Camera shyness is a personal trait where individuals avoid being photographed due to a lack of confidence, past negative experiences, or a desire for control over their image. It can vary in intensity and may be exacerbated by social media use.
Camera shyness is a personal trait in which an individual avoids being photographed. It varies in intensity from person to person and can be caused by a lack of personal confidence. Self-esteem may have been damaged in the past by viewing an unflattering photograph or video. Some people think they are not photogenic which makes them shy. Losing control over the use and distribution of a person’s image, such as on social networking sites, can also cause shyness.
People who are reluctant to have their picture or video taken are said to be camera shy. These people tend to throw their hands up to their face or run and hide whenever a camera or video camera is pointed at them. Some people are not camera shy with photographs, but they do develop camera shyness in front of a video camera. Personal confidence issues with public speaking or feeling physically uncomfortable are exacerbated in the presence of a video camera.
Camera shyness can develop if a person has seen unsatisfactory photographs of themselves in the past. Being presented with an unflattering photograph of, for example, showing a big nose or excess weight, can produce a reluctance to be photographed again. The camera-shy person may wish that others never see unfavorable photographs of them and therefore never give a photographer a chance to take a picture.
Control plays a role where someone has no control over the process of selecting someone else’s photo albums. Someone with camera shyness takes control by refusing to be photographed, rather than allowing their image to be used and viewed on an ad hoc basis by another person, even a friend. The use of social networking sites and other social internet platforms has created camera shyness in those who do not want their photograph to be broadcast against their will.
Lack of self-confidence can cause camera shyness. An individual may perceive himself to have physical flaws that he does not want captured forever or shown for all to see. Keeping a low profile is important to some people, and their level of trust prevents them from allowing their image to be viewed repeatedly.
Individuals who think they are not photogenic sometimes have camera shyness. They often look different in photographs than they do in the mirror. If this happens repeatedly, the person avoids damaging their self-esteem by saying they are not photogenic, rather than accepting that they look like real-life photography. Being shocked by a bad photograph can damage self-esteem and self-image so badly, that a person will refuse to experience that pain again and will refrain from having their picture taken.
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