It's the time of year when we're supposed to feel most relaxed but a recent survey has found that more than 80 per cent of British women admit to actively avoiding the camera whilst on their summer vacation.

And this despite the fact that women spend an average of £135 in the run-up to their holidays on waxing, tanning treatments and beauty products to make sure they're in ship shape.

The research, conducted by Venture Photography, found that 58 per cent of women feel too self conscious to have their picture taken in most holiday situations, including when on the beach in swimwear (58 per cent), or even whilst out on a day trip (seven per cent).

Almost a quarter of those asked (24 per cent) said they felt self conscious in front of the camera all of the time whilst on holiday, meaning the classic holiday snap could be swiftly losing its appeal.

Richard Mayfield, Venture’s Creative Director, said his network of more than 250 photographers often encountered women who feel self conscious before a photoshoot.

He said women may feel uneasy about themselves because of the pictures of celebrities on vacation that fill up the magazines at this time of year.

“In our studios photographers are specially trained to help people feel
natural and at ease in front of the camera," he said.

"But despite a holiday being the time when you’re supposed to feel most relaxed, it seems that women in particular just want to run and hide under the sun bed when the camera comes out.

“This is the case even when a significant amount of time and money has been spent beforehand on treatments and products to look as good as possible.

“I think many women feel pressure from being bombarded with pictures of celebrities on the beach at this time of year, but this shouldn’t stop people capturing some great memories of their holidays on camera."

Venture has five tips to help the camera shy get the perfect holiday snap.

1) Don’t stand square on to the camera, instead turn one hip towards the camera as this creates a better shape for your figure in general as well as creating a slimming effect around the waistline

2) Always ensure that the camera height is above the eye level of the person in shot as this creates a more contoured, slimmer look for the face and avoids capturing a double chin.

3) Avoid taking pictures in direct sunlight as this is a very unflattering hard light which will exaggerate blemishes and lines on the face. Instead, try a shadier spot which should result in a much more flattering shot.

4) Instead of posed shots why not try and capture some more natural photographs by having shots taken whilst you’re playing with the kids or sharing a favourite joke. Sometimes the less you play up to the camera the better the results!

5) Be aware of the background of your shot as well as the foreground. Even if everyone in shot looks great the photograph as a whole can be ruined if there’s a sign sticking out of somebody’s head or fellow holidaymakers staring at the camera in the background.