Fear of being photographed: what is it called, body dysmorphia, treatment, causes

Definition of body dysmorphic disorder

A pathological fear of being photographed is diagnosed in those who are critical of their appearance. There are no signs of obvious deformity in their appearance. These unfortunate people live in their own depressive world. They are afraid to even look in the mirror. People who are afraid to be photographed consider themselves unattractive and avoid social contacts because they do not want to be ridiculed in society.

They are afraid of photographs that someone may not like, rarely admit their weaknesses and do not seek help from specialists.

Such people become depressed and suicidal.

Everyone is dissatisfied with their appearance: they want to reduce their nose, get rid of a double chin or become slimmer. It `s naturally. If dissatisfaction with oneself becomes the cause of depression, fear, panic, isolation, then a phobia can be assumed. It prevents a person from enjoying life. A psychotherapist will help you cope with the painful condition, and in severe cases, a psychiatrist.

Suspiciousness is a sign of dysmorphophobia

About photographing the bride

I believe that sometimes a photographer should be a psychologist for the bride. It’s important for me to talk to the girl in advance about how she sees future photos and to understand her psychotype. You need to understand that “those” portraits are difficult to achieve in the first minutes of shooting. If only because just as the bride must get used to the photographer, so the photographer must get used to her.

I don't believe in the "working" side and believe that every girl is beautiful and unique. So I shoot it from different angles to get a feel for the details that will make the shoot even more beautiful.

Photo: Mikhail Moon

If I could single out one important piece of advice for brides, it would be: “Forget about photographers during your wedding!”

Accept yourself as you are. Remember that most wedding photos are taken in a reportage style, which means that in some you will not only smile beautifully, but also laugh, rejoice, or even possibly cry. Let it happen!

Photo: Mikhail Moon

Causes of fear

The cause of fears is most often dysmorphophobia (dysmorphia) - a mental disorder in which a person is fixated on some flaw or feature of his body. This feature is usually invisible to others, but because of this individual trait he developed complexes. He is afraid of filming and deliberately avoids it. A person believes that his shortcomings will be visible on film and everyone will laugh at him.

A person with this phobia experiences fear at the sight of a camera and asks to put it away.

Sometimes a painful condition occurs against the background of excessive modesty. A person does not like to be seen, avoids noisy companies, and becomes embarrassed in an uncomfortable situation. Most often, these complexes are characteristic of introverts or people suffering from social phobia.

There are people who believe that a portrait can bewitch a person, put the evil eye on him, cause damage and even destroy him. This is the esoteric cause of fear.

Famous actors avoid filming because they don’t want everyone to know about their personal life.

How not to be afraid to shoot on the street: Tips from Eric Kim

Eric Kim Lives in Berkeley, California. He studied sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He runs a street photography blog called Eric Kim Blog. Collaborated with Leica, Magnum and Invisible Photographer Asia. Website Flickr Facebook Twitter Instagram

Over the past five years I have taken about 300 thousand photographs on the street. I only encountered negative reactions three times. The first time an old man grabbed me by the arm and asked what I was doing, the second time a man in downtown Los Angeles tried to snatch my camera, and the third time an old Chinese man was riding a bicycle and karate-kicked me in the back of the neck when I photographed it at night with flash. If you count, then three unpleasant situations out of 300 thousand is 0.001%, which is statistically insignificant. More likely to be hit by a car, die in a plane crash, or win the lottery.

I wanted to create a 30-day course that would help overcome the fear of filming outdoors. Reading just these tips will not help you overcome fear. You can read hundreds of books on how to swim, but you won't truly learn until you jump into the water.

From the Suits series.

Determine what exactly you are afraid of. Make a list of reasons why you're scared to shoot outside. Most likely, you will find the following: fear of being arrested, being attacked, fear of being called strange, breaking your camera, yelling at you or being looked at judgmentally. First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the laws of your country that relate to street photography. As for physical strength, I have never heard of a photographer being seriously injured due to shooting outdoors. But you will have to cope with the problem of your “strangeness”. After all, who cares what other people think?

Ask permission. If I asked people to take their photo with a smile, 8 out of 10 agreed. If you stop being uncomfortable asking strangers for permission to take photos, you will soon gain the courage to take photographs without them. Once you show that you have no malicious intent and that you are harmless, people will be okay with filming.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_02.jpg", "text":"From the Suits series."}

Avoid eye contact. Pretend you're looking at something else. But remember that this technique should only be used at the beginning of the fight against fear. Subsequently, try to look people in the eye, even try to play staring contest with them.

Take photos from your stomach. The advantage of this technique is that people don't realize what you're filming. Hold the camera with both hands at waist level. Don't look directly at the camera; it's better to look somewhere else. Get closer and point the camera slightly upward as you take the picture. Experiment with different angles and positions. But once you become comfortable enough to work outside, I recommend taking less off your belly. You can never compose a shot with your hands the way your eyes can.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_10.jpg", "text":"From the Only in America series."}

Pretend you're filming something else. If a person is sitting next to an interesting poster, look closely at the poster from a distance. Then slowly walk past the person, still keeping your eyes on the poster. Sit down and frame the frame so that it includes both the poster and the person. Then slowly get up, look at the poster again and leave.

Work with headphones. While ideally you'd be better off working without them (you might miss a potential opportunity that would be signaled by the sound), it's a good way to get excited and relax. If people see you filming with headphones, they will think you can't hear them and will be less likely to object to the filming. And if they object, the music in your ears will drown out their comments.

From the Suits series.

Smile. I remember one day I was walking home and saw a stern, strong guy, weighing a hundred pounds, sitting on a bench. I don’t know why, but instinctively I smiled at him and waved. To my surprise, he looked at me and smiled back like a child. When you're on set, smile constantly. If your subject notices you, smile and say thank you. This will eliminate his suspicions and increase the level of trust in you as a photographer. Use this not only in photography, but also in life.

Talk to the person afterwards. This way you will establish a connection and even get to hear his fascinating life story.

Although I don't talk to everyone I photograph, I try to do it as often as possible.

Shoot with a small camera (or iPhone). The big camera looks menacing. When filming with your iPhone, you can pretend to be texting or surfing the Internet. You can also carry it anywhere, which opens up more street photography possibilities for you.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_12.jpg", "text":"From the Only in America series."}

Work with a friend (or group). Your courage will increase exponentially. The reason is "diffusion of responsibility": you feel more confident when other people film strangers with you. In addition, there is a feeling of security - if someone stirs up a conflict, your friend or group will support you.

Pretend to be a tourist. The stereotypical image of a tourist is a wide-brimmed hat, shorts and worn-out flip-flops. No one will pay attention to the tourist, because usually he has cameras hanging around his neck, and he himself films everything.

Restlessly jerk the camera. Once you've taken the photo, look closely at the camera, twist it awkwardly, and play with the buttons. This will make it look like you took a test shot rather than a portrait of the person opposite. You can also look embarrassed and confused.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_04.jpg", "text":"New York, 2015."}, {"img": "/wp-content/uploads/ 2015/10/Kim_16.jpg", "text":"San Francisco, 2015."}, {"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_17.jpg", "text": "San Francisco, 2015."}, {"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_18.jpg", "text":"Chicago, 2015."}, {"img" : "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_19.jpg", "text":"Seattle, 2015."}, {"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_20. jpg", "text":"San Francisco, 2015."}

Get very close (and use a wide-angle lens). Firstly, you can save valuable time - you won't have to move the zoom back and forth to capture the decisive moment. Secondly, if you can't use zoom, it will force you to get close to people and take a more intimate shot. What’s important is that wide-angle lenses are smaller in size and are less intimidating to others.

Don't ask for permission anymore. The general formula for street photography is to take candid photos without permission. Asking for a photo changes the way people react to you and the camera. Just remember your friend who always takes the same pose when you shoot him.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_09.jpg", "text":"Istanbul, 2013."}

Focus on different parts of the body. Remove shoes, hands, feet, even their hair. People are aware when their face is being photographed, but they won't mind if you capture parts of their bodies because it will make them harder to identify in photographs.

Shoot in busy places. It's easier to blend into a crowd, and people are less likely to notice you're taking their photo. If you live in the suburbs, go to a crowded area. And also go to fairs, parades and folk festivals, where there are a lot of interesting heroes for photographs.

Marseille, France, 2011.

Shoot where there are few people. And be prepared to explain what you're doing—you won't be able to escape through the crowd. Calmly explain that you are a street photographer and you like to photograph beautiful and interesting subjects. People might be a little confused, so try to be sincere and honest.

Go where you are uncomfortable. It will take some getting used to, but you will be able to meet people from different classes.

I'm not saying you should take down people who look like gangsters or drug dealers, but sometimes the rudest people can be the nicest people in the world.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_13.jpg", "text":"From the Suits series."}

Get ready to explain yourself. I've found that most people don't mind filming as long as they're sure you're not going to do anything ugly with the footage.

Don't take pictures until they look at you. The technique that Thomas Leuthard uses while working on the street is to point the camera directly at the hero’s face, wait patiently for him to turn around, and then take a photograph of him. This will make your photo look natural and make you feel connected to your subject.

{"img": "/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kim_08.jpg", "text":"Istanbul, 2013."}

Don't think too much. Don't let analysis paralysis hit you. When I start thinking too much about how the subject will react to me, I start to get cold feet. Then I try to keep other things in mind: a movie I want to see, emails I need to answer, or dinner plans. This drives away shyness.

Press the trigger already. Don't let inspiration drive your work. You can walk and feel the gaze of hundreds of people on you, your muscles will be tense, and your heart will beat faster. My advice is to destroy these feelings with the first shot.

Saigon, 2014.

Carry business cards with you. After you explain to the person what exactly you do and why you are interested in his appearance, give him your business card with his name, contacts, website and offer to send a photo by email. This will let people know that you are a professional and not just some weirdo filming on the street.

Just leave. There are people who are impossible to deal with. No matter what arguments you use, they will not listen to you. In such circumstances, I advise you to take it and go away.

Types of dysmorphophobia

Experts distinguish two types of painful conditions: muscle dysmorphophobia and penile dysmorphophobia. These mental disorders vary, but have much in common.

Characteristics of the species:

Muscle dysmorphophobia, according to some experts, is the opposite of anorexia. People with this phobia believe that their physical fitness is less than ideal. They are obsessed with constantly improving their body - they spend all their free time in the gym, and are obsessed with enhanced nutrition. For such people, skipping a workout means cheating on yourself. Bodybuilders often suffer from this phobia. They try to hide their “imperfect” body under loose clothes and work out intensely. A painful condition can be successfully treated if it is not advanced and the patient is aware of his problem.

Reluctance to show imaginary shortcomings

The term “penile dysmorphophobia” has recently appeared in the dictionary of andrologists. This is due to the fact that there are more people who are unhappy with the shape, appearance or size of the external genitalia. Among these patients there are also women who do not like the appearance and size of the labia minora. Penile dysmorphophobia is not included in the classification of mental and behavioral disorders adopted by the World Health Organization. This term is taken from clinical psychiatry. It denotes a painful attitude towards a real, but small defect, which even specialists may not notice if you deliberately do not pay attention to it. Fears about their appearance prevent such patients from living a full life. A phobia can cause dysmorphomania, and this is a serious deviation.

People with this phobia try to hide from everyone, hide at home. They are afraid that others will notice their imagined inferiority.

Signs of dysmorphophobia

Body dysmorphic syndrome can be suspected based on the following signs:

narrowing your social circle, refusing to meet;
passion for diets, cosmetic procedures, plastic surgeries, etc. (depending on the subject of the complexes);
depressive tendencies;
fixation on one's appearance, constantly looking at oneself in the mirror or, conversely, avoiding reflections;
the habit of going outside in the evening or spending time in dark rooms;
constant fatigue;
apathy;
low performance;
psychophysical exhaustion;
resentment, aggression or tantrums in response to criticism;
self-harming and self-destructive behavior;
attempts to hide the defect with the help of clothing, extravagant appearance;
attempts to independently eliminate the defect (cut, cauterize, etc.);
constantly feeling yourself (detecting a defect);
obsession with self-care or complete indifference to one’s appearance.

Clinical diagnostic criteria include the following (body dysmorphic disorder, symptoms):

preoccupation with one or more imaginary defects (other people do not see them or do not perceive them as something terrible);
performing the same type of actions in response to experiences due to imperfection, for example, careful self-care or passion for plastic surgery;
problems in the social and professional sphere, personal life, caused by feelings due to one’s imperfections.

It is important! The more advanced the stage of the phobia, the more noticeable the symptoms. A phobia does not always develop according to the same scenario.

While some people withdraw into themselves, others run away from their complexes into superficial communication and relationships, entertainment, and addictions.

External and internal defects

The patient constantly looks for external (defects of the body and face) and internal defects (abnormal size or shape of internal organs). The search for internal defects is similar to hypochondria - making up illnesses, excessive preoccupation with health. The patient considers himself ugly, ugly. But the specificity of the phobia is that, in fact, dysmorphophobia has an ordinary (average) or attractive appearance.

Mirror: friend or foe

Dysmorphophobia either constantly looks at himself in the mirror, chooses a good angle, checks to see if a flaw is visible, or does not approach the mirror at all. The patient often compares himself with other people, studies information about his features, and asks other people about his appearance. In both cases, the mirror becomes the patient’s enemy: it contributes to fixation on the problem.

What people with phobias are most often dissatisfied with

Most often people worry about the following features:

size and shape of ears, nose, buttocks, chest;
height;
weight;
hair color;
color of the skin;
skin type;
birthmarks, freckles, moles;
foot size and shape;
tone and timbre of voice;
dark spots;
scarring;
wrinkles;
dandruff;
sparse or oily hair;
baldness;
face shape;
thin or thick lips;
thick or, conversely, sparse eyebrows;
size and shape of the genital organ (penile dysmorphophobia).

This is interesting! Other people rarely notice the flaw that bothers a dysmorphophobic person. If they notice it, they perceive it as a feature and do not attach the same importance as the patient

And the experiences of a dysmorphophobic person in this case are perceived as attempts to attract attention.

Body dysmorphomania

Dysmorphophobia and dysmorphomania - these mental disorders have the same causes, but the second disorder is more serious. The patient’s belief in the presence of a physical defect is delusional and cannot be completely cured. Delusional dysmorphomania may indicate the onset of schizophrenia and manifests itself as an obsessive belief in the presence of an imaginary or extremely aggravated physical defect in visible parts of the body (nose, ears, lips, mouth, etc.). The painful condition is accompanied by delusional ideas, hallucinations, signs of mental automatism, panic fear, etc. Psychotherapists call criticism or name-calling in childhood the main cause of dysmorphomania.

Signs of a painful condition:

gloomy mood;
desire to hide true feelings;
desire to correct physical defects.

Patients convince doctors that they are right. They use the services of plastic surgeons.

Plastic surgery for dysmorphomania

Even the most successful surgical intervention does not bring relief - they continue to suffer. This is manifested by a state of increased anxiety, panic attacks, signs of persistent depression and thoughts of suicide.

An obsession with correcting an imagined flaw forces a person to undergo a series of plastic surgeries. There are cases where patients themselves removed defects or inserted implants, putting their health at risk. Specialists must distinguish between body dysmorphomania and other mental disorders: schizophrenia, pre- and postoperative depression.

Treatment of the disease

Self-treatment of dysmorphophobia does not produce results. The specialist must analyze the causes of the painful condition and choose the most appropriate methods and methods of treatment. First, it is necessary to eliminate the original sources of the problem, i.e. mental disorders. Here you need the help of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, who will help even introverts open up.

Experienced photographers will also help you overcome this painful condition. They are able to photograph a person so that his imaginary and real shortcomings will not be noticeable. The professional simply will not take pictures that the patient does not like. As a result, the person will no longer be afraid of the camera and will not react painfully to it.

It is easier to prevent the development of a painful condition. During adolescence, a person begins to be critical of his appearance and notice all the shortcomings. Parents should explain to children that every person has a unique appearance. Then they will not face dysmorphophobia syndrome.

How to relax in front of the camera!

July 17th

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I have been working in video production for over 10 years.

If in big cinema we work with professional actors, then in filming films for families we are faced with ordinary people of completely different professions.

For many, this is their first time coming face to face with a camera. It's hard for them to speak and smile. Excitement and other internal fears interfere with filming. But we need sincere, positive emotions. After all, we are making a soulful movie!

I work a lot with people and often have to spend a lot of time making the person in the frame feel free and not afraid to speak.

In most cases, the professionalism of the cameraman or director lies in the ability to positively tune the subject of the shooting. To do this, a professional has his own techniques that work well.

But, still, what should a person do for whom photography is new? How to overcome fear and become liberated?

?Often constraint comes from the fact that we don’t know how we will look in the frame.

Before shooting, ask your loved ones to film you from different angles, with your different emotions and words. Look at yourself from the outside. In what poses, in what clothes do you like yourself better?

?A smile is the key to the success of emancipation. Imagine funny stories, remember pleasant moments. Remember something funny and laugh.

?Nowhere to put your hands? Keep them busy. For example, flowers or pick up a smartphone, lean on the back of a chair, and place your hand gently against your face.

Do not lean your hands against your body, but on the contrary, put them to the sides, gesticulate, fold them in front of you.

Remember, a good videographer will not allow shots in which you look bad.

?Imagine you are talking to your good friend

?Concentrate your ATTENTION not on the camera, but on your thoughts. Think about what you are talking about and express your thoughts as you do in everyday life.

?We think what people will think about us and are afraid of criticism. But think! Why and for whom are you making videos?

Is this a congratulation to loved ones?

You know that they love you just the way you are! And they won't look at your wrinkles or incoherent speech. Rather, they will enjoy what you do for them.

Is this a video for your blog? Then don't think that you are making this video for your subscribers. Think about it as something you are doing to grow your business. For myself!

?In any business, to achieve professionalism, the main thing is practice! Practice shooting at home. Take pictures of yourself more often and look at yourself, falling in love with your appearance every time!

?Don't be afraid that you will falter. Do not stop. You can always cut out a bad moment or re-record a take. You remember that you are the main culprit of the shooting, right? This means there can be as many takes as you want!

In addition, slips of the tongue and hesitations in speech give sincerity and naturalness to the person in the frame! And this is most valuable!

?Don't memorize the text. Think about the idea you want to convey and express it in your own words.

?Relieve facial muscle tension. Tighten them first, then relax them?

?Relieve body tension. We were taught this exercise in acting classes.

INHALE with your whole body and EXHALE with relaxation of all muscles. Helps! Tested!

?Talk more to new people in your life!

Easy to say, you say.

After all, as soon as the lens is pointed at you, your face becomes stiff, your body becomes tense, and your thoughts become confused.

Do whatever you want, but you just can’t look at the camera freely.

Let me tell you a secret!?

Most often we are afraid not of the camera, but of the person behind it. We are embarrassed by the operator.

Meet with your cameraman before shooting. Discuss the details of the upcoming shoot over a cup of tea, talk about life, tell us about yourself. It is important that you find a common language and understand each other's mood. If you feel comfortable in a conversation, then you are on the same wavelength. This means this is your person who, believe me, will be able to liberate you at the moment of shooting!