How to get a smile?
edjr1
I was wondering if anyone could give a little help by way of suggestions of
any words, catch pharses, or anything that would help to bring a smile or
laugh to children and/or teenagers. I have plans to photograph a rec.
sports league of 200+ children and I'm hoping that there's something better
than the old "say cheese" for a smile. Also, the photos will be taken in
rapid order so something simple would probably work best. Thanks in advance
for any help!
P.S. A Bozo clown suit has already been suggested but this is out if
my price range at this time!
Jeff & Eileen Adams - Adams PhotoGraphics
Saying "smile" almost never works. Try asking them not to smile, try
asking them to "think" smile but not do it, try actually relating to
their life experience, see if they feel as silly as you do, see if
they would like you to make it as painless and least embarrasing as
possible. Try a goofy tie, try a punching nun puppet, your assistant
can use to hit your head while you shoot... Think, what would a kid
laugh at if a (insert you here) was standing there waiting for a
smile?
Jeff
---
Jeff & Eileen Adams, Adams PhotoGraphics
Fashion - Fine Art - Portraiture
Atlanta - Charleston - Miami - Carmel
http://www.adamsimages.com/hti/
---
zeitgeist
I don't think 'cheese' ever worked anyway. for young teens, it's
'whiskey' 'smelly socks' for kids of all ages, it's "McDonalds" for
young kids it's call them by their wrong name, especially transgender
mistakes just cracks five year olds up. Assign them careers, Mr
President, look right here please, Miss Astronaught, please stop looking
at the stars (great if the kid is looking around, you can rebuk them
while getting their attention in a gentle and continuous way)
for teenagers with attitude, I stop, peak out from around the camera,
look at them as if I'm irritated about something and about to tell them
about it, and dead pan 'well, don't look so mean and nasty' and for some
reason folks will react with a very sincere smile as if they are shocked
that they were being inadvertently offensive, and it seems to work with
almost anyone, from badassed recently released convicts, teenage gangsta
wannabees, bridezillas and/or their mother-in-laws, rapstars, even
entire groups, everyone except two year olds, doobermans, pitbulls and
major company CEO's but I'm being redundant. However, that phrase is
copyright and trademarked so any use if it requires a royalty payment of
a buck, please remit for each use, thanks.
more junk echoed to the z-prophoto mailing list at egroups.com or yahoo
something..
Yip Kok Lok
You need to do something silly and spontaneous, like give a slight jump in
the air with a fierce blood curdling order to smile.......... or fake a
"drop the pants" with bright polka dotted underwear......
zeitgeist
Yip Kok Lok wrote:
>
> Often children freeze up in front of a camera, at best giving a "frozen" smile.
> You need to do something silly and spontaneous, like give a slight jump in
> the air with a fierce blood curdling order to smile.......... or fake a
> "drop the pants" with bright polka dotted underwear......
>
I don't know if we would get arrested here, but I'd bet we'd get
investigated...
edjr1
zeitgeist must have been reading my mind. It's been said that "cheese"
wouldn't
get a smile for an expression, but I did have a little luck with
"cheeseburger". Isn't
there other words to if not get a genuine smile at least make the facial
impression of one? Photographing one child after another within maybe 20
seconds
doesn't give a lot of time to interact.
zeitgeist <blkhat...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3A74F7DF...@yahoo.com...
Graham Stewart
kids that you can sometimes get far nicer pictures by firing off two frames
in quick succession.
Usually they tend to relax after the photo and having my eos in 3fps mode is
just the perfect time to catch them off guard - assuming of course that any
flash has had time to recharge.
G
"edjr1" <ed...@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:94t64n$gtj6$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com...
Logan McMinn
a lot of the time. Even so, every once in a while, the kid will respond
"puppieeeeees!" with a truly horrible grimace. (Already conditioned by their
relatives and parents to act that way when having their pictures taken --
ruined for life.) "Stinky feet" also works well with the younger ones.
Teenagers are tougher. There are always a few who seem to think they look cool
with their "game face" on, and so they simply scowl. I even had a team where
the coach instructed his team to put on their game face for the pictures.
Absolute disaster! Sometimes the team will be in a good mood and if you read
it quickly enough, you can get them all involved in the picture taking by
encouraging the one waiting to try to crack up the one in front of the camera.
Also, teens with braces, or even those who don't are embarrassed to show their
teeth, even when there seems to the photographer that there is nothing
unbecoming about them. They will refuse to show their teeth and will produce a
very unnatural simper instead.
If all else fails, just try for a pleasant expression and live without the
smile. Even then, you'll sometimes just have to give up and shoot what you
know is a poor picture. Two days ago, I had a request to shoot two sisters
together in the same shot. One sister was mad as hell and was completely
uncooperative, so after spending much more time trying to get the shot than I
should have, I just had to snap the shutter and move on.
I've been doing this for about three years now, and it's usually a lot of fun,
but once in a while, it can be challenging and trying.
Sanford Terry III
adults in a group, tell them to lick their lips...everyone will....then say,
" Now, lick the lips of the person standing beside you" and trip the
shutter.
nitehawk
tell them I wanna see some teeth... that usually gets a good natural smile,
followed by toothy ones!
rob...@bestweb.net
>edjr1 wrote:
How about reverse psychology? "These are serious pictures. Don't smile or
you'll ruin them."