Why You Feel Awkward in Photos

“But Eddie, I’m awkward in photos," a client tells me.

Some say it like a confession, or a warning to not expect much.

"I know," I say.

They usually give me a surprised look, followed by a half-smirk. I continue: "I’d be shocked if you told me you were comfortable."

Most people aren’t naturally at ease with a lens pointed at them. That uneasy feeling doesn't come from you; it comes from a lifetime of being told to perform, pose, and hold a smile until your face aches.

I don't operate that way. My strategy is basically invisibility.

I am not here to orchestrate moments or hand you a checklist of poses. Whether we are spending a morning at your workspace in Lisbon or walking through the city, stopping in places with aesthetic appeal, my job is to notice things.

If I give any direction at all, it's usually just an invitation to breathe, or to sit down and let the tension drop.

The best images—the ones that actually speak to you and make you say, "Yeah, that’s the one"—happen when you stop trying to make it right. The real details are always in the mess (details) anyway: the unplanned snort, the dry humor, the quiet look between partners when everyone else is making noise. That is the physical reality that makes an image.

You don’t need to know how to pose to be worth a photograph. You just have to show up. There is a massive relief in looking at a picture and realizing you didn't have to fake a single second of it.