October 2 is World Smile Day! Our friend Miguel Quiles shares some of his tips for bringing the best smile in your subjects. One of the most common situations photographers find themselves in, when photographing people, is trying to get a natural, pleasant smile. Here are some simple tips that will help you connect and capture amazing, genuine smiles in your next image.
1. Don’t ask your subject to smile; make them smile! If your goal is to steer clear of capturing an awkward smile, eliminate the tendency that most photographers have of asking someone to smile, or to have them say “cheese”. No one gives genuine smiles on command!
2. Talk to your subject. Connect with them on a personal level, before you ever pick up and point the camera at them. Make your subject feel comfortable with some brief conversation, and you’ll see how much easier the process will become!
3. Instruct them early on to always look directly at the center of your lens, no matter how crazy things get from that moment out. This is a key piece of instruction that I give every time, as people tend to look away from the camera when they give a genuine smile.
4. Now the stage is set to let the funny business begin! Throw out a quick joke, a silly sound effect, or anything possible to get them to crack a smile. As soon as you see it coming, take the shot! I will often say and do the silliest things, even cracking jokes on myself to get them to loosen up and laugh. I’ve taken pictures in public, and have even had people around me laughing at how I was acting, which, in turn, made the subject laugh and give more natural expressions.
5. Take several images within a short span of time. I often see people take one photo and put their cameras away, when the great smile might have actually come about three or four frames later. Even when you think you have the shot, keep shooting for a short while longer, just to be sure.
Using this simple process has helped me tremendously throughout my professional career, and with some practice, you’ll find that you can get genuine smiles out of just about anyone. Above all, have a good time, and people will have no other option but to smile!
All images courtesy of Miguel Quiles Photography Article by Professional NJ Photographer Miguel Quiles
Miguel Quiles http://miguelquiles.com/ Miguel is a Sony Associate Artisan of Imagery, blogger, and contributor for RangeFinder Magazine & SLR Lounge. He is currently sponsored by Sony, Photoflex, Tamron Lenses, Phottix, and Savage Paper. Miguel will be appearing at Unique Photo on October 5th, 2015 during the Tamron Tailgate Tour for a live demonstration, Q&A, and free lunch. Registration for the Tamron tailgate Tour is free - Sign up today.