Psyphotology: A Look at Why People Are Afraid to Be In Front of a Camera, and How to Fix That
Well known headshot photographer Peter Hurley has teamed up with respected psychologist Anna Rowley to develop a way for people to overcome their fear of being in front of a camera.
The pair call this research and application Psyphotology, a clever wordplay on psychology and photography. Their hope is to impact the world by helping us gain self-acceptance rather than focusing on criticism.
Hurley and Rowley met while working on an assignment for Microsoft. After meeting and better getting to know one another, they realized their mutual interest in figuring out the underlying reasons for which we’re afraid to be in front of a camera.
They recently gave a speech at TEDxCambridge on the subject of helping people to be more comfortable in front of a camera:
The talk starts out with an anecdote that highlights how even Miss Universe, a woman who certainly shouldn’t be self-conscious in the looks department, had inhibitions about being photographed by Hurley. From there, Rowley explains how she too was afraid of being in front of Hurley’s lens and how that fear lead to her wondering what it is that develops this fear and how one could quiet his or her inner critic.
(via ISO 1200)
