How To Conquer The Anxiety Of Taking Photos In Public

Here is how to stop worrying about shooting street style and conquer the anxiety of taking photos in public …

One topic I have spoken about on my blog before, and wanted to talk about again is the art of conquering the anxiety over taking photos in public. You can find the post here, but now we are two years down the line and I wanted to talk about it again because it is still so relevant to what I do. Probably even more so now that I have a business in content creation. Taking photos in public is still a large part of what I do as a content creator and business owner. And five years on even I still get nervous about doing it sometimes. So whilst I will lay out some of the things I have done ever since I started, and more recently, to conquer that anxiety of taking photos in public, please note that not all content creators are 100% confident themselves.

I still want to point out that it is 2021, a large majority of people have Instagrams, Tik Toks etc, and it still baffles me as to why people find it funny to see people taking photos in public. Photography is not a new movement, so it is really strange to me why people gaze at it like they have never seen a selfie before. Nonetheless I think it is actually a compliment if people make a comment about you taking photos in public. They were interested enough to make a comment, and if it were a judgmental or rude comment, then it probably just means that they are a bit jealous.

Most of the time when I shoot now, I am either on the go somewhere with my boyfriend, or on a shoot with my mum where we will shoot about 5 to 6 outfits in one go. Bulk shooting makes my life more manageable when running my business, allows me to satisfy the organisational freak part of me, and also means I can pick a time I think will be best to shoot. When bulk shooting I normally shoot in the same location as Plymouth’s Instagram spots are few and far between. However as I do shoot often and have done for the last five years here are some ways to conquer the anxiety of taking photos in public:

Shoot with somebody you are comfortable with.

This was one of my main points in my first post and I will say it again. Shooting with someone you are comfortable with is so much easier and less stressful than shooting with someone you aren’t confident around. From posing, to creative direction shooting with someone who knows your style, and help you relax and have fun with it so important. It took a while for me to get my boyfriend to take my photos because it was a new experience. But I shoot with my mum as she pretty much knows the angles I prefer and the areas that I like to shoot in.

Or if you are hiring a photographer then make sure you have a consultation call with them before hand. Grasps the vibe of how well you got on and whether you would feel like they will do a good job in not only taking your photos, but also aiding you with feeling comfortable while on set.

Chose locations or times that might be quieter.

In the area that I shoot, I know that if the weather is nice then weekends will probably be busier to shoot on. However my reality is that my mum works so shooting on the weekend is normally the best time for us to do it together. So we make sure the areas we choose are quiet. We did a shoot back in May and it was really busy in a new location we tried and the shoot was just a bit of a fail. So we learnt to stick to the normal spots.

Be friendly and respectful.

If there are people around then they may stop and say something, ask a question or make a comment. I shot some images for my university portfolio with my friend Georgia back in April, and a women came up and simply asked what we were taking photos for. She was lovely, and just really interested in the shoot concept. If someone asks then just be polite, even if you are nervous that they might tell you off for shooting there etc, then just be polite, explain what you are doing and it might actually turn out well! I have had times where people didn’t like where I was shooting. Everyone loves the London style house however often they can have residents in. So double check your surroundings and be respectful of them.

Think about the benefit of getting that shot.

From being cat called to name called, I have always been a believer that the positives of what I do when shooting out weigh the benefits. Whether that’s because I am shooting a brand deal that will pay my bills, or whether I am getting content I have really been wanting to shoot. The person you are benefiting when shooting outside is yourself and you just have to think about the end result. Sometimes we have to get over our fears to reap the benefits.

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