Portraits and the smile

Say "cheese, please," or not.

Is it essential that people smile to make a good portrait?

Not at all. So, why do so many of us encourage our subjects to smile?

Quite simply, a smile indicates a happy frame of mind, and tends to bring a smile out in others. Our facial expressions send out a message about ourselves. The majority of us look our most amiable and pleasant when we're smiling. The message from a smile is that we are friendly, approachable and have a pleasant disposition.

Many of us associate people photography with the word "smile." Who hasn't heard the expression "Smile for the camera," or "Say cheese" or "Say pizza" when they are having their picture taken?

Does that mean, therefore, that a portrait photographer should always have his or her subjects smile in order to produce good photographs of them? We know this is not true. Some of the best portraits in the world do not contain a hint of a smile. For many portraits, especially those that are strongly character-revealing, a smile would destroy their impact as a portrait.

WHEN SHOULD YOU ENCOURAGE YOUR SUBJECT TO SMILE?

The answer is ridiculously simple. The subject should smile when the occasion calls for it. This is of course an over-simplified answer, since it leaves the photographer with the dilemma of knowing what expression the photographic occasion calls for. That is the hard part.

A person's face can convey a great deal of emotion in a single expression. All photographers would like their portraits to be expressive. When the person being photographed has a neutral look on their face that says nothing about their character, the easiest and most expedient way for the photographer to change that is to ask the subject to smile. But, that's the easy route to take, and it may not provide the best expression for the person's portrait, or, surprisingly, the subject's best smile.

Among other things, a portrait is intended to show mood. If a smile is appropriate for the mood desired by the photographer and the subject, then it is the right expression to encourage.

HOW DO YOU GET SOMEONE TO SMILE?

There are several ways to elicit a pleasant-looking smile from your subject. The first and most obvious is simply to ask the person to smile. This often does the job, since some people smile easily and naturally. Others, however, look as though they're grimacing when they attempt to force a smile, and some are too nervous before the camera to show a relaxed smile on demand.

A very effective way to get someone to smile is to smile at them first. Smiles are contagious and all it may take is for you to start the ball rolling with your own pleasant expression. Keep in mind, though, that other expressions you may show your subject as a portrait photographer are also effective in changing your subject's expression. Your own countenance is a useful tool in manipulating your subject's expression.

When a subject's smile does not look attractive, you must take steps to change that. Usually, it's a matter of getting the person to relax to eliminate tension that's apparent in their expression.

If you know the reason why the person is not relaxed, that's a good start. It may be "camera jitters" - the nervousness many people show when being photographed. The best solution is often to engage the subject in conversation about something that is of interest to them. This gets their mind off of their situation and onto the topic, particularly when they begin to talk. If the topic is a pleasant one, such as their children, their last holiday or their hobby, they may smile naturally during the conversation, giving you the opportunity to trip the shutter and capture the expression you want.

Some photographers are natural comedians and have the ability to make people laugh with their stories or jokes. They may use this skill when taking portraits to encourage a happy-looking expression from their subject. Saying or doing something funny can be particularly effective with children. A common problem with this approach, though, is that the resulting laugh is often too expressive. The subject completely breaks up with hilarity. The good news is that the smiles that follow a good laugh are often genuine-looking and make a pleasing picture.

Some persons may not smile because they are shy and unused to being the center of attention. If you could read their minds, you would probably find they are thinking that they just want this to be over with so they can get out of the spotlight. With such people, you may find it best to just shoot a few frames of them as they are, then say something like "Well, that was easy, wasn't it? Thank you very much." Be ready to take another picture, because the smile and look of relief on their face, realizing they are finished, is often just the one you want.

If that doesn't work, though, you will have to keep the subject there and try another technique. You'll need to say something like "Oh, hold it just another minute, please. Let's try one more look."

Sometimes, the shy person will relax when there are no others observing the photography session. Try clearing everyone else out of the area or the room, so there is only you and the subject. You will find it easier to draw the person out when the audience is no longer there.

Another technique that can be successful in bringing out a pleasant smile is to have your subject say certain words associated with happiness and well-being. For example, you can ask the person to say "Gee, I feel terrific today." If a person obviously wants the photo session to end, you can often get them to smile by asking them to say "I'll sure be glad when this is over."

People's reactions are unpredictable, though. What causes one person to smile may cause another to frown. You may, for instance, find out from your subject that their favorite movie actor is, say, Brad Pitt. If you then ask the person how they'd react if Brad Pitt walked into the room, they may show a joyous smile or they may wilt at the thought of meeting the actor under circumstances where they are uncomfortable.

DEVELOPING RAPPORT IS GENERALLY THE BEST METHOD

The best technique to use in encouraging a natural smile involves establishing rapport with your subject.

WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T GET A SMILE

Occasionally, you will find that your best efforts to cause a person to smile nicely, or to generate any expression that is suitable for their portrait, simply don't work. No matter what you do, it just doesn't click. There is no sense continuing to try, since your exasperation will begin to show. You must simply capture the best expression you can get, and call a halt to the session.

There can be many reasons why a subject can't or won't smile, including personal circumstances that you don't know about. The subject may just be ornery, or might not wish to reveal bad teeth or braces, or simply may not like their own smile.

No one can be forced to change an expression they're determined to maintain. It's unfortunate not to get a pleasant or happy look when it is appropriate for the picture. But, as we said earlier, a good portrait doesn't necessarily require the subject to smile. You may find that getting your subject to frown or look thoughtful, serious or sad will produce a portrait that is pleasing to your subject in spite of your own expectations.