Kids - how do you stop 'cheeeeese' face?
Discussion
I'm having issues recently with kids aged 3-9 years old - both my own and family/friends - pulling the 'cheeeeeese' face when taking photo's. My own kid in particular has somehow come to the conclusion that if I have the camera out the face concerned should be a horrible rictus that puts you in mind of someone trying to pass a kidney stone. Previously my keeper rate was quite high as it was all natural, laughing and messing around but these days it's an uphill battle of trying to juggle an impromptu stand-up routine whilst sorting out settings, focus, composition etc. I think it might be age related - more aware of the camera as time goes on. Having a laugh, talking about whatever (leaves etc with some of the autumn shots I've gone for) works for a point but the second the eyes see the camera it's back to cheese face.
I've had similar issues when taking photo of friends/family friends kids, but at least then I've often got some willing helpers to distract but the same issues still arise.
I'm struggling for inspiration right now. Looking at it from two perspectives - one kit, one technique with my natural instinct being to look at the former first. My portrait lens is a 50mm prime (shooting on a crop) and I've been thinking about the Canon 85mm f1.8 for awhile now to help me blend into the background, staying behind or to one side of the better half whilst she keeps little'uns attention. That'll work some of the time I suspect - and I really like the look of the lens anyway. SWMBO will need to approve the purchase however so I need to convince her of it's necessity.
But I'm interested in any tips/techniques to get around this, particularly for those situations where there isn't another person handy to distract attention away from the camera.
Side note: I've got some very dark ideas of how I'll get my own back if I ever find out who it is that encouraged the painful grimace my own calls a smile. I've always been militant about not pushing the 'come on, smile,' line so it's not come from home.
I've had similar issues when taking photo of friends/family friends kids, but at least then I've often got some willing helpers to distract but the same issues still arise.
I'm struggling for inspiration right now. Looking at it from two perspectives - one kit, one technique with my natural instinct being to look at the former first. My portrait lens is a 50mm prime (shooting on a crop) and I've been thinking about the Canon 85mm f1.8 for awhile now to help me blend into the background, staying behind or to one side of the better half whilst she keeps little'uns attention. That'll work some of the time I suspect - and I really like the look of the lens anyway. SWMBO will need to approve the purchase however so I need to convince her of it's necessity.
But I'm interested in any tips/techniques to get around this, particularly for those situations where there isn't another person handy to distract attention away from the camera.
Side note: I've got some very dark ideas of how I'll get my own back if I ever find out who it is that encouraged the painful grimace my own calls a smile. I've always been militant about not pushing the 'come on, smile,' line so it's not come from home.
Edited by tenohfive on Tuesday 8th November 10:00
What he said - my daughters behaved very differently when I first bought a camera, one never poses and I can take beautiful, natural looking photos of her all day. The other was a nightmare (also autistic) as she will either pull a face or turn her back on the camera whenever it caught her eye. Eventually after many days out where I'd always have the camera in hand and take many hundreds of photos, they have both learned to just ignore it. I never try and frame or pose a photo - just stay in the background and blaze away and they will stop noticing. A longer lens definitely does help - I tend to use 70-200mm on full frame.
One of my nephews does exactly what you've described, and is pretty much impossible to photograph with a normal facial expression, but then I don't spent enough time with him to get him used to the camera / beat him into submission.
One of my nephews does exactly what you've described, and is pretty much impossible to photograph with a normal facial expression, but then I don't spent enough time with him to get him used to the camera / beat him into submission.
I was out with some friends and their kids at the weekend, and their 7 year old son had a really awkward looking pose/smile whenever the camera was pointed at him. I did get some more natural shots in the end by wiating for him to be doing something else, then taking pictures. I was at the longer end of my 24-105mm (on full frame) so guess I'd be a bit further back than your were.
Some people never lose it. I used to work with someone, then in her 20s, who used to pull a vacuous grin worthy of "I'm a celebrity" publicity material every time the camera came out. 20 years on she is the same, all her Facebook pics show a grinning "rabbit-in-headlights" pose. She's 40-odd, and lovely, absolutely stunning looking, but has had the same expression in every photo I've ever seen.
When youve got your face screwed up behind a camera your subject cant see your eyes for any feedback, so they tend to default into some kind of staged smile if it's a stock'ish portrait. People who're more used to cameras and having their photo taken are generally easier because you can tell them what you're looking for and generally, they can just do it, they dont feel they have to pose in a set way for a photo
It might help you (though probably not at 1.8) to have your other eye open and be talking to them. Not directing them, just talking as if it's a regular conversation about something. Ideally this will be you commenting on something nice they're wearing, a time they might remember or a planned party coming up. If you can have 3 bits to the conversation it might look like
(Test shot) You're going to John's party on Saturday, you like parties (look here for the start of an expression, click), remember the (look again for a smile starting, click) time that you went on that bouncy castle (big grin here, click)
Chances are at the start of the expression you'll have a gurn, when they're remembering you might just have a smile though their eyes might go left or right and the bouncy castle is probably going to be a binner
(Actual shot) Same again, but now you've chimped and worked out where in the expression forming to being too much you want to take the shot. Move the conversation into a time they remember or a program they like so you dont get the eyes moving left and / or right
(Third shot) Mock up so you get the cheeeeeese smile, just let them do it. They'll feel much happier that they gave you want they thought you wanted. Print it and stick it in a drawer to embarrass them with later in life
It might help you (though probably not at 1.8) to have your other eye open and be talking to them. Not directing them, just talking as if it's a regular conversation about something. Ideally this will be you commenting on something nice they're wearing, a time they might remember or a planned party coming up. If you can have 3 bits to the conversation it might look like
(Test shot) You're going to John's party on Saturday, you like parties (look here for the start of an expression, click), remember the (look again for a smile starting, click) time that you went on that bouncy castle (big grin here, click)
Chances are at the start of the expression you'll have a gurn, when they're remembering you might just have a smile though their eyes might go left or right and the bouncy castle is probably going to be a binner
(Actual shot) Same again, but now you've chimped and worked out where in the expression forming to being too much you want to take the shot. Move the conversation into a time they remember or a program they like so you dont get the eyes moving left and / or right
(Third shot) Mock up so you get the cheeeeeese smile, just let them do it. They'll feel much happier that they gave you want they thought you wanted. Print it and stick it in a drawer to embarrass them with later in life
That's a good shout Andy...probably not a complete solution (when talking small children) but I do find that it's much more natural until my face is behind the camera. Might start using liveview a bit more to prevent that and to help keep things conversational.
I'm all for the natural shots btw (and if a load more of you can post up extolling the virtues of being able to fade into the background with, say, a longer lens
) but occasionally I will see a decent scene and go for something posed. Usually it's just decent light from a certain angle - autumn is great for the light through the trees type shots - so I'll keep in mind some of the above comments when I'm considering something semi-posed.
I'm all for the natural shots btw (and if a load more of you can post up extolling the virtues of being able to fade into the background with, say, a longer lens
) but occasionally I will see a decent scene and go for something posed. Usually it's just decent light from a certain angle - autumn is great for the light through the trees type shots - so I'll keep in mind some of the above comments when I'm considering something semi-posed.
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