Talking Your Significant Other Into A Pro Session When They’re Camera Shy

Some of my clients come to me for the first time during their second pregnancy, mourning the fact they missed out on their first child’s pregnancy or newborn photos because of a camera-shy partner. I completely understand because I’m somewhat camera-shy, too (surprisingly common for photographers!). However, these sacred moments are fleeting and can never be captured again.

For that reason, I have some tips and recommendations for taking a significant other into participating in your maternity or newborn photo session - and I promise they will never regret it.

Tips For Getting Camera-Shy People To Participate In A Professional Portrait Session

Talking or goading them into it is not usually successful. Instead, I advocate for a fuller-spectrum, truthful, and heart-led approach.

Pro Communication Tip: Always approach the subject with gentle, patient care. If you feel yourself getting heated, or triggered, or you slip into “goading” mode - press pause on the conversation.

Help them understand these photo sessions are unique

Maternity and newborn photo sessions are not your point-and-shoot, say “cheese” kind of experience. By the time we’re together in the studio for your session, we’ve spoken on the phone to get to know each other a little better, I’ve heard your story, and you’ve poured over my portfolio to see what my work looks and feels like, and we’ve met in person for a deep-dive design consultation to talk about your goals for the session.

Once subjects interact with one another and me in a session, we’re talking and laughing and completely at ease. Plus, one of the reasons I can make my living doing this work is that I have a natural ability to bring the very best from my clients in front of the camera. As a result, their anxiety dims, natural expressions and movements emerge, and we create stunning images that create a lifetime of pleasure and gratitude. For you and your loved ones, the session becomes truly a magical experience, and forget I’m pointing a camera at you.

Ask them to think big picture and long-term

The overarching theme here is that we only have a couple of weeks (if that) to capture the unique, precious, and fleeting window of “newborn-ness.” That fresh-from-the-womb look essential to newborns only lasts about seven to 14 days, after which babies quickly gain weight, grow, and awaken to the world around them. They’re still absolutely adorable - but they lose the teeny-tiny look newborn photos are known for.

So, think big-picture. Think about 10, 20, and 30 years from now. What’s more important: Have incredible photos we can never recreate and are cherished family treasures? Or missing out on that memorable experience because they weren’t willing to go outside their comfort zone for a small window of time? 

They never have to look at the camera

If you look in my maternity gallery, you’ll notice that the partners and significant others rarely look directly into the lens. Instead, I support natural connections and interactions between my clients. The same is true for newborn photo sessions, where we often have grandparents, siblings, or other loved ones in the photo mix.

By allowing for sessions that are comfortable enough for everyone to interact and celebrate the moment together, we create dozens of images that never have a forced or ultra-posed feeling - and that prevents a camera-shy person from feeling awkward or put on the spot.

We create an anxiety-free space and ensure everyone looks fantastic

Camera-shy people typically experience heightened anxiety around having their picture taken and may also have a complex about how “they always look terrible in pictures.” This is great news!

First, heightened anxiety is temporary, and it doesn’t last forever. Plus, once they meet the photographer and feel comfortable with them (see next), those nerves begin to calm considerably. Second, people who “look terrible in pictures” probably don’t like how they look because their poses or facial expressions are forced and unnatural. But, as mentioned above, our photo sessions aren’t like that. 

Yes, things will be set up, orchestrated, and posed - to a point. But there is also enough time to settle in, get comfortable, enjoy some delicious snacks, listen to your favorite music, and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience together. 

Bring them with you to the design consultation 

My clients joke that I’m a baby whisperer because of the natural way I have with newborns - even in their completely normal fussy moments. However, I may be a “people whisperer” too. And that’s exactly the quality you’re looking for when hiring a newborn photographer - especially if you have a camera-shy partner, spouse, or child.

If your spouse or partner is hedging on being a part of the photo session due to their own nerves or hang-ups about being in front of the camera, I’d love to meet them. Design consultations are the second step of the booking process. This is where we get to know one another and I learn more about your story. By bringing your beloved camera-shy person along, I have the chance to learn more about why they feel like that and then talk about ways to work around it.

Lemonshoots Makes Camera-Shy People Feel At Ease

I’ve been taking photos of pregnant women, their precious newborns, and camera-shy loved ones for more than a decade. I have thousands of photos proving everyone looks great and feels comfortable when they partner with the right photographer. 

I’m being completely honest when I say that while I’ve heard people say, “I regret not participating or ordering maternity and newborn photos when I had the chance,” more times than I can count - - I’ve never once heard a client say, “We wish we wouldn’t have done that,” or, “I knew I wouldn’t like the way I look in the pictures.” 

Instead, my clients say things like, “We instantly felt so comfortable with her and thoroughly enjoyed our time in her studio,” “Working with Marcela, our anxiety melted away completely,” and, “As a pregnant person undergoing major bodily changes and copious amounts of emotions, I felt comfortable and beautiful while being photographed by her!” You’ll never regret it!

Contact me, Marcela Limon, to learn more about my process and how I help wallflowers bloom so they can feel great about being a participant in these one-of-a-kind photo sessions.