Don’t Say “Cheese” Please…

How many of your pictures end up with that “fake” smile your kid plasters on their face every time you pull out your camera and they squeeze their teeth together and yell “CHEEEEEEEESE”! I am not sure who came up with “cheese” to get a child to “smile” but I am certain that this is where the term “cheesy” came from.

Our goal, taking pictures of our children, is to get them as who they are every day, and not who they are in front of a lens. There are a few things you can do to alter the “cheesy grin” into something that is more fun to see.

Make a Fool Out of Yourself:

When YOU are the one behind the camera you know exactly what things to do and say that get your kids laughing. My son cracks up every time I growl at him. Silly hats and funny faces can work wonders and I have often popped out from behind the camera with a clown nose or bottle thick play glasses on to get them to loosen up. Sometimes sticking your tongue out at them will crack them up, but be careful, because they are bound to repeat the action and then you will just have a bunch of shots of your children’s tongues.

For younger children, a good game of peek-a-boo from behind the camera can keep their attention and keep them smiling long enough to get a priceless grin.

Shoot From The Hip:

If you can’t get your kids to stop goofing it up when you pull out your camera, try not putting it to your eye. If you use your LCD screen on your digital camera, learn to sneak peeks at it and frame your shot, then fire when your kids aren’t expecting it. I know my camera well enough, that I can keep my DSLR near my hip, or in front of my chest, auto-focus and fire without them knowing I am actively trying to get their picture.

Say Something Else… ANYTHING Else:

Saying “cheese” is tried and true and will guarantee you will get what you ask for every time…. Cheese. As a photographer I have found myself having to “retrain” many kids who have been pre-programmed with “cheese”. It’s difficult once they think that is what everyone behind the camera expects, to get genuine smiles. I have tried many different options over the years to get the good grins with some good results. Some other words and phrases that I have used and that can get a better result but produce less “cheese” are having your kids say “Mommy”, “Candy” (you may want to have some on hand if they will expect some after they cooperate) and “Stinky”. And it never fails if you tell them to yell out “Daddy’s Stinky” with Daddy right next to you.

If these techniques don’t work perfectly for you, play around. Figure out what will really get the best reactions from your kids and use it. You know your kids and you know what will make them smile more than “Cheese”.

Amazon.com Widgets