In all my years of photographing, it is pretty rare for a guy to be excited to learn that he’s just been signed up to partake in a photo session. At that moment, scrubbing the bathroom and taking out the trash likely sounds more appealing.
Most (yet not all) guys feel that photography just isn’t worth the time or investment.
Of course it’s crucial to try to get them on board with the idea, as their unwillingness to be in front of the camera will most certainly show in the photos.
The reason for the pushback is often due to a previous poor experience. Whether it be an inexperienced photographer, a poor experience, or just a rough day in general, your guy will probably hold onto those memories and expect every photo session experience to be the same type of nightmare.
One of the best ways to get him to be cool with the idea of hanging out at the studio for a bit is to invite him along for the consultation. This one on one time will allow him to get a feel for personality and learn about the experience first hand. If he is unable to attend, you can bring up all the reasons you chose me as your photographer. Ultimately he will fall in love with knowing that he won’t be told to “look at the camera and smile”, instead being guided by just natural conversation.
It will help to further set expectations by explaining your session won’t be filled with awkward posing and cringe-worthy smile prompts. It will be a laid back experience, with music, laughing, and some conversation. It’s also important to mention that if the kids cry a bit or need to wind down, it’s okay! Your session time is padded because I expect this to happen, so no need to stress about rushing through and forcing everyone to hurry and become comfortable and happy!
Oh…and there’s snacks. What guy doesn’t love snacks?! Even better, he can click through the channels on the tv when he isn’t the one being photographed! So if he’s upset about missing “the game”, not to worry! (And if he’s a Devils fan, he’s in luck, because I rarely scheduling during those games 😉 )
The most important thing to do is express how important these photos are to you. Once you begin explaining how much you’d love to update your walls with warm memories or are excited for a fun holiday card, he’ll soften to the idea. He loves you and what is most important to him is for you to be happy!
