Part of the SeriesHow to Trick People to Smile Like They Mean It
Written by Daniel Nicolas. Posted on August 11th 2008
Especially in the United States, people are generally very professional, reserved, and maybe too polite when outside their own social circles. Worst of all, they do not smile like they mean it. A fake smile, a tossed out laugh, and the lie of smile turn cold and selfish.
I’ve been over the past few months working on my portrait photography and one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is how to get people to smile like they mean it. Even if they are there for the purpose of being photographed, when you tell them to say “cheese” or “smile” a forced, strained expression spreads over their face. Are they walking through mud or did someone just take their picture? Could there be a way to get these stick-in-the-mud pod-people to lighten up and smile like they mean it? Yes.
The grand secret to getting people to smile like they mean it, is to put the camera down, out of their point of view and talk with your new friend. Talk with them, about them: their favorite movies, the best joke they’ve ever heard, the best dessert they’ve ever eaten. This shouldn’t be an interrogation, it should be a conversation where you are trying to get them to laugh out loud and break their “reserved” character. Once they’ve started to smile, even at the smallest hint of a tiny grin, bring the camera back into the mix and start shooting. Be warned, some people can’t help but grin once they start having a good time.
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