Bonjour mes amies!

I don’t like having photos taken of me. 

I’m more than certain some audibly gasped and/or called me a ________ (insert your word of choice) liar.

C’est vrai!

I am overly critical of myself and I’m truly not photogenic. 

Some people have that certain je ne sais qoui that allows them to be perfectly captured via candid photos.  I am not one of them.

Along with feeling that I’m not photogenic, I still feel uncomfortable asking people (outside of the husband) to take a picture of me.  Non, that’s not true, there’s Stephanie.  Stephanie is ALWAYS down for a Cappuccinos & Consignment photoshoot. She’s so down that there are times when I receive pictures from a photoshoot that I wasn’t aware of. 

Oui mes amies, I’ll randomly receive bizarre photos of moi from Stephanie.  A photo of me pouring a glass of wine, checking my email, or my personal favorite a photo of me watching her take what I thought was a selfie. 

Yeap, she’s my favorite creep-ette!   

I’ve always loved capturing photos.  Arbitrary graffiti, vintage glassware, and of course my stack-o-bracelets.  It wasn’t until I began blogging that I realized I would now have to be in front of the lens to establish the connection I wanted avec mes amies.

While it has been a year since I’ve started blogging, it still feels odd asking for photos.  Especially if I’m with people who are not “into social media.”  I always feel super self-conscious or the exact opposite, narcissistic. 

Due to my reluctancy to simply ask for a photo, I’ve “missed out” on being captured in moments that would have been perfect for a blog or social media post.

One year of blogging has help me build an extra layer of skin (I admittedly need more.)  I’ve had to do things that typically make me uneasy: market myself, discuss money/payments and ask for help.

Here are the trois things I’ve done to assist me with asking for help taking photos:

Un.  Make them apart of the experience.

When I ask a complete stranger for a photo, I first lead with “Bonjour! I’m Jessie! I recently started a blog, if you have a sec can you please help me take a picture for my next blog post?”  If they reply yes, proceed with telling them that you’d love to tag them for “photo-cred” if they’re comfortable with that. If they reply “oui” not only have you found a temporary photographer, you’ve found yourself a new language partner!

Deux.  Offer your help

Prior to blogging and getting married I traveled alone.  I have very few photos of me during my travels because I don’t like having pictures taken of me.  The few photos that I do have were truly taken by chance.  I would see another solo traveler with a selfie stick (to set the record straight, I NEVER used those) and I’d offer to take a photo of them. I’ve assisted couples as well. Most people would then ask to return the favor and not take no for an answer.

Trois.  Treat them

If financially feasible offer to treat the amateur photographer to a un café.  More often than not, they’ll say no, snap the photo and be on their way.  There have however been times when someone has actually taken me up on the offer for un café. I still keep in touch with one of the café photographers until this day. And it doesn’t hurt that they have a fabulous flat en Paris.      

This past weekend at New York Fashion Week, I came close to having zero photos taken of me. In spite of the tips I shared, it’s still difficult for me to work up the courage to ask for a photo. The cover photo was taken by a lovely waitress.

Please share your tips, I could always use more.

Ciao for now 💋