I love photographing kids. Their expressions are so pure and their is less of a filter between them and the camera. However, often parents are frustrated with the “fake” camera smiles that their kids give them. There are a few easy solutions to this.
1. NO SMILE?
Just ask them to stop smiling. No smile. Really! Usually you will get a beautiful, natural expression. When your child isn’t smiling, you get big beautiful eyes.
2. FROWNIE FACE
Ask them to make their worst frownie or monster face ever, and then tell them to stop. You might get a genuine laugh out of this one, or you may even get a genuine, soft expression out of them.
3. SMIRK
Ask for a smirk. This can be so much fun. Most kids love to do faces, so be patient with them. Try a little smirk, then a bigger smirk and see what happens.
4. COMFORT ZONE
Take advantage of their comfort zone. These sisters are so comfortable with each other that their expressions are naturally more relaxed and they are much more willing to relax those smiles. Ask for just a teensy smile.
5. SMILE WITH YOUR EYES
Experiment with asking your child to relax their face and then ask for a tiny smile, or a smile with just their eyes. You can also ask them for their fake smile and go backwards from there. Go ahead - say smile. Then say, smile less… less…… even less!
The great thing about kids is that they don’t hate having their photos taken (like most adults). They haven’t yet learned to dislike how they look, so they are quite happy to sit and pose. Make it fun, relaxing and don’t make the session too long!!