You Gotta Laugh!

Laughter is the best medicine. Being able to laugh, particularly in tense situations, can help you to relax, think more clearly, and turn what is a stressful situation into something that can actually be fun! And it’s an important part of connecting with people – Victor Borge, who was a great comedian, once said “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” – it is so true.

People often avoid updating their headshot (or just don’t like having their pictures taken) for many reasons – often it’s how they feel about the way they look, or they’ve had a bad experience with a photographer, or they just don’t feel comfortable. And if they get by those anxieties and schedule a session, they’re often nervous, uncomfortable, amped up – and that shows in a photograph.

As photographers, we’re often 20% technicians/artists and the other 80% psychologists – to get great images, you have to be able to “read” the person you’re working with – where they’re at emotionally. And if they’re uncomfortable, help them relax and place their trust in you.

I’ve found several things that work – and many of these techniques can be used outside of photography when working with people in situations where some tension is involved:

First, have empathy for how people are feeling. For many, getting in front of a camera and having your picture taken brings up all sorts of anxiety, fears – this contraption captures YOU and all those things you don’t like about how you look! Maybe it’s your smile, your nose, the fact that you’re “hair challenged”, etc.. You’d rather have root canal. The thing is, most if not all the things we think about how we look are things other people don’t see or don’t care about. And if they do….so what?

Second, do things to engage people’s brains vs. being paralyzed by their emotions. When people get scared, they often stop thinking or moving, which actually makes things worse as you’re not doing anything to calm those fears – and it can spiral from there. What works for me is to engage people in the process of having their picture taken, educating them on things they can do to help them look better, and show them the results instantaneously. The process of engaging their brain, showing them they’re not helpless in terms of how they look, and giving them tools to help them look their best helps to bring the anxiety level down.

Finally, one of the most important tools is laughter and having fun. When people laugh with other people, a connection is made – we’re sharing a common emotion. Studies have shown that laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals – your entire body feels more relaxed and it frees your brain to be more creative. And this translates into images where you look more like you.

I have been known to press the shutter button during sessions when we’re having a laugh – headshot sessions can be fun AND you can get some great images! But beyond photography, laughter (or the appropriate use of humor) can be a powerful tool. But of course, like any tool, it needs to be used wisely and in situations where it’s appropriate.