Social Media fanatics and those with SelfieSticks are used to having a catalogue of pictures of them, of their pets, nature, and anything else hashtag-worthy. Taking pictures just for the sake of taking pictures is just a normal part of life. Any chance to walk by a reflective surface is a welcome reason to evaluate your appearance for the next filter-induced Instagram update. Unless you are a famous person or a raging narcissist, the idea of having your picture taken can be a daunting one. Therein lies Fear of Having Your Picture Taken. Actually some famous people don’t even like it. Including me!
Framing Your Fear of Having Your Picture Taken
Everyone has at least one good side when it comes to picture taking. Okay, almost everyone but we don’t need to get into that. However, even the most photogenic people can struggle with a perfect picture. Lighting, blinking, or surprise bug attacks can impact a picture. This results in multiple attempts to get the same shot. Try holding a pose or smile for 16 hours then tell me how much you enjoy taking pictures. If you are snapping a picture of a rock, no problem. But not every picture you take will be of immobile or inanimate objects. Pets, volcanic eruptions, or non-digital clouds are just some examples that don’t like to stay still for long. Regardless of the amount of effort going into taking the shot, you may not always be happy with the result. Plus there’s always that moment when you realize your phone camera is front-facing. Surprise!
The worst part about taking a picture, evaluating it, and deciding to re-take it is not necessarily the subject of your shot moving. If you are by yourself, you can spend hours trying to get the angles just right. This type of Herculean effort is usually reserved for your online dating profiles. But what do you do when you’re in public? Do you send a blurry Snapchat shot to your friends with an apologetic caption? Do you tap the stranger on the shoulder and kindly ask them to do that embarrassing thing again? What if the stranger is the one taking the picture of you though? See, you didn’t think of that, did you? That’s just another layer of Fear of Having Your Picture Taken.
Covering the Lens on Your Fear of Having Your Picture Taken
Did you know you can hire a professional photographer to take hundreds of planned and candid pictures of you for a nominal fee? That’s right! You can literally pay someone to capture photos of you to help commemorate a milestone event or mundane activity. This is typically a better option than trying to be present in the moment while simultaneously trying to photograph the moment. This is also a better option than the stranger from the last paragraph approaching you saying you can buy the photos they just took of you for a nominal fee. Even if the pictures are really good, there will still be more questions than answers. More restraining orders too.