So last Saturday morning I had my first (and final)  trial hair and make-up. The whole process took less than 1 1/2 hours. So as not to waste it, my fiance and I had planned to have our own amateur pictorial session (with some help from his dad, using only my instant digital camera). I thought this was pretty gutsy of us, considering we both normally feel uncomfortable in front of a camera, like deer caught in front of headlights hehe

This was definitely a situation where we would both be out of our comfort zones, but hey, I’ve been wanting to learn to pose in front of a camera, and I thought, “There’s no better time than the present” hehe.

But before we had our “pictorial”, for insurance purposes (in case it would not go well)  we decided to go to Great Image to have some pictures professionally taken first. We availed of one package, which cost Php1,390.  Personally, I think this is quite expensive (considering you can only choose 3 poses and they don’t give you the softcopies)…. but, considering we badly needed the guidance and instructions of a professional photographer, I suppose we can consider it as payment for “posing lessons” hehe.

The photographer was quite pleasant and we got some tips on how to pose. He put us at ease so it didn’t feel so uncomfortable after the first few shots. The shots turned out surprisingly well and we didn’t look stiff or unnatural, which was great. It was so hard to choose only 3 shots out of the more than 20 pictures that were taken.

Armed with the experience, we went to a nearby hotel, his dad and mom in tow, for our amateur pictorial hehe. We took some indoor shots, but quickly realized that the pictures we took didn’t look anything remotely like those taken in the studio… hmmm…  this was because our camera is only a basic digital camera, and the lighting was not good. When we used the flash we looked washed out, but when we didn’t use the flash the pictures all looked grainy

We decided to take our photoshoot outdoors instead, near the pool and spa area, which turned out to be a good decision as the natural lighting was much easier to work with and yielded better results. Our pictures still didn’t look like the ones from the studio, but they were definitely an improvement compared to our initial attempts. Yehey! At first we looked uncomfortable and unnatural in the pictures, but we just kept trying until we were able to get a few good shots. We also tried different poses – looking at each other, standing back-to-back, sitting down, standing with his arm around me, etc… whatever we could think of (hehe).

After about an hour of picture-taking we were all feeling a bit tired and my cheeks were a bit stiff from all the smiling. But all in all, it was a happy day and a fun experience. I can’t say I’ve fulfilled my wish to “learn to pose and be comfortable in front of a camera”, but at least I feel I’m getting there hehe

There are a few things I learned for taking better pictures though. These are:

1. Getting your hair and make-up done professionally can give your self-confidence a BIG boost. The more confident you are, the better your chances are of taking good pictures.
2. It’s  important to be as relaxed as possible. When you can forget that the camera is there, the pictures will look better too.
3. Pay attention to details. The wrong posture, creases in your clothes, or wrong angles can make a big difference in the way you look on camera.
4. Bring several outfits so you can put together different looks (formal, casual, etc).
5. Don’t be afraid of taking close-ups.
6. When you feel like your cheeks are beginning to get numb from smiling, press your lips together or open and close your mouth a couple of times hehe. 
7. Just keep trying. If a pose isn’t working on camera, try modifying it. Take several shots of each pose from different angles so you can have more shots to choose from.
8. Even shots that don’t seem so good may still be cropped and “Photoshopped” to look better hehehe…
9. And lastly, remember to just be yourself and have fun