If shyness dictates that you slink away to a corner rather than engage with people when you get in a public place, veteran photographer David Hurn suggests that photography is a perfect tool for overcoming shyness.


Photo by Andrew Stawarz.

Hurn, whose photography career has spanned decades and whose pistol became the trademark of James Bond in photos, wasn't always terribly confident among new people. He discusses how taking up photography as a hobby while in the army helped him handle and eventually overcome his shyness:

I'm extremely shy but full of curiosity—the camera helps you get over shyness. You hide behind the camera and it gives you a reason to be somewhere. If you're polite and you show a genuine interest, people embrace you.


It's learning that last bit that we suspect helped Hurn overcome his shyness altogether. As with nearly any fear, the real key to overcoming it almost always involves desensitizing yourself to it, and over time, photography can do just that for the shy set.

Use Photography To Overcome Shyness [Lifehacker AU]