They Don’t Always Need to Be Smiling

SCOTT KELBY

If we’re shooting a portrait, it’s our tendency to make sure our subjects are smiling in every shot (after all, you want them to look like they’re happy and having a good time, right?). Smiles are great, and we definitely want those shots, but make sure you work some “real” shots in there, too. We’re not always smiling in real life, and when we’re smiling for a portrait, it’s often a posed smile, so you’re not capturing a real genuine emotion—you’re capturing a fake smile that we’ve all been doing since we were little kids. If you want to capture portraits that have more depth, more emotion, and more realism, include some shots where your subject isn’t smiling (as shown above). If you want your portraits to be more real, this is a great way to open that door.