An Otherwise Empty Room: Smiling for the Camera

Why does it seem like kids loosen up just when you're finishing up the session?

Recently, I photographed a Finnish family that was concerned that their photographs would look "contrived." They told me that, while the completely understood the reasoning behind it, they did not agree with the American tradition of forced smiling in photographs. While showing me photos of their children in their pocketbooks, I noticed all of the photos were taken candidly, and showing exactly the type of smiles and joy in the children's faces that all photographers strive for. Of course, this is nearly impossible to achieve during a scheduled session; because, for example, how do you get four people to laugh candidly during a family photograph at the same time? ("I'm a photographer, Jim, not a clown!")

Adults have long been trained to smile on command, but this can be a bizarre directive to give to a child. They have not yet gained enough experience in their life to understand what a "real" fake smile should look like. Yeah, I know how they feel. When did smiling become the status quo pose of portraits, anyways? I bet that we can nail down the moment almost exactly, probably around the 1950s or '60s, when cameras and film became faster, and we were able to get those candid smiles. But photography sessions are rarely ever un-staged. Imagine, photographers, showing up to a scheduled photo session and telling the family, "alright, I'm gonna stand over here for about an hour, and you guys are gonna run around while I take your photos. Ready? Go."

Usually, what happens during a session is that the kids force their smiles until they just simply can't anymore, and then as soon as they are released they run around laughing freely. I've tried gathering them back in again to capture some of that, but the minute I say "smile," their foreheads furrow, their eyes glaze and their smiles get stony. What to do?

Often times, I'll just let the kids be themselves, and lavish them with compliments. Photographs, we must remember, strongly profit from the confidence level of the subject. If the person in front of the camera feels empowered, their positive emotions will flow through the camera. Good, strong eye contact enhances that feeling. The smile no longer becomes as relevant, because the person has engaged with the viewer. I've noticed that when I do this, it is actually the tone of the session that will set the mood for the photos later on, regardless of how the kids look. During this session, when the whole family was laughing and carrying on, even the "serious" photos come across as mild and light-tempered. This morning, I photographed a challenging young boy whose mother was thoroughly distressed by the session. When she glanced at the photos of the child without a forced smile on his face, she said she didn't enjoy them because the child looked "sad." It was interesting, because these specific photos were ones I had taken after the session had officially ended, and the child asked if he had to smile anymore, and I said no. He promptly told me, "well, can you take a couple more? I feel more relaxed now that I don't have to pretend anymore." His words, not mine.

Food for thought.

K.A.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Smiling for the Camera

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