Point and Shoot Artistry: Volume 3 - Don't Say Cheese!

I was on a walk yesterday at a local park and walked past a father taking pictures of his daughter playing with some ducks. I sort of slowed a bit and watched this man and how he sort of "posed" his kiddo. He did what I imagine most parents do in this situation...point the kid towards the camera, shout "SAY CHEESE" and take a picture of a forced and somewhat ingenuine (BUT CUTE!!) smile.

In my time working as a portrait photographer, a vast majority of parents would visit us and rant about their inability to get a real smile. "I don't understand...everytime I pull out our camera, he just stares at it with sad eyes and forces a smile. He does this everytime and it's making me crazy!" This can be traced back to the Cheese factor of photography. We're all creatures of habit, we humans, so once we have it ingrained in our systems to "CHEEEEEEESE!" at the sight of a camera...it's a hard habit to break.

Keeping this ranting story in mind...a big piece of advice I would like to impart on you is to leave the cheese in the fridge and take photos of children (or even adults!) doing what they naturally do. A vast majority of the time you will capture a photo that's much more real to your subjects personality than you would by plopping them on a picnic table and having them stare into the lens. If you're really going for a good smile...have them say something funny....."Pickle Nose" always worked for me...then play off that to get a silly conversation going....

Parent: "Say PICKLE NOSE!!!"
Kid: "PICKLE NOSSSSE!"
Parent: "YOU PICKLE YOUR NOSE!! EEWWWWW!!!"
Kid: (giggling)
Parent: (take photo)

That sort of thing...

Beyond the smile and cheese factor..some basic things to remember to get a great portrait...

1. If possible pose your subject at a 45 degree angle...it's much more flattering that square on or a side view....especially if you're photographing a teen or adult.

2. Watch chins! One is enough for most people...so remember to have your subject crane their neck forward a bit to reduce the unpleasantness that may appear under their chins. Another good way to reduce these issues is to have your subject tilt their head slightly away from the camera...but be careful not to shoot up their nose!!

3. Always..Always...ALWAYS be aware of your background. A great pose and a great grin can be ruined by what's happening behind your subject.

4. Don't be afraid to move...get down on one knee to shoot straight across your subject, don't be afraid to roll around on the ground with your kids to get the joy in their face as they play in the grass. The photos you have to work for, will always be the photos that look the best. Many parents have hundreds of photos taken of their children from an above perspective. That makes the subject look smaller and their body out of proportion. This technique gives them a giant head and tiny little feet, because remember what ever is closest to the lens will look bigger in the photo.

5. Just relax and have fun...if you're having fun...your subject will have fun.