Pat Thielen wrote:
I can totally relate to this - I think I have some form of social anxiety. But tis getting easier to deal with new people and situations the more I have to do that sort of thing. But I can totally relate to hoping someone would cancel before a shoot; I've had that experience many a time. With me, I'm so paranoid about doing a crappy job as a photographer I get nervous now mostly because of that. And if I get a paying client I'm extremely nervous before, during and after a photo session. Hopefully that will get easier to deal with too... Maybe I should switch to product photography .

  -Pat-

Oh my me too...One time I had this bride to be come for some buduoir photos and I did her hair ...I was fine and made it look HOT!!! I was shakey and nervous the whole time and it is embarrassing because I sweat when I work so anyway...I start adding her foundation..I dont supply the foundation at my shoots to expensive for me but anyway I use the cream to powder foundation and she had a liquid bottle..I didnt pay attention as I started to apply the makeup  I tilted the bottle and spilled it down her shirt...OMG i was soooo embarrassed...I almost started crying and I offered to pay for the shirt and she didnt accept..I felt so bad...The shoot was amazing but I still feel bad to this day..I included some extra prints free of charge and did EXTRA special touches to them!!! she was Happy and I got a referral from her a week or so later!!!

Thomas Oed wrote:
Could'a fooled me, Don!  : D

-T-

I have to overcompensate in public... to hide it.

-Don

D. Brian Nelson wrote:

I have to overcompensate in public... to hide it.

-Don

Ah, I see... so you're only shy in private... by yourself....  how do you stand it??

D. Brian Nelson wrote:
...the photographer's dark secret?

I'm painfully shy.

Discussion?

-Don

so .. don't take your clothes off when shooting anymore...

Dee wrote:
I have what I consider to be social anxiety...It really sucks and it is one of the hardest things to live with because it literally turns me into a stresses out ball of goo...I finally have overcome the fear of shooting people for the most part...Doing their hair and makeup is a little difficult for me because I have to be so close to them and I dont know them...

I have mild social anxiety myself, but I realized that half of the things that you're worrying about (ie. "I'm not witty or conversational enough", "I have the grossest pimple on my face", etc) nobody even really notices.

But what really helped me the most was working as a greeter at a retail store, recently. I had to say hello to strangers and ask if they needed assistance whenever they came in, and my employment depended on it! That really pushed me to be more outgoing (and polite!) to the people around me, and when you smile and are courteous, people respond surprisingly well to that (even in New York!)
It worked wonders, I have to say.

D. Brian Nelson wrote:
...the photographer's dark secret?

-Don

underexposed shots