14 DAY TRIAL // We all have a friend who’s not really comfortable being in front of the camera. Point a lens at him/her and they will turn their heads trying to avoid getting their photo snapped.
Camera phobia isn't something characteristic of the average Joe or Jane but can be found in some of the most successful individuals like famous actors or Miss Universe winners (no joke).
Peter Hurley and Anna Rowley invented the science of Psyphotology
Being puzzled by this, well-known headshot photographer Peter Hurley teamed up with honored psychologist Anna Rowley, in a joint effort to find a cure for people who get clammy hands and sweaty foreheads when a camera’s objective is directed at them.
The two have coined a term for their research and technique, dubbed Psyphotology – which is the result of a clever word cross between “psychology” and “photography.”
Together, the two specialists aim to teach people how to gain “self-acceptance” rather than focus on the negative and the empty part of the glass.
The pair met while working on a joint assignment for Microsoft. They soon realized they had more in common, especially the fascination with understanding the underlying cause why some people are incapable of acting like themselves in front of the camera.
Their partnership escalated with a TEDxCambridge talk, in which they give a bunch of tips on how one can loosen up while at a photo shoot. You can watch it below if you’re curious.
The talk starts off with an interesting story about Miss Universe. Even if most of us view beauty pageant winners as extremely sure of themselves individuals, the reality behind the curtain is quite different. Hurley reveals that even such an icon of beauty had inhibitions and was quite skittish about being photographed.
That’s when Rowley comes in to explain that one must look deep inside and figure out where all these feelings of insecurity and inadequacy come from, if you ever hope to solve the problem.
Sometimes the problem might be the person's nature
The underlying problem with some subjects is that they are shy so their personality type is prone not to feel at ease while being the focus of attention.
In an earlier piece, we put together a series of tips that might help photographers make a shy person more comfortable during a photo shoot.
For example, we proposed photographers could take the time to warm their subject up, by chatting and showing them they are in a safe environment. Shy people usually need a little time to adjust to a situation beforehand, so rushing into things is not an option here.
