Tips & Talk 101 – Stop Posing!

What do you do when a camera points your way? Probably the same as most people. Do you find yourself totally changing your behavior? It’s like now you have to be “on,” and you analyze and adjust so you’re captured in the best way.

While all these tricks make for great photos that show your best self and ones you don’t shy away from, they’re not the best ones for your business. What is natural for you to do when a camera is pointed your way, may send your potential customers in the opposite direction.

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Transcript
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Hi there,

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it's Sue and thanks for joining me for Tips and Talk

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Day. These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions

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and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small

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business. If you'd like to submit a topic,

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DM e over on Instagram at Gift Biz Unwrapped.

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Before we get started,

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attention and action type A personality.

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which should have given me the clue,

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in my businesses without spending hours and hours working either.

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It's about focus and doing the right things efficiently.

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Prompted by all the questions on how I do this,

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I went about finding a way to help you perform at

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a higher level too.

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I analyzed my methods and formalized my process,

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which is one many of my coaching clients.

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One thing that I've never talked about before is that I'm

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not a great camera person.

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I'm not the one taking pictures on vacation or at family

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events, but luckily my husband is,

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back in the day,

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we had one of those super big,

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heavy V H S video cameras.

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Remember those that you would hold on your shoulder?

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Oh, gosh,

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and today,

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Michael still uses his professional Nikon with all the lenses.

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For me,

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it's just my iPhone.

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If even that,

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I swear we'd have few,

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if any pictures or videos of the kids when they were

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little. If it weren't for Michael,

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my personal photographer and videographer.

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I much prefer being in the moment,

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taking in what's right in front of me and enjoying the

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experience versus capturing it for later.

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I don't like being bothered with lighting or getting the perfectly

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angled shot instead of having the experience.

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I guess some people can do both at the same time,

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but that's not me.

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So when social media came around,

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it was not a natural fit.

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Even today,

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it's more of an effort than a joy to take photos,

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but I will admit,

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I appreciate having them later to reflect back on.

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Yet still,

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it's always a struggle between taking the pictures and engaging wholeheartedly

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in the events.

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What has never been a problem for me is having my

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picture taken.

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I don't shy away from a camera pointed my way,

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still shots or video,

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all fine with me.

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I'm a ham.

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I guess I can play it up for the camera as

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long as my hair is done and makeup is on.

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That is,

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but I've even relaxed on that a bit too over the

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years. This leads me to the topic of today and how

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it relates to your business photos.

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Let me start off by asking you this.

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What do you do when a camera points your way?

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Probably the same as most people do.

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You find yourself totally changing your behavior.

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It's like,

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okay, now you have to be on and you analyze and

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adjust so that you're captured in exactly the right way.

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In your mind,

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you might run through a checklist.

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Stand straight,

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turn your head to the best angle,

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tongue to the top of the mouth.

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Do you know that trick?

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Supposedly if you smile and press your tongue to the roof

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of your mouth,

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it pulls on your neck muscles so that they stay smooth

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and taut.

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If you look closely,

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you'll see people doing this and exaggerated a little bit,

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so it looks totally fake.

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But anyway,

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it is a trick,

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and while these tricks make for great photos that show your

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best self and ones that you don't shy away from or

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are embarrassed about,

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they're not the best ones for your business.

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What's natural for you to do when a camera is pointed

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your way may send some of your potential customers in the

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opposite direction?

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The irony is we have greater trust in those who are

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natural and don't put up a front regardless of the quality

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of the photo or video,

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they're seen as more credible because they aren't acting or staged.

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Now, before any of you starts sending me messages about this,

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yes, there are times when you may want a more formal

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photo like for headshots and such,

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but this type of posing doesn't serve you well when you're

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trying to communicate who you are in the day-to-day to attract

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business. So I am begging you to stop posing,

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let's say formal posing.

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When a camera points your way as an example,

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let's imagine a picture of you and your significant other on

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vacation. Which picture do you think would be more interesting?

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You two sitting at a table side by side,

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straight and rigid,

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just smiling right into the camera,

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or one where you're toasting each other or even holding up

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your glasses to the camera with natural expressions and moves that

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bring the viewer into the scene with you.

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That's what you're aiming for with the images you create for

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social media in emails and on your website.

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Natural images that get across your personality,

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which includes emotions and tells a story.

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Okay, easier said than done.

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Right? Here's an idea to help you the next time a

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camera points in your direction and you find yourself starting to

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stiffen up.

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This takes a little prep that we can do right now.

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I want you to think of three adjectives that define how

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you want people to talk about you and your products or

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business. Do you wanna be known as being sassy,

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a down home country girl,

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the professionally skilled creator?

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Do you wanna be seen as formal and proper or free

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spirit? What are your adjectives?

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My three adjectives specifically for gift biz unwrapped are informative,

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friendly, and helpful.

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Once you've got your adjectives,

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think of them.

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Every time you're in front of that camera,

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take your mind off posing and act in a manner that

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reflects the characteristics you've chosen.

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It will make your pictures more natural and send the message

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you're truly trying to convey so your audience can get to

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know you,

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fall in love with you and the products that you make.

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Plus it's way less stressful and much more fun.

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That's a wrap.

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I'm a get to the point kind of girl,

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and this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

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sessions. Now it's your turn.

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Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.

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Share your handmade products with us.

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We want them,

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