Hi I’m Kita and I’m an introvert. I’m really kinda shy, although most people won’t see me that way. It takes a lot out of me to talk to people because I never know what to talk about and sometimes I say awkward stuff that make no sense and then there is silence. How do I take photos if I’m all of that? Well, I want to talk about why being an introverted photographer is actually your biggest advantage and how to use that to gain clients and take the best photos.
As an introvert I observe more. Meaning when I walk into the room, since I’m not trying to be the center of attention, I can sneak in the back and see things that others may miss. This is a huge superpower when taking photos. Here is something weird I do, and please don’t judge me, but for any new clients, I always like to arrive ahead of schedule and observe when you arrive. I get to watch to see how you handle your kids, how they interact with you. That helps me see who you are before I meet you and I can better understand how to take your family photos. Sure you can fill out a question form but I like to see things for myself in the moment. The camera doesn’t care how loud you are. It cares about what you see.
The camera gives me a role in certain situations. I let the camera do the talking so that I don’t have to. Am I avoiding talking to you…kinda but I can use that camera as my tool to talk without talking. I’m here to work and I love that I can use that lol.
Now my main niche is Family photography (with seniors and brand sprinkled in). You may say, well how do you get family photos by being an introvert. Don’t you have to talk to the family? I don’t know how I do it, but a trick I use is I always start with the kids, they are usually shy like I am, so I can relate better. You know meeting people that they don’t know for the first time can be scary and being a shy introvert can be scary also. The parents are focused on the kids not running off, so they aren’t talking to me as much as they talk to their kids. The key is to focus on the family member or members that takes the focus off of me. Did that make sense?
As an introvert, I also build a deep relationship with my clients because we get to know how each other work and that makes the pictures come out fabulous. Remember, I said I observe? Well, I remember little details that matter so that the next time we shoot I know what to look for. That kind of care and attention to detail is valuable as an introvert, and it makes for great repeat clients who know that I treat them with care because I’m not the loudest in the room or trying to have the attention on me.
Photography does include people, so start small. You don’t have to have whole conversations; say something small, I like your hair. Then shoot photos…then maybe say I wish I could pull off that bob (or whatever they have), make it relatable. Photography is not about who is the loudest in the room it’s about who is paying attention. So here are a few more tips you can use
- recharge after a photoshoot and don’t pile on so many in one day that helps
- Scout the location beforehand so your energy isn’t geared towards the location so much (its a great way to avoid actual conversation with clients I tried it and it didn’t work lol)
- Keep 4 to 5 prompts that you can use for all shoots that help break the ice and get the great pictures. One of mines when I do a shoot is to hug the person who has the most money in the family that usually gets them laughing and talking among themselves for a few mintues while I get the shot.
- Use music that reminds me I need to buy a speaker for shoots, put on their favorite songs not yours
- Focus on one person at a time
- take short breaks during shoots that aren’t noticeable. I usually do that when I switch lens it helps me
Have fun and remember a lot of times you are shooting someone who may be introverted also….trust me y’all will get the picture.
