5 Tips for Authentic Expressions While Photographing Children
I recently finished up school portraits for a local Morristown preschool and I had so many moms ask how I was able to capture such a variety of expressions and so many authentic emotions in their children. And to be honest, you don’t need a lot of time to get a wide variety of expressions. When taking school photos, I average about 2-3 minutes per child. So if I can get your kids (who I barely even have time to properly meet) to show their true selves to me, you MOST certainly can too!! Luckily, I have a few tricks I rely on and I’ve boiled them down to 5 tips you can use when photographing your children:
1. Give them a time limit. Kids have short attention spans and the last thing they want is to be pulled away from something they love doing to take photos. So tell them, we’re going to do this for 5 minutes or 3 minutes or however long you think you’ll need. You can even show them you are setting a timer on your phone or watch so that they know you’re not going to drag this on forever. Scope out your location and lighting BEFORE dropping the “hey kids, mom wants to take some photos of you” bomb on them. Be ready when you ask because the longer it takes you to set up, the less time you’ll have for cooperative kiddos.
2. Don’t say cheese! Once you are ready to start, make it fun and be engaging. Don’t ask them to smile for the photo. I like to start off asking questions and basically keep a running dialogue with the kids. I pause and peek out above my camera sometimes to make eye contact so they know I am interested in what they are saying. This is usually a good time to get those thoughtful expressions or the ones where they are glancing off to the side or downwards with a more modest or reserved smile as they think of answers.
3. Be oppositional. But in a good way not in a “no! I refuse to go to bed!” way (anyone else experience this EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT?!). This goes back to Tip #2. I’ll ask them a question and then tell them their answer seems totally wrong. So for example, I’ll ask “how old are you now?” and they’ll answer “7” and I’ll say (with great enthusiasm) “what?!?! No way you are 7. You look like you are 27. Are you drinking beer and driving cars already?” That usually gets a laugh. Be ready to snap!
4. Look into my lens! When I want a super close up, I’ll tell them there is a monster, monkey, fairy etc in my camera lens. I’ll tell them if they look super close they just might get a peek of him or her. If I need to engage them a tiny bit longer I’ll say something like “oh no! He just went to sleep. Can you yell wake up?” And I’ll ask them to keep yelling it louder and louder. And I may make a joke about how my monster must be deaf and they need to yell even louder. Usually they start laughing because how often do they have a grown-up asking them to shout as loud as they can?
5. Get them moving. Ask them to twirl, to dance, to show you their best superhero kick, to give you a high 5 or something to get them moving. Most kids will relax and start to look more natural if they have your permission to move around a bit. Once they are moving make a HUGE deal out of whatever they are doing. Tell them they are the best twirler you have ever seen and ask them if they can do it again. A playful “I bet you can’t do that one more time?” is more likely to elicit a response than a bland “good job.” Be ready to take their photo as soon as they are done with their twirl or whatever they may be doing. You can also ask them if they can teach you and then you mimic the move. Make your movements big and grandiose – the goofier you are and the more fun you are having, the more likely you are to get them to laugh at you! And then be ready for that smile and click that shutter!
Now of course, not everything works with every kid. You may have to try a few different techniques to get them to react or laugh. But remember – be flexible. This is a time where if they don’t want to do what you would like them to do, you will be better served letting go of your desires and following along with what they want. Forcing a child to do something is never going to generate authentic smiles and will leave you feeling frustrated.
Last, if you can’t get the smile you are going for, then maybe just focus on capturing them as they are feeling in this moment. Don’t discount the beauty of a portrait with a more neutral looking facial expression. And if it’s an unhappy toddler you are dealing with, chances are those pouty or angry faces will be hilarious when you look back on them in 10 years.
I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below!