Overcoming Shyness

I would have to say that one of the most difficult things about being a photographer for me is being brash. Now, for most people in sales this is unheard of, but for me, as well as a few others overcoming shyness is a tough one. According to Yahoo, some people are afraid of heights, some afraid of speaking in public, while others are afraid of flying in an airplane, rats, and we won’t even bring up the spiders. Wikipedia defines shyness as:

Shyness (also called diffidence) is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness especially when a person is in proximity to other people. This commonly occurs in new situations or with unfamiliar people. Shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem. Stronger forms of shyness are usually referred to as social anxiety or social phobia.

So, while driving up to Big Bear, a 116 mile drive one afternoon, I decided to stop at a location half way there, that I have seen a million times before, a yard full of what looked like abandoned trucks. They had rows of busses, fire trucks, semi-trucks, and other large vehicles. The company is called Transit Sales International and is located in Riverside, California. I had always wanted to shoot at this location, because I thought it would be neat. Now, keep in mind I am one of those people that suffer from shyness, but I really wanted to photograph here. So, I mustered up some courage and I pulled into the yard, parked, and walked up to the office with my business cards. I met with the manager and told him that I wanted to shoot in his location, because I been by many times and found it interesting. He told me know one had every expressed an interest in shooting at their location. I told him that I would make sure to mention his company in my blog. He would allow me to shoot his busses, if I remained in a particular area. He then radioed the facility supervisor, Raul to come into the office. At first I was a little embarrassed that he would pull one of his guys off of work to help me, but I appreciated it. I had no problem, with his rules, gave him a business card and headed out with Raul. I made sure that I remained in the designated area, because I did not want to abuse his permission and out of respect. After I finished, I thanked him, shook his hand and went on my merry way. To make a long story short, I would not have had the opportunity to do this had I not been resilient enough to go introduce myself and express an interest. Oh, and on a side note, I got so involved with the busses that I never made it to my destination.

I hope I have not bored you too much. I had fun writing this one. I trust I have given you some valuable tips to think about, before planning your next shoot. It’s not all bad, just be clear and informative, it will save you a lot of headaches. Remember nothing is set in stone and there is not perfect formula, so go out and have some fun.