The Eyes. The best way to keep your subject’s eyes active and alive is to engage them in conversation. Look at the person while you are setting up and try to find a common frame of interest. Inquire about the other person— almost everyone loves to talk about themselves! If the person does not look at you when you are talking, he or she is either uncomfortable or shy. In either case, you have to work to relax the person. Try a variety of conversational topics until you find one he or she warms to and then pursue it. As you gain their interest, you will take the subject’s mind off of the photograph. One of the best ways to enliven your subject’s eyes is to tell an amusing story. If they enjoy it, their eyes will smile—one of the most endearing expressions a human being can make.
Start the formal session by having the person look at you. Using a cable release with the camera tripod-mounted forces you to become the host and allows you to physically hold the subject’s gaze. It is a good idea to shoot a few frames of the person looking directly into the camera, but most people will appreciate some variety.
The Smile. One of the easiest ways to produce a natural smile is to praise your subject. Tell her how good she looks and how much you like a certain feature of hers—her eyes, her hair style, etc. To simply say “Smile!” will produce that familiar lifeless expression. By sincere confidence building and flattery, you will get the person to smile naturally and sincerely and their eyes will be engaged by what you are saying.
Remind the subject to moisten her lips periodically. This makes the lips sparkle in the finished portrait, as the moisture produces tiny specular highlights on the lips. Also, pay close attention to your subject’s mouth, making sure there is no tension in the muscles around it, since this will give the portrait an unnatural, posed look. Again, an air of relaxation best relieves tension, so talk to the person to take his or her mind off the photo.
Start the formal session by having the person look at you. Using a cable release with the camera tripod-mounted forces you to become the host and allows you to physically hold the subject’s gaze. It is a good idea to shoot a few frames of the person looking directly into the camera, but most people will appreciate some variety.
The Smile. One of the easiest ways to produce a natural smile is to praise your subject. Tell her how good she looks and how much you like a certain feature of hers—her eyes, her hair style, etc. To simply say “Smile!” will produce that familiar lifeless expression. By sincere confidence building and flattery, you will get the person to smile naturally and sincerely and their eyes will be engaged by what you are saying.
Remind the subject to moisten her lips periodically. This makes the lips sparkle in the finished portrait, as the moisture produces tiny specular highlights on the lips. Also, pay close attention to your subject’s mouth, making sure there is no tension in the muscles around it, since this will give the portrait an unnatural, posed look. Again, an air of relaxation best relieves tension, so talk to the person to take his or her mind off the photo.
One of the best photographers I’ve ever seen at “enlivening” total strangers is Ken Sklute. I’ve looked at literally hundreds of his wedding images and in almost every photograph, the people are happy and relaxed in a natural, typical way. Nothing ever looks posed in his photography—it’s almost as if he happened by this beautiful picture and snapped the shutter. One of the ways he gets people “under his spell” is with his enthusiasm for the excitement of the day; it’s contagious and his affability translates into attentive subjects. While it helps any wedding photographer to be able to relate well to people, those with special gifts—good storytellers or a great sense of humor—should use those skills to get the most from their clients.
