Lifestyle,  Uncategorized

How To Get Natural Expressions From Children In Portraits

November 19, 2014 / 74 Comments

In the 12 years that I have been taking portraits, I have seen and heard it all when it comes to fake smiles. That fun-loving baby who will smile at anything and that photogenic child who loves to take selfies all day, suddenly freezes up as soon as they get in my camera room. Why? The pressure of course, when there is no camera in their face or nobody else behind that camera, there is no one to judge them, they can just be themselves.

This feeling can often affect the overall outcome of a portrait… they get easily agitated, shy, some even pull tantrums. Luckily I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help us all get through the treacherous time that we are trying to create memories.


How To get Natural expressions

  • Patience - First and foremost this is the biggest factor in the way a child will act at any age. If you get overwhelmed so will they. Talk in calm soothing tones to them, this includes photographers and parents. If you are stressed they CAN feel it and they WILL reflect off of it.
  • Build a rapport - It is just as important to do this with the child as well as the parent. This means talking to them and getting to know them; find out their interests - favorite movies, sports, music, etc… They have to BE ABLE trust you in order to relax in front of you.
  • Have fun - Play with the babies; peek-a-boo can go a long way. Sneezing a stuffed animal off your head works wonders with toddlers and pretending to smell their feet when they are stinky usually gets a smile.
  • Stay away from “Cheese” - This word just doesn’t work no matter what… as I always say “Cheese is Cheesy!” Try getting them to say things like “Stinky Feet”, “Fuzzy Pickles” or “Purple Spaghetti”. For a more soft expression get them to say “Money”, “Peaches” or “Hi”.
  • Go natural - When all else fails and they don’t want to give you a smile don’t force it. Instead just capture them BEING them. I always suggest that every client bring along something the child loves; whether it’s their favorite teddy, a book or a tea set. Catch them doing what they love, you’ll be surprised of what the outcome is.
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    Photo courtesy of Cindy Strickland Photography
  • Relax - How can you expect someone else to open up in front of you if you are not doing the same? Venture away from the camera and out of your comfort zone; act silly, sing a song, jump around. Even if it is just a soft smile you are wanting or something candid… do whatever it takes to get it.

I know both of my boys have amazing smiles but they tend to not want to do it when the attention is on them unless it is me giving it to them and even than they will only cooperate some of the time. If there is one thing I have learned since having this career and becoming a parent, it’s that I have all the patience in the world for other people’s children but not my own when it comes to taking portraits.

How about you… does your child’s inner diva come out or do they tend to get camera shy? Is patience a virtue with you on picture day or completely thrown out the window.

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