As I stand in the street, dressed head to toe as sassy and as fabulously as possible, I will no doubt have at least 1 encounter of staring, heckling or giggling.

There's something so incredibly alien to people about the fact that I want to photograph my outfit, that I can pose in the street and not feel uncomfortable, or that I have no shame in trying to get that one shot over and over again, until I've walked across the same street 100 times.

The things we do for blogging, am I right?



Over the past few years I've learnt to well and truly not care when I'm shooting. I've learnt that if I need to 'get that shot', then I need to 'get that shot', so sod everyone else.

I've learnt that without posing to your hearts content in the middle of a city center, you're not going to have the images you need for your social for the next few days, or get the quality of content you, or even the brand you're working with, might be looking for.

I've learnt that it can be so much fun to dance about in the streets, chat away with photographers and just spend your day being super duper creative.

And, most of all, I've learnt that being stared at, heckled or giggled about, doesn't even come close in comparison to how it feels when you finally publish the amazing imagery you spent so much time on.

It's all totally worth it.

But, despite how all totally worth it it might be, you're all probably wondering, how did I get to this 'oh so empowering' point of not caring whilst shooting?

Well, I'm about to tell you.




You see, as someone who's days are spent having their picture taken 99.9% of the time, it has become somewhat 'the norm' for me.

It's not an alien thing to me like it might be for other people.

It's not peculiar for me to stare down a lens, produce a bit of a faux giggly 'candid' shot, or wave my arms in the air to create some arty look - it's a part of creating imagery that I, or other people, need.



So, what advice would I give you if you're looking for a way to get past that awkward 'oh my god, they're staring at me' feeling whilst you're trying to photograph that epic outfit you're wearing?

1. Remember You're Never Going To See These People Again

It's highly unlikely, unless you shoot locally in a tiny village (as I do at home sometimes), that you're going to encounter the same people every time you shoot. It's very unlikely that the guy who just wolf whistled at you as you did that 'faux' strut across the street, will appear again in your life time. Once they've had their 'moment' of trying to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable, they're gone, never to be seen again. So, keep that in mind and don't let people phase you.

Plus, even now when I shoot in the same place in my little village where I live, and I have the same people walking past me with their Sainsbury's shopping, I've learnt to realise, they'll stare for a moment, think it's interesting or weird, then go on with the rest of their day. Nobody sits thinking about that moment as much as you'll overthink it for yourself.





 2. They Wouldn't Have The Confidence To Do What You're Doing

As much as people might think it's absolutely hysterical that you're prancing round a side road, dressed in a more 'out-there' or 'non-weather-appropriate' look, they would never in their life time to have the guts to do it themselves. They're laughing because it's 'weird' to them, because they have no idea about the mass amount of people who are going to love that outfit pic, and because they've never delved into that side of the world before. And, maybe if they did know about the whole blogging thing, they'd get into it themselves, who knows? But, in this moment, you're wayyyy sassier than them, so f*ck it!

3. Practice Makes Perfect

The more and more I've shot over the years, the more I've grown in confidence and the 'not giving a crap' attitude.

You realise how natural it becomes to pose, to ask restaurants if they mind you shooting in there, or to sneak into ever nearby Costa Coffee and to use their loo as a quick changing room whilst you switch outfits.

It becomes second nature.

And trust me, if you're just starting out with the whole blogging thing and you're dealing with that 'shooting in the street' anxiety, it will pass. Even after doing it once, you realise how worth it is for your content, for your blog, and simply, for your self confidence too.


"My life doesn't need to make sense to you"

4. Get That Shot

Last but not least, as I mentioned earlier, there's no better feeling than nailing that shot that you've been dreaming up over the past week or so, or seeing the back of the photographer's camera and feeling soooooo excited to get those images back and share them with the world.

Creating street style content is so amazing when you get to use such cool locations and natural lighting, so don't be bothered by the world around you - focus on that amazing photo that you want for your 'gram' or think about the response that brand is going to have when you send them that incredible photo.

It's a wonderful creative process.

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