Four Ways to Command Respect as a Photographer If You’re Quiet or Shy

Being quiet or lacking confidence as a photographer can negatively affect your career and the images you make. Use these tips to receive more respect and attention with your camera.

While many of us would rather stay quietly behind our cameras and take pictures, there is usually a degree of interaction involved with people before, during, or after a shoot. These interactions are often when you are trying to convince clients, customers, or individuals that it is in their best interest to let you take pictures for them. Commanding respect and giving the impression of confidence will not only lead to you getting more work, but it will also help you to control the situation while you shoot with others. The latter of these attributes is vitally important when working with lots of people, as shoots can spiral out of control otherwise.

Thankfully for us, the team over at Charisma on Command is back once again with an insightful video on the many ways you can command more respect day to day. The video starts by discussing the use of hands to draw attention as well as the importance of eye contact. I particularly liked the part about pausing mid-sentence when trying to command respect, which is something I plan to use more often. Such a concept may sound a little odd but makes perfect sense when you see the examples of it being used in the video.

The video goes on to talk about how to use relaxed and confident body language, which again is something that I think can only benefit photographers on a shoot. While some of you may not see the importance of working on these kinds of personal traits, they really can make an impact on the work you can produce and the clients you may get as a result. Well-rounded photographers have to learn a range of skills to become good at what they do. In my opinion, having the ability to command a situation is more important than many practical skills photographers have to learn.

Lead image originally by MD Siddiq, used under Creative Commons.