There’s nothing wrong with feeling unconfident on camera; it is actually pretty normal. We are accustomed to talking with people with expressions and sharing body language which helps to show us how they are feeling about what we are saying. However, what we are not used to is talking to the tiny black circle of a camera lens!
Yet, as culinary professionals, we are being asked to be on camera more than we have ever been asked to be before. Whether it be for social media, video calls, video cooking demonstrations, or even video courses, we need to be sure to show up confidently in each scenario. For culinary creators who have the itch to hit record but have a fear of messing it up somehow, we have put together six strategies to help boost your camera confidence.
Why making videos is worth your time
The world wants to hear and see what chefs have to say and share, and they are asking us to be on video more and more every day. From YouTube, to Instagram, to TikTok, video isn’t going away anytime soon, and people are creating more videos than ever before. And as culinary creators, the pressure on chefs to keep up is real.
We need to also realize that we need to be confident in different types of videos, from the simple task of hopping on a video call with collaborators, partners, or our social media audience, to hosting our own YouTube cooking channel. No matter what the reason, we need to be confident in different types of videos because our audiences require it and want to be reassured that we know what we are talking about. Likewise, when we are recording a food demonstration or a cooking course, our customers need to feel like they can trust our expertise.
Showing up confidently on camera is super important and impacts a huge portion of the tasks being undertaken. From our social media posts to important meetings, from our YouTube demos to our Zoom cooking classes, becoming camera confident is the foundation that we can grow our on-camera presence from.
Even the most confident TV chefs and culinary YouTube stars had some hesitation when they first got started but they knew they had to give it a shot; and they are thankful and successful today because they did. Remember, it is not natural to be in front of the camera for most people, however it is something that can easily be learned. Here are six tips that can hopefully help inspire camera confidence in you!
