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Category: Family Portraits - Page 17

Two girls in front of green door at Elizabeth Park

What photos do you love most?

Probably those that capture the essence of your subject or some distinctive aspect of their personality.

Yet we’re often guilty (us too with our own kids) of asking our children to flash a smile when they pose for the camera…with mixed results.

Here are some tips on how to get more than smiley snapshots of your kids (works with adults as well!)

* Go for no smile: tell kids in a soft voice “no smile”, then take a photo.  That’s how I got the shot above.

* Get them talking:  ask them to talk about anything that might be of interest (favorite ice cream flavors, Harry Potter, etc.) and listen with the camera to your eye. The range of emotion passing over kids’ faces is amazing.

* Remove the audience: if you want your subject to connect with you (and the camera), remove the distraction of other people watching you shoot. Kids are especially affected by another parent or sibling looking on.

* Belly laugh: ask for a fake laugh but don’t press the shutter until your subject is truly laughing – most people will laugh because they feel so silly – and don’t be shy about demonstrating yourself!