Fake Smiles

[Josh66]

How do you deal with those kids that have way over the top fake "say cheese" smiles?

Any tips to coerce a more natural smile out of them?

 

[ShutterBug357]

I would suggest trying something funny. Sometimes adults feel strange when trying to make children smile, and therefore don't feel natural. If the photographer doesn't feel natural, the subject will pick up on that. So try connecting with the kids by being one yourself. It helps if you get to know them a little first, maybe talk to them for a few minutes.

Either that or your subjects are the kind of kids that always ham it up. In which case, there isn't much you can do!

 

[clupica]

My son does this to me all the time. But recently I've found that if I ask him to "act" for me, he is much more natural. Act mad, act like a pirate, act like a bad guy... If he's acting, he's playing. If he's playing, he's doing what's natural. It doesn't work in all situations, but it works often enough to give it a try when you can.

Charlie

 

[Battou]

I have a hard time with this, Either they get this dorkey "Ohh a picture" grin plastered on their face or just a blank emotionless face. I have a poor way of dealing with it to boot...I almost always end up reverting to asking "How am I supposed to take a picture your mom can hang on the wall when you're acting like that?" That always blows up in my face, so chalk this up as a "don't do"

 

[ksmattfish]

Off subject, but an interesting article about fake smiles and real smiles in photos.

http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/abu-ghraib/

 

[MACollum]

When I was a teenager my aunt was trying to get a "natural" smile and said "Say XXXX." It was wholly inappropriate though (it was so bad, I've never been able to repeat it), which is probably why I cracked up.

I've figured that if I can come up with some nonsense line, the kids will laugh and that should fix the problem. Trouble is, I'm not very funny. Dh can say anything (and I do mean anything) and our kids will laugh so hard. Maybe I should take their pictures when he is at home.

 

[Pure Captures]

Great suggestions, when peopl laugh, they forget about the camera, stop fake smiling, and start real smiling. Sometimes, when shooting, I take a couple takes of the fake smile (knowing I don't really want them), let the subject get distracted by something funny or happy (possibly a joke, if necessary) and then resume shooting when they're "not ready" but giving a real smile instead. It's great to be shooting digital and be able to waste those shots to help you get the ones you really want!

 

[Josh66]

Great suggestions, when peopl laugh, they forget about the camera, stop fake smiling, and start real smiling. Sometimes, when shooting, I take a couple takes of the fake smile (knowing I don't really want them), let the subject get distracted by something funny or happy (possibly a joke, if necessary) and then resume shooting when they're "not ready" but giving a real smile instead. It's great to be shooting digital and be able to waste those shots to help you get the ones you really want!

Yeah, I seem to get much better results when they don't know I'm about to take their picture. A niece of mine has this WAYYYYY over exageratted (sp?) smile, the only good photos I can get of her are when she doesn't know I'm taking pictures.