Photographers: Why you should be in front of the camera, too

9 min readNov 16, 2020

Being the subject of a photoshoot might seem like a terrifying experience to many of us — but it is a critical step to improving our photography game.

Believe it or not, some photographers are naturals in front of a camera and might even enjoy it. For the rest of us, the prospect is uninteresting at best and absolutely nerve-wracking at worst. Why bother expanding our skill set beyond the simple click of a button? (Relax, it’s a joke. Of course, photographers do so much more than just press a button — but that’s a conversation for another day.)

Being a good photographer requires more than just a creative vision and the technical skills to execute that vision; client service and other soft skills (e.g., empathy, communication) inevitably play a large role in a photographer’s work.

In the few years that I’ve been working with models and clients as a photographer, I have participated in several photoshoots myself. Despite the overwhelming anxiety I get beforehand, each photoshoot makes me appreciate just how important it is to experience what models and clients might feel when they work with me.

I’ve learned a number of lessons along the way, and make an active effort to apply these lessons to all of my photoshoots, regardless of my client’s experience level.

Here are three of the most important lessons I learned, along with tips for each one:

1. Experienced or not, your clients will be nervous to some extent. It is your job as the photographer to make them feel confident in their abilities and trust your work.

Nerves are normal, and they can happen to anyone at any time. Experienced models might feel nervous if they haven’t shot in a while, are working with a new team or brand, or attempting a new style of photography. Bloggers might feel nervous if they’re on a tight timeline to deliver content, and aspiring models might feel some self-doubt as they work to build their portfolio. (For the record, photographers can feel nervous for these same reasons, too! Looks like we’re all in this anxious mess together.) Clients looking to do couples photos or a graduation session, for example, might be nervous if it’s their first time being professionally photographed.

All of these experiences are valid, and we as photographers are in a unique position to address and minimize these concerns as much as possible in order to get the most out of each photoshoot.

H E L P F U L /T I P S:

TIP 1: Communicate clearly before, during, and after the photoshoot. If a client knows what to expect throughout the entire photoshoot process — from price discussion to photo delivery — they can spend their time focusing on other important tasks, such as getting their beauty sleep and enjoying the shoot! Seriously, that’s what they’re paying you for: a fun, stress-free, seamless experience.

Clearly communicate your pricing and what each package includes, send your contract on time, recommend a location and style based on the vision of the photoshoot, guide their poses during the shoot, and set reasonable expectations for when and how photos will be delivered.

TIP 2: Be their cheerleader during the photoshoot. No one wants to be in front of the camera trying out different poses without any feedback.

As the photographer, you should encourage poses you like, clearly guide them into the poses you have in mind (e.g., chin up, move slightly to your left, look at me, relax your shoulders), and continue to compliment how they’re doing.

I love to remind myself and my clients that there is no such thing as a bad pose — just one that might need be adjusted slightly. I always encourage experimenting with a new pose and body movement and laughing it off if it doesn’t go as planned!

When a client is particularly hard on his or herself throughout a photoshoot, I give a gentle reminder that we should avoid negative self-talk, and instead practice constructively communicating how to feel better about the photos. It can be tricky navigating this situation, but I find that it always helps to ease some nerves.

TIP 3: Let clients see the photos as you shoot. I’ve always found that doing this helps my clients see what they like and don’t like, and adjust accordingly. This can also help clients see your vision. For example, I often have models and clients try poses that sound and feel ridiculous (such as fake laughing or kicking up their legs) but look great in photos-and showing them the result illustrates what I’m trying to execute.

2. Stop assuming you know what your client likes.

This is a controversial take, but I stand by it: you should allow your clients to choose which photos you edit. Hear me out on this one.

How many times have you had a photo taken of yourself or been in a group photo and hated how you looked — but your friends, family, or partner swore up and down that you look great? (And your reaction is, “seriously, are we looking at the same photo?!”) If social media is part of your life, then odds are, you have dealt with this horrifying experience at some point.

When compared to that one person always surprising their friends with “candid” (aka unattractive) social media posts, a photographer will definitely have a better eye for people’s most flattering angles and photos. Again, it’s our job to deliver the best results.

But insecurities are complex and run deep, and you will never fully understand how your clients view themselves. You can create and deliver what you believe are the best photos in the world, and your client might hate them because their nose doesn’t look right or they feel uncomfortable about their body or the way they are posed.

Agree or disagree, these are still valid feelings.

When you are hired as a photographer, your job is to make your client feel their absolute best during the photoshoot and once they are looking at the final photos. Sure, we’ve all had that one experience with a client who was just impossible to please, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work to minimize that from happening with others.

H E L P F U L /T I P S:

TIP 1: Letting clients choose which photos to edit is a lot of work, so be strategic about it. If I’m working with models, then chances are they have a lot of experience in front of the camera, are already familiar with their best angles and poses, and are used to having the photographer or some third party choose which photos will be edited and published. I’ll still ask models if they want to review the pictures after our session and mark their favorites (most cameras allow you to “star” your favorite photos). Nine out of ten times, they will say they trust my judgement and allow me to edit whatever I see fit.

For my less experienced clients, I always offer two choices:

1) I will create proof sheets with low resolution, unedited images from the shoot (more on this in the next tip) and let my client choose a set number of photos for me to edit, with any extra photos beyond that at an additional cost. I always make it clear that this option adds time to the overall photo delivery process, since I have to create proofs, wait for the client’s approval, and then edit and deliver the photos.

2) I will pick the photos I want to edit and deliver, with the perk being that I edit and send along a few extra images. I make sure to point out that this option saves time, meaning they will receive their photos sooner.

Both have their benefits. With the first option, I can be sure that my clients will love the photos I deliver, and they might even buy a few more. With the second option, I can save a lot of time by avoiding the process of creating client-ready proof sheets. Regardless of the option they pick, I still end up editing and delivering photos I love.

When I first started out as a photographer, I felt like I was constantly running into the issue of picking photos that I thought were beautiful and best for the client, only to face the reality that they just didn’t see themselves the same way I saw them. Regardless of your experience, delivering photos that don’t make your clients feel their best is always soul crushing, but it shouldn’t be taken personally. We all have something we’re insecure about, and it would be unrealistic to expect everyone-including professional photographers-to predict what those insecurities might be.

TIP 2: Be smart about the proofs you deliver. If my client decides they want to pick the photos I edit, then I rearrange my workflow a bit. No one wants to receive more than a hundred photos to pick from. People are busy, and that’s overwhelming to deal with.

When I create proof sheets, I make sure to only include the best photos for the client’s selection. I make it clear that these are low resolution, unedited photos that are not permitted for distribution; therefore, they should focus mainly on how they look when selecting which images they want me to edit. There are plenty of articles online about how to create proof sheets (also called contact sheets). I create mine on Photoshop, since I exclusively edit there and in Camera Raw.

3. Taking note of other photographers’ practices can only help you improve yours.

Whether you’ve been a photographer for years or just a couple of months, you likely have your photoshoot routine set — from how you communicate to the various platforms you use (shout out to Pixieset, the only platform I’ll ever use to deliver photos!).

Working with other photographers can help you improve your process and can even help you contextualize photography services to clients who might not have much experience with the industry. (For example, if a client asks for RAW photos, you can let them know with confidence that, from your experience, most photographers do not offer RAW photos.)

H E L P F U L /T I P :

TIP 1: Be mindful of a photographer’s process, but pay attention to how it makes you feel. Of course, there is no one correct way to run your business as a photographer. What I prefer and find success in might be different from your preferences.

So please — do not go into a session with another photographer and critique their process… But do pay attention to how their process makes you feel, and apply that to your own business. Does it make you feel more confident when they show you a pose to replicate, instead of just telling you what to do? Start practicing that with your clients! Do you feel nervous when they look at the photos in their camera, and don’t tell you what they think or show you the photos? And are you just now realizing, oh no, I do the same thing with my clients?! Practice eliminating this habit.

Over time, you’ll become more cognizant of your various quirks and habits, and start getting better about minimizing the ineffective ones and amplifying the effective ones. But how will you ever know if you’re not experiencing it firsthand?

I’ve learned plenty of lessons, big and small, along the way — but those three were the most powerful for me. Everything you do should be in the best interest of the client, from making sure they have a stress-free experience to boosting their confidence; trust that your client knows which photos will make them happy and are best for them; and continuously work on improving your process.

Navigating the complex and ever-evolving dynamic that exists with your clients can feel overwhelming, but paying attention to this non-technical side of your photography business can pay off in huge ways.