Sunglass Sass | Getting Camera Confident with Feel Good Contacts*

 Hey friends,

Isn't it funny how a little bit of imagination can turn your brother's grubby uni garden (if you can call it a garden) into an edgy shoot location? Ok so as well as imagination you also need a few minutes to remove the empty beer cans from shot, but ah well...

I recently ordered these gorgeous Matte Black Bronze Polarised sunglasses from Feel Good Contacts. I love Polaroid sunnies because the frames are always really flattering shapes, but also they're anti-glare lenses, which is SO much better for your eyes than regular ones! I also love how the slight sepia tint on the lenses ties in with the bronze arms. So Fetch. My brother and I took these photos a few weeks ago and it got me thinking about how much more confident I feel in front of the camera when I have a pair of sunnies on, so I decided to put together a little post featuring a few of my tips on how to ace that photoshoot and just own it!

1. Practise Makes Perfect

Just because a blogger you know looks great doing a certain pose, doesn't mean it'll necessarily work for you. By all means take inspiration; scroll through Instagram, flick through magazines or watch a YouTube video or two on posing ideas. I'd then suggest standing in front of a full length mirror (preferably one where nobody else can see you) and practising a few of the different moves and poses. You're bound to feel a bit silly or awkward doing it at first, but this way you can see which ones you think work best for you and your body!

2. Find Your Angles 

Once you've picked some killer poses, kidnap a family member or a close friend (or if in doubt, your ever faithful, non judgemental tripod and wifi-ready camera) and see how your poses translate in pictures. It's good to try this in an outfit you want to shoot in, so you can see how the clothes move too! When I'm shooting with someone new that maybe doesn't know my angles and I want to get the perfect shot I'll pick one pose, and vary it ever so slightly between each take. For example for the shot above, I might lift my chin an inch in the next take, then arch my shoulder more, then turn my body a little more toward the camera, and then look directly into the lens. If you try to get 5-6 slight variations of the same pose, you're guaranteed to find an angle that you like, and most importantly a KILLER pic!

3. Grab Your Sunnies!

If you're not quite ready to smize directly for the camera (gotta thank Queen Tyra for that tip) then a pair of sunglasses are honestly your best friend when it comes to photoshoots. Staring directly into the camera can be daunting if you've not done it before and I always feel a million times sassier when I have a cool pair of sunnies on, and it 100% translates in my poses and pictures! I personally find the start of a shoot can be a little awkward (especially if it's in public) and it's easy to look stiff, so throwing on some sunglasses is a good way to zone out from other people, allow yourself to relax, and move around like nobody's watching!

4. Gimme A Hand!

If you're worried about the dreaded "T-Rex hands" (been there done that MANY a time) then try and find yourself something to hold on to. Sometimes a simple hair touch, or holding the hem of your skirt or jean pocket can work. If you're bringing your hands to your face, just take a really dainty approach (whilst shooting with Lizzie in Croatia, we decided to call this "fairy hands"!). By that I mean, keep your wrist joint soft and loose, and just gently use a finger or two to rest against your chin or cheek - or wherever the hell you fancy touching your face! - instead of using your whole hand, and avoid making a fist or it can end up looking too heavy. 

If you'd rather hold something physical, blogger faves include flowers, sunglasses, shopping bags, coffee or food! Personally I'm all about the edible props cause it means I get to eat them immediately after...

5. Lighting, lighting, lighting.

Finding a cute, nicely lit location can be a right pain in the backside. Make sure your light source is never behind you else you're just going to look like a silhouette. Shooting first thing in the morning or just before sunset can create a really gorgeous image, after all, it isn't called the golden hour for nothing! Sunglasses again are fab when shooting in bright light, as they prevent the delightful squinty eye. My Matte Black Bronze sunglasses have Polarised lenses which helps hugely in bright conditions! I'd strongly suggest checking out Feel Good Contacts, as they have a killer selection of sunnies!

Srsly how cute is my bro though? He's wearing the Polaroid Twist Orange Polarised Sunglasses.

6. Say Cheese!

Finally, don't forget to smile! It's so easy to forget what your face is doing when you're trying to remember your angles, strike a pose, hold a prop and not fall over at the same time. I always find when in doubt, a cheeky smile off into the distance is a great fail safe. I honestly believe that in life you HAVE to fake it till you make it, and that applies to photoshoots too! If you act confident (even if you're actually bricking it and are ready to do a nervous poo) then I guarantee you'll look it too.

So I hope this post will help anyone who's feeling nervous about getting in front of the camera (which FYI there's nothing wrong with, I still do!). Whether you've never done a photoshoot before, or you're a seasoned pro, if you even learnt one thing from this post then I'll be a very happy bunny! Please do let me know in the comments below if you have a tip you think everyone should know or if you tried one of my ideas and it worked!

Now go get posing you beautiful creatures!

Thanks for reading your Dose of Fashion

Disclaimer: Some items in this blog post were gifted to me in exchange for an honest review/feature. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way by brands/companies. If you are a company interested in sending me something for a review, you can contact me at izzy@izzymariehill.com