Believe it or not there are people out there that absolutely hate having there picture taken. The mere sight of a camera sends them into panic and hysteria. The most relaxed and chill person can fall into an anxiety ridden state with just the mere thought of the idea. I have seen this happen time and time again. Tuesday afternoon I was witness to such when Jenn came to have some headshots taken for her new business endeavor. As she rounded the corner she smiled and waved hello like a lifelong friend. As we met I couldn’t get over how beautiful and stunning her eyes and smile were. She was sweet, friendly and warm. In our initial phone conversation she told me how much she hated having her picture taken but I couldn’t possibly gauge what she meant until that time actually came. As I sat her down and began to raise my camera the cracks began to show…..and quick. Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes took on that of a dear in headlights. I tried everything under the sun to relax her but none of it came close to working. I had taken as many as five pictures when she called out “Are we done?” while reaching for her checkbook. I told her I couldn’t take her money if I didn’t actually do my job. When I suggested taking some shots outside it seemed to only make things worse. By all means she was one of the coolest people I’d come in contact with in a while. But when that camera came out, it was over. I was able to get some shots but nothing that even came close to portraying how truly beautiful this woman was. Surprisingly, Jenn contacted me later and asked if we could give it another try. I was more than happy to oblige and will have the pleasure of seeing her again on Friday. Jenn, if you’re reading this I’m just going to tell you something a friend told me a few days ago, “Chillax, it’s all good.”
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