How I Take Photos of Myself Without Feeling Awkward
There is a very specific kind of awkward that happens when you set up a camera, stand in front of it and suddenly become extremely aware that you have arms…
I’ve taken self-portraits for years, and I still have moments where I’m like…
What am I doing? 😂
The difference is that I don’t treat the awkwardness as a sign that I should stop anymore.
Here’s what actually helps me get past it.
1. I don’t start by posing
The quickest way for me to feel awkward is to stand completely still and think:
Okay. Look good.
Absolutely not 😭
Instead, I give myself something to do.
I walk. Fix my hair. Look out the window. Sit down. Pick something up. Turn around.
Eventually, one movement naturally becomes another and I stop thinking so much about what my body is doing.
YOUR SPARK! For your first 10 photos, you’re not allowed to pose. Just move.
2. I put on music
This sounds almost too simple, but it changes everything.
Silence makes me hyper-aware of the camera.
Music gives the room an energy that has nothing to do with whether I look good.
Choose something that makes you feel like the version of yourself you want to photograph that day.
Soft. Playful. Powerful. Romantic. Completely unserious.
Then let the photos follow.
3. I take the pressure off the first photos
The first photo does not need to be good.
Neither does the second.
Or the 20th.
I think of the beginning of a self-portrait session as a warm-up.
I’m figuring out the light. I’m figuring out the frame. I’m getting comfortable.
Somewhere along the way, I usually forget that I’m warming up.
And that’s when the interesting photos start happening.
YOUR SPARK! Take 20 intentionally experimental photos before deciding whether anything is working.
4. I stop checking every single photo
Take photo.
Check photo.
Zoom into face.
Judge face.
Try again.
That’s a very efficient way to make taking photos of yourself miserable. 😂
I prefer shooting a little sequence before looking.
It keeps me inside the moment instead of constantly switching between creating and judging.
You can review them later.
Right now, your only job is to make them.
5. I exaggerate everything
If I’m feeling especially stiff, sometimes I intentionally make the poses too much.
Big movement.
Ridiculous expression.
Dramatic hair flip.
Over-the-top model pose.
Something I know probably isn’t going to become the photo.
Why?
Because once you’ve intentionally done something ridiculous in front of your own camera, the normal poses suddenly don’t feel nearly as embarrassing.
Your spark: Take the most dramatic photo you possibly can.
6. I remember that nobody is watching
This might be my favourite part of taking photos alone.
There is no photographer waiting.
No audience.
Nobody wondering why you’ve taken 47 versions of essentially the same photograph.
You can experiment for as long as you want.
You can change your outfit.
You can hate an idea and completely start over.
You can dance between shots.
You can take 300 photos and keep two.
Nobody needs to know.
That privacy gives you permission to play.
7. I look for me, not the perfect version of me
This is the biggest shift.
I’m not trying to make every photograph prove that I’m photogenic.
I’m looking for something interesting.
An expression I recognize.
A movement I like.
A tiny moment that feels like me.
Sometimes my favourite photograph isn’t the one where everything looks perfect.
It’s the one where I can actually see myself in it.
Awkward isn’t the opposite of confident
You don’t need to wait until taking photos of yourself feels completely natural.
Confidence can look like:
This feels slightly ridiculous… and I’m doing it anyway.
The more you photograph yourself, the less mysterious the camera becomes.
You start learning your movement.
Your expressions.
Your light.
Your taste.
And eventually, you’re not standing there wondering whether you’re photogenic.
You’re too busy wondering:
What else could I create?
So close the door.
Put on your favourite song.
Set the timer.
And give yourself permission to be awkward for a little while.
You might be one selfie away. ✨