“She doesn’t photograph well” and
Why you should hire a professional photographer
Everybody seems to believe they are unphotogenic, aka, they "don't photograph well". Here's a true story for you to prove you wrong.
I was once casually talking to an acquaintance at an event when he mentioned his daughter was graduating high school and how she needed her senior pictures taken. I had met his daughter already and exclaimed in excitement about how I would love to take her senior portraits. After hearing the excitement in my voice he...hesitated.
"Problem is...she doesn't photograph well."
I knew what she looked like. So I told myself I would prove this father wrong about his own daughter. She IS beautiful, and she DOES photograph well.
I photographed her, and we both had a great time. The entire time she followed my posing guidance. She fully trusted me. She trusted that I would make great portraits of her. We had her hair and makeup done professionally, we coordinated her outfits with my backdrops, and I guided her (I must say through lots of laughs and relaxed conversation) throughout the entire photoshoot.
When she and her parents got back to me, they liked the photos so much that a year later she was back at my studio.
Same girl. Same hair. Same smile.
They trusted me.
In the end, it wasn't a matter of "being photogenic" or "photographing well". It was a matter of feeling comfortable with the camera and trusting whoever was behind it.
If you think you "don't photograph well", do yourself a favor and hire a professional photographer to prove you wrong.