9 Ways to Get People to Smile Naturally for Family Photos
Being yourself can be hard to do when someone starts pointing a camera at you. Suddenly, you’re acutely aware of every move you’re making and every insecurity you have about your appearance. It isn’t easy to be relaxed enough to give a genuine smile when you’re feeling self-conscious. Fake or uncomfortable looks are enough to turn what could be art prints worthy of hanging on your walls into a missed opportunity for an outstanding family photo.
There are ways, however, to bring out natural expressions and smiles in every subject – even the ones who don’t feel comfortable in front of a camera. When you hire a photographer for a professional photo session, these tips for encouraging authentic smiles and expressions will help make your newest family portrait a great success. If your photographer doesn’t suggest these ideas, feel free to jump in there yourself with these stress-busting ideas.
1. Get Them Laughing
It’s hard to give a phony smile when you’re laughing. Getting someone to tell a great joke or a funny story so that everyone starts laughing and relaxes is an excellent strategy for nailing professional photos. Don’t be surprised if your trained professional tries to crack a joke or two themselves to calm the crowd.
2. Look at Each Other
Your subjects will have a better, more natural relationship with each other than they will with their professional photographer. By having them look at each other instead of staring at the photographer, the camera will be able to capture their love for each other and their natural chemistry.
Sometimes all it takes is looking at the people you love to achieve the perfect smiles for your next family photo. If you were feeling self-conscious before, all those worries will fade when you look the one you love in the eyes.
3. Forget the Cheese
Everyone expects that photographers will ask them to say cheese right before taking their picture. But instead of using the classic “say cheese” line, incorporate something unexpected into the sentence to elicit smiles and laughter. Using the word “money” instead of cheese right before snapping a picture produces a more natural smile.
If you’re shooting pictures with young children, try having them shout out “Elmo” and watch their delighted reactions. Seeing the glee their kids have over getting to yell out the name of one of their favorite characters will instantly relax parents as well.
4. Take a Breath
If you have people who are really nervous, get them to close their eyes, take a deep breath, and smile as they open their eyes again. A five-second breather like that can be enough to get the photo session back on track.
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