camera-shy

American  

[kam-er-uh-shahy, kam-ruh-] / ˈkæm ər əˌʃaɪ, ˈkæm rə- /

adjective

1. unwilling or afraid to be photographed or filmed.

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camera-shy British  

adjective

1. having an aversion to being photographed or filmed

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Etymology

Origin of camera-shy

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Since he is himself very camera-shy, he decided to use the toy as his stand-in for holiday pictures.

From BBC

But Alice is camera-shy and determined to let her dad promote the nursery while she works in the background.

From Los Angeles Times

But recently adopted beagle mix Sweetie lived up to her name with a single valiant effort, before becoming too camera-shy and forgetting every trick she’s ever learned.

From Los Angeles Times

He said the 17-minute documentary required night shoots and 0400 wake up calls to film some of the "camera-shy animals".

From BBC

He spent his first year as president - before the pandemic hit - traveling to get a better insight into Cubans’ lives in visits broadcast on state television, contrasting with the low profile of his camera-shy predecessor.

From Reuters