This week I thought we'd take a break from the more technical aspects of our cameras and try something fun.  Today I am going to talk about getting great expressions out of your children and how to approach your photography in a new way.

Objective:  to learn and experiment with new techniques that are aimed at capturing fun and genuine expressions from your subjects.

If you have ever been to my studio and watched me photograph kids you might have noticed that I never ask them to smile.  Kids are real in every way and when they try and fake a smile it looks really, really forced and not at all real.  This is not bad news at all.  You just need to change the way you look at the dilemma.  The best part of this is that when you do get a big genuine smile it is truly that- BIG and GENUINE.  It is the kind of smile that is full of life and personality and make you smile yourself just looking at it.  The other bonus about little kids is that they don't mind being silly or even looking silly.  In fact, they think it's hilarious and they are (for the most part) more than willing to share some really fun expressions with you if you're game too.

I always ask kids to show me their silly face, their mad face, their super happy face, their sad face, etc.  I laugh and make the same faces back and that gets them into it and they start laughing in between.  It is in those in between moments that you can get some real gems.  I happen to also like the silly faces too.  I also really appreciate the serious faces and I can't resist a pouting or crying face either.  Don't get too hung up on them looking right into the camera or having a perfect smile.  In fact, some kids are downright serious and that is just who they are.  In that case, that is something to celebrate, appreciate and photograph.

Last week we were in Colorado.  The house was full of kids (7 under 7 to be exact).  I was sitting in the study with three of the kids.  The light was great so I grabbed my camera and started asking them to be silly.  They were all 3 so it was pretty easy to go that direction.  Here is Finnian.  I asked him to make a sad face and then a mad face and then he let out a huge belly laugh.

I think one of the big tricks here is that you have to be silly too.  Instead of making them "sit still" and "say cheese", you are just letting them be who they are in a fun and silly way.  It's fun, I promise.  You may even discover your own silly side in the process.

Zoe was all smiles- in between, at the beginning and at the end.  She reacted the most to me making funny faces at her.

Steven (my husband) always says that he never heard me sing before we had kids.  Now you might find me singing, doing silly walks with Finnian (yes, like Monty Python) or pretending to be a Star Wars character with Sayer.  Kids have an amazing way of bringing that out of us.  Not only do they not care if you look crazy or silly, they want you to!  They love you for it.

All that being said, don't turn away from the serious faces too.  If your 8 month old is sitting happily playing on the rug and the light is nice, you may just let him be and take some pictures just as he is.  Here's a little serious in between moment of Zoe.

Here are a few other shots from that day just to give you some ideas.  One thing I love to do is ask kids to scream as loud as they can, kiss each other, jump around, dance, and so on.  It might be hard at first to manage the technical aspects of the shooting while also shooting fast trying to get the in between moments but, with practice, I think you'll start to get comfortable.  I also like to be close.  It never hurts to be at tickling distance when all else fails.

Who would have guessed that when I asked Zoe to kiss Alexander, he would also take that opportunity to pick his nose!?

Dancing!

Falling down and rolling around

So, what's your homework?  Go play, make ridiculous faces and noises, let your kids scream at the top of their lungs (and laugh at it), dance with them, say forbidden gross out words to your boys to make them belly laugh...GO BE SILLY and take your camera with you.  The worst thing that can happen is that you have an awesome time and the pictures aren't so great.  If you get some good ones, please post them in the comments area.  I love comments and can't wait to see what you come up with.