencer, or vlogger is filming or taking photos in public. I have been asked by friends before, who don’t blog, whether I find it scary or daunting just getting photos in the public eye? And the answer is YES. Sometimes. However I have been blogging three years *yikes* so I have gained some sort of confidence to taking photos when other people are there. You can call it confidence, I do like to call it ‘Not-giving-a-damn-what-others-think’ but sometimes yes it is daunting.

I have had my share of looks, or comments and stares… believe me you will get them. I think I will always remember some of the more ruder comments. One day I was getting some pics, not even with my DSLR just my phone, with my friend Lauren from uni. Some kids walked past and did that ‘Gotta get that insta pic‘ judgey comment. I mean yeah they were 12/13 year old boys but still its those immature ones that do stick with you.

Looking back on it I should have just plugged my Instagram – gotta get those followers – but I just gawped and laughed it off. I now find it quite funny and its easy too looking back on it, but I have some tips if you want to overcome the fear of taking images in public. Trust me it will get easier with these tips!

5 Ways To Feel Comfortable Taking Photos In Public

Shoot With Someone You Are Comfortable With

For me this is the biggest one. At the moment the majority of my photos are taken by either my friends Lauren or Sophie from uni (thanks guys) or my mum. I do very much appreciate my mums photos. I drag her out when she least wants to to get images… like the ones for this post! But if I shoot with people I am not comfortable around, or don’t really know too well I will feel uncomfortable. If you ask someone you are 100% comfortable with then you can act as natural as possible in your images. You can always tell though when someone doesn’t feel comfortable in their images and your audience will too.

Often working with professional photographers or other bloggers is a good idea because they have been there and done that so many times. They are used to it and can even give you a bit of styling or posing advice during the shoot. However shooting with a professional is expensive, and is definitely something I can not afford. If you can, then I would recommend it as you will always get AMAZING results too.

Find The Quieter Spots

This kinda speaks for itself. But if you shoot in locations where there is nobody really about, and its nice and secluded then you will feel more comfortable than if you were shooting in central London for example. Most of my shoots are done in cute little villages near where I live and they are very quiet. However if you don’t and want to shoot in the middle of cities, then there are a few options. One choice is early morning shoots. Getting up at the crack of dawn is not my idea of fun but sometimes it has to be done for the ‘Gram. Or often you can find some quieter back streets that are literally hidden GEMS.

Once you have the confidence you can start branching out to busier streets, or hotspot locations. Often, especially if you are in London, there will be other people doing the EXACT same as you. So there is really no need to worry about taking the photos.

Have An Idea And Plan Your Shoots

I can’t always say I have abided to this one, however recently I am trying to. And you can SO TELL when people, like myself haven’t planned. The images don’t match the content, or the images are poor quality and rushed. Yep that is me all over. Especially if you are in a busy location. Know what you want and tell that to whoever is taking your photos. If you want long shots, cropped images, a photo of the material of you dress or anything else plan it! Then you can look like a pro, get your photos done quickly and smoothly and you will get amazing results.

Remember To Be Respectful

Whenever taking images being respectful is one of the, if not the MOST, important thing. Those cute and Instagrammable cottages or ‘London-Looking’ house??? People actually live in them, so if they look like they are in, or have pictures in the windows etc… be respectful and don’t shoot there.

Or if people are stood waiting for you to get your photos let them past. I think its quite rude making people wait because in reality you will be there longer shooting than they want to be waiting. Yeah they might look and wonder what you are doing but more often than not they will just smile or make a polite comment. I was shooting in my village last week and stopped shooting to let a couple past and they just joked ‘Can I have my photo taken?‘ and sometimes you just have to be friendly and have a joke back.

Most People Don’t Actually Care

You might get the odd stare, cat-call or creepy person leering (yes unfortunately these do still happen) but just smile, walk off and be polite. Petty and snarky comments are actually rare when shooting photos, but in reality you won’t see those people again. Focus on taking your image, and getting your content because I PROMISE you will kick yourself if you don’t.

Also blogging/vlogging/photography is getting more and more popular, even more so in the bigger cities so it will be more common to see people taking photos. Most people are mature enough to not comment, or even take a second guess at what you are doing so just enjoy getting your content!

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