I don’t know who started it, but somewhere along the line we were taught that we should say “cheese!” when our picture was taken. The idea behind it is that we were supposed to smile from saying it, but often what results is a tight-toothed grimace, a glaze-eyed straining wince, or a glower from a stubborn child or angsty teen. If you are taking a group picture you can end up with all that and more! How do you get a smile? Nothing is fool proof, but here is some food for thought:
Do you really need a smiling portrait? Do they even really need to be looking at you? Natural candid pictures of people - kids in particular, can capture an authentic image of a your subject. Ask a person to show you something they enjoy doing and have them do it while talking to you about it. Baking, tuning up the car, blowing bubbles and chasing them, playing in the sand, daydreaming out the window - if someone is doing something they enjoy it will show on their face. One of my favorite pictures of myself in the “tween” years is one of me sitting up in my grandparent’s apple tree reading a book. That picture says more about who I was then any smiling pose!
“But I want this is be a picture I can frame or send to a relative!” A smiling, happy face or faces make for great framable photos. You want your subjects to be relaxed and natural - which means you need to remain calm. Challenging, but true. When we first meet someone, we often greet them a warm “Hi!” and smile. Try asking your subject or subjects to greet you with a normal “Hi!” and they will often relax into a natural smile. If you are taking a few shots, keep chatting with them so they don’t get stiff or nervous.
What to do about teens and tweens? Let’s face it, often at these ages we aren’t happy with our smiles - particularly with braces, or our skin, or our siblings or parents. Giving a grin doesn’t always feel very real. Try giving them an emotion you want them to show - a small smile from thinking about a superstar crush may not show teeth but a sparkle in the eye, a serious gaze right into the camera can capture an intensity and intelligence, even a playful smirk can be fun and show the rebel inside.
Good luck and take lots of pictures - you won’t regret it!
