176. Learn to love the lens
Hate getting your photo taken? Or don't like stepping in front of the camera to record a video?
In this episode you'll hear from amazing photographer and former client Katie Kaars about how she went from fearing the camera to building a following of 180k+ on Instagram and blowing up her business!
Katie also teaches us -
📸 How to get a natural smile in photos.
📸 How to use posing and lighting to look great in a photo.
📸 How to get over the fear of being in photos.
📸 Why now is the best time in history to be in photos.
📸 The incredible impact showing her face and voice on camera had on her business.
Transcript
Do you hate getting your photo taken or don't feel great stepping in front of the camera to record a video? Welcome back to That Voice Podcast. In this episode, it's my great pleasure to introduce you to my friend and former client, Katie Kaars. She's an amazing photographer, and Katie reached out to me a couple of years ago because she wasn't really comfortable making videos for social media. She was unsure about what she looked like, what she sounded like, and we worked together through all those reservations. And Katie got out there and started sharing her voice, showing her face. And far out, far out Russell Sprout. I got a message on Instagram one afternoon saying, Sal, three weeks ago I had 900 followers. Look, now, I couldn't have done it without you. OMG. Her followers were in the thousands! And now her Instagram sits at 180,000 followers plus, and her business has blown up.
So if you're a business owner, seriously, voice and speaking coaching is such a smart investment. There is no strategy that beats showing up online in person, on stage with a confident, clear voice. I find it curious when business owners will invest heavily into business coaches but not voice and speaking coaches. Because the best laid strategy, you are not gonna be able to execute it if you can't show up on camera or with your clients in person, wherever it might be on podcasts confidently and with that star quality, that X factor, which comes from being you, that comes from knowing how to share your authentic voice on all of those platforms. And that's what we do around here. So you can dip your toe in with my Make Money While You Speak challenge that's under 50 bucks, or get in touch and apply to work with me one on one and watch where we can take it.
If your confidence in speaking and showing up is a resistance point, then unraveling it will change the game for you. Listening to these podcasts is great. I do not hold back on the value here, but remember, this is not a substitute for truly backing yourself and saying, Yes, I'm committed to becoming the best future version of myself. This is spoken like somebody who invests a lot of time and money into personal development with no apologies. Every single time I invest in myself, the business grows at a rate much higher. And this is why I'm sitting here five years later with a completely different business and a completely different mindset and I feel completely different about so many things. And five years ago is because I have prioritized putting in that personal growth. So speaking of transformations, in this episode, Katie Kaars tells her story of being afraid to go on camera to becoming a viral sensation. She shares how to get great photos. These tips are so good. She talks about smiles, posing, lighting, and we explain how learning to love the lens can blow up your business. Let's dive in.
Sally:
Katie Kaars, it is so great to have you on that voice podcast. Welcome.
Katie:
Thank you. Thanks for having me. I'm happy to share whatever I can with everyone that's listening.
Sally:
Yeah. So to start off, I'd love to hear in your own words your journey with getting in front of the camera.
Katie:
It's been a long journey. I was always quite shy about being in front of the camera. It didn't matter if it was having a photograph or speaking to camera. I'd been on Instagram for quite a long time and I had tried doing some speaking to camera, but I always felt very, very awkward about doing it. I think it's just been a long journey. I spoke to someone about how I felt about that. Then they said, well, I know this great person, her name's Sally Prosser and she has this course that you can do. And she tagged me in one of your posts and and that's how I came to meet you. And then from meeting you, that's how I've really found my voice. It was interesting because I had to think about why I felt that way, that just stopping and thinking about that is really, it's a, an interesting thought process. That's how I ended up being on camera and being comfortable speaking to camera. And now I love it.
Sally:
Yeah, it's such a journey. So let's go there though when you're saying that the, the story that you were telling yourself, diving into the why behind not wanting to be on camera, because I know that a lot of women who message you and work with you have similar worries.
Katie:
Yeah, well one thing that I found that came up when I was doing your six-week course was that I really felt like I was brought up in a household where it was seen and not heard. And I think that's a very female thing because I know that my brother always had quite a big voice. He was always, you know, everyone would stop to listen to him. That's how my parents thought that we should be brought up. They weren't doing anything wrong. That's just how they thought that children should be seen and not heard. So I think it came from that really. I've always been very confident speaker and confident in a large group, but I wasn't a confident reader and I think that has always held me back a little bit. My sister is a really good reader and very smart and she's very good at speaking to people as well. I always felt like that wasn't my forte. So that's how I ended, sort of ended up behind a camera because I felt comfortable there hiding behind the camera.
Sally:
Yeah, absolutely. So you are a photographer. You've photographed some incredible people and you do some amazing work. What I do wanna know is when did you go viral? Like when did it go from being small to just blowing up? Was there one video? Was there a series of videos?
Katie:
So November last year, we were away with my whole family and I opened Instagram and I had 900 followers, you know, almost a thousand. I was so excited by that. I was like, Oh my god, I've got almost a thousand followers and really that's probably just my network that were following me. Anyway, I opened my Instagram while I was away with my family and we were playing beach cricket and I'd open it, and every time I'd open it, it'd be like 5,000 new people followed me. I was like, what? So I posted this one video where I talked about how to smile in a photo 'cause a lot of people feel awkward smiling in a photo. Whereas for me, that's the natural way for me to be in a photo. I can't pull a serious face. I just feel like I look like I'm mad, but smiling is very genuine to me.
Katie:
So I felt like I could share that tip with people. So, you know, it was a bit of a process. It was trial and error. When I did my course with you, I was putting videos up and it wasn't until sort of halfway through last year that a light bulb went off. One of my friends put a video up or a photo up of herself. She's a beautiful woman. She wanted to highlight her makeup and it was under a down light. And I was like, oh my god, people don't understand lighting or photography and they've all got these amazing little cameras in the back of their pocket. Maybe I could help them use them better and look better on on these. So that's how it all sort of took off. And so the how to smile photo was like a few months after I started giving tips and tricks. So I'd sort of gotten into the flow. So it was just that one video which has been watched 3.1 million times, which is crazy and mind-blowing. And that's how I grew from 900 followers to 180--
Sally:
180,000 followers. Katie. It's so awesome. And now of course we need to know how do you smile in a photo?
Katie:
Oh dear. Getting a genuine smile is an art form. You absolutely. You have to think about something that makes you feel very happy. And while you're thinking about that, you probably teach the same thing about getting different inflections in voices. It's the same thing. You've gotta have that thought behind you.
Sally:
Yeah. That feeling and that thought. Yeah.
Katie:
Yeah. And that's how you are going to bring a genuine smile. It's also just taking lots of photos, thinking of something fun, something that makes you feel happy. And then taking lots of photos, you'll capture a beautiful smile of yourself. So that's the way to do it.
Sally:
What a beautiful video to go viral. One that's encouraging people to have more of a genuine smile on camera. That's so nice.
Katie:
Yeah, that's what I thought as well.
Sally:
Yeah. And so with this large following, you are really are a voice for all people, women especially, to have that confidence to be on camera. When we went for a walk the other day, you were mentioning that some women were saying that they just didn't have any photographs of themselves because they were always the one taking the photograph or just never wanted to be in it.
Katie:
Yeah, a lot of women, mainly women and some men have reached out to me and said that they don't like the way they look, so therefore they're never in the family photo. That's all about loving oneself. And it is really hard and I know I do it too. I look at myself and I pick out the bad stuff about myself in that photo or in a photo, even in a video. I feel that sometimes as well. So you've gotta learn to realize that that is just one point in time and you won't always look like that. But it's good for you to document your life and especially be in those family photos with your children. 'Cause there'll come a time when you're not here and your children are gonna wanna celebrate your life and they're gonna have a large period of time where there's gonna be no photos of you.
Katie:
So I think it's really important to get in front of the camera. I, you know, I try and teach people tips and tricks on how to feel more confident if they are having their photo taken with their family. So that can range from what they're wearing, how they're standing. Embrace your loved one. Don't look at the camera, look at the loved one. You know, that kind of thing. So, and try not to see yourself in the bad ways. See yourself in the way that, Oh, look at how this loving moment between me and my partner or me and my children, or that's me at that point. And look at how good I look that day. You know, it's, it's really sad that we just beat ourselves up over everything that we don't like about ourselves. So, and that's something that I used to do when I used to talk to camera and take photos of myself. And it's something that I've taught myself that that's just me and I've gotta learn to self-acceptance.
Sally:
Yeah. And how did you make that shift?
Katie:
I think it's been a lot of practice. I mean, look, there are still things that I don't like about myself and you know, and you do find, there are photos where you're like, I don't like any of these. It might be the mood you're in the state of mind has a lot to do with how you're going to present yourself. It's the same as if you're gonna go and talk to a large group of people. You need to have the right frame of mind in order to capture a beautiful photo of yourself when you're feeling good. Make sure you are capturing those photos, but also just letting go. You know, I just had to let go of all the things that I don't like about myself. Like I just had to let go. I just embrace that's how I am, that's how I look.
Sally:
Mm-Hmm. That's why I talk a lot about the value of mirror work, being able to stand naked in the mirror and say, I'm so glad I'm you. I love every part of you. You know, as women especially, we are just constantly marketed at about problems, about the way we look, you know, so that conditioning can run quite deep. So it's really great to be out there and reclaiming ourselves and our beauty and the way that we perceive ourselves. And one thing about camera as well is in the mirror we see ourselves differently to how we do on camera because it's flipped.
Katie:
Yeah, that's right. Yeah. And so that's why people are like, I love what I see in the mirror, but when they see the camera it's not the same image. So they find it very jarring, but it's just something you really have to get used to. I know a lot of people have so many fears about being in front of the camera, but see it as your friend and use my tips and tricks in order to feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera. I'm really passionate about people getting out there and showing their faces.
Sally:
Yeah, 'cause this is the thing, if I look bad in a photo, I immediately blame the lighting or the angle.
Katie:
Yes.
Sally:
It's not me, I'm gorgeous. It's just the lighting or the angle.
Katie:
Yes.
—
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—
Sally:
So what, what can we do in front of the lens and with lighting to capture ourselves in the best light?
Katie:
Well, I always say to people, try and if you're outside, shaded light is the best, but find yourself a nice big window and get up really close to it. If you wanna take a photo on your iPhone, a big window is always a great idea. Not one that has sun coming through it. Avoid the sun because that can be harsh on you. You can end up squinting. If you're outside and there's no shade, have the sun behind you. Having the sun behind you will give you a beautiful glow. And you'll look like an angel. It's called being backlit. I love backlighting. It's just, it's gorgeous. So you can never go wrong with that. My biggest tip is always to lean forward from your hips. If you lean backwards, your head sort of ends up being a little bit smaller and your body is bigger and everyone wants to make their body look smaller. So it is sort of like, you gotta think about the Kim Kardashian effect. She's like, they always shoot from a a certain angle. It's usually eye height. She's sticking her butt out and she's leaning in towards the camera always. And that's how she has that thigh gap and a tiny waist. So lean towards the camera. The camera is your friend, or lean towards your partner and embrace your partner or your child.
Sally:
Such a great tip. And I agree, top light is the devil. Get away from the down light, get away from the top light. And this goes for when you're presenting on camera or making a video. Just having that full facing front light makes such a difference. People often say, Sal, you look so great on your video and your calls. And it's like, Yes, it's the lighting, the lighting can work wonders.
Katie:
Light is so important. And you know, if you're not unsure about the light, a good thing to do is to stick your hand up in front of your face and have a look at the light on your hand, spin around and see where the light looks nicest. So.
Sally:
It's such a good tip!
New Speaker:
You know? Yeah. So if you spin around the sun's behind you, you're gonna look like an angel. If the sun's on your hand, then you know you're gonna be squinting and looking terrible. And don't take photos with your sunglasses on. It never dates well.
Sally:
Oh yes. I mean, I feel like there's so many things that don't date well. I've got photos that I'm thinking, what was I thinking with that outfit, with that hairstyle, you know? But it's great to look at because it is that moment in time, isn't it? And to be able to capture that memory is so valuable. And you know, with everything being digital now as well, it's much easier to collect. You know, I remember the days where you would take the film in and get it all developed and then you'd have it all in a the hard copy. And often those have been lost over the years.
Katie:
Yeah, exactly. Oh, we're so fortunate now that we can have them on the cloud. And also we are really fortunate we can delete them. They're gone. If you don't like it, you got your eyes shut or you're pulling a silly face, delete it. And never ever think about it ever again. Like that was just a moment in time. That's, and that's what's amazing about photography. You say that you regret those outfits, but like that was of the time, celebrate that fact.
Sally:
Celebrate the big puffy sleeves and the totally overdone blue eye shadow. It'll make a comeback I'm sure.
Katie:
Exactly. Exactly.
Sally:
So Katie, a lot of people listen to the podcast who are business owners like yourself and might consider themselves not wanting to be the face of it saying, oh well you know, I've got a product or I'm behind the camera. Or, you know, do I have to be out there speaking to camera? What is the difference that you've noticed for you and your business since doing that?
Katie:
Whenever I would put a photo of myself on my Instagram page, even when I had just 900 followers, my engagement was huge of myself. But my portfolio people just sort of didn't really care about that. You know, I'd get like 20 likes, whereas with me, I'd get a hundred likes. So I don't care what you're selling, the only way you're gonna sell your product is if you put your face in front of your product. You've gotta get your face out there 'cause people don't buy the product for the product. They buy it for the person. And I have noticed, since I've been putting myself on TikTok and Instagram more and more, my phone has been ringing a lot more. So I have a lot, a bigger engagement and a lot more customers since I have been doing that. No one's gonna sell yourself as well as you are gonna sell yourself. And that includes your product. So I don't care if you are the accountant or you are selling a beauty product, you've gotta put your face out there.
Sally:
Mm-Hmm. And not just your face, it's also your voice.
Katie:
Yes. Yeah. Most definitely.
Sally:
Yeah. You're similar to me, we do do some reels where it's not voice to camera, it's, you know, the trend. But do you find that there is that next level of engagement when you are speaking to the camera?
Katie:
Oh yeah. And I do feel like I get better engagement if I'm in the right head space as well. So as much as I use all the techniques I've learned from you, sometimes I feel like I have to make that video 'cause it's on my mind and I'll make it. And I probably wasn't in the right mindset. So I'll do it again when I'm in the right mindset and you know, it goes gangbusters. So, and I think that's with the How to Smile video. I'd done that previously, but no one had picked up on it. But this video I was like in the flow, you know? And I had the words and it, it's hardly edited and it's just me speaking from my heart and it resonated to 3.1 million people.
Sally:
So great. So good. Yeah. And this is also why it can be good to batch because when you are in that good flow of energy, I made three videos this morning. Instead of doing things that I had on my to-do list, I was like, Oh, I've just got three different ideas from videos.
Katie:
Great.
Sally:
And it's great listening to that creative burst, that creative invitation.
Katie:
Yeah. I can't force it. I have tried. If I feel like I need to do something but I can't speak it, then that's when I might do the video and the voiceover and I'm the same as you. Like I just feel motivated. Some days I've got all these ideas written down and some days I'm just like, Ugh, can't be bothered. And then other days I'm like, Oh my God, I've got an idea about that video. And then, you know, you break it down into three different parts and yes, nailed it.
Sally:
So great. And sometimes videos lend themselves more to a voiceover, like your beautiful vlog of your trip to Brisbane to finish off. If somebody's listening and going, Oh yes, I know that I should be showing up, I know I should be using my voice. Oh. How do they get started? What's that first step they can take?
Katie:
Practice. You gotta practice. So, well I was lucky 'cause I had you as my champion, so, and I had someone to answer to.
Sally:
Amazing. And how can people find you?
Katie:
Well, they can find me on Instagram or TikTok. I'm also on LinkedIn and I have a website which is just katiekarrs.com, so it's pretty easy. It's K-a-a-r-s, in case you wondered.
Sally:
And those details will be in the show notes. Katie Karr, thank you so much for coming on That Voice Podcast.
Katie:
My pleasure. It's been great speaking with you.