Favorite Things: 5 tips for capturing natural smiles

Editor’s note: “5 Things Friday” is a weekly feature in SheSays that will run on – you guessed it – Fridays. It will focus on quick tips, ideas, activities and more – all in bunches of five. If you have a “5 Things Friday” suggestion, contact us at shesays@forumcomm.com.

FARGO – We’ve all seen the photos of kids with their eyes open too wide and a forced grin on their face.

Local photographer Britta Trygstad shared five tips to banish forced smiles and capture relaxed, natural smiles from kids (and adults).

1. Don’t force it.

“A lot of people feel compelled to say, ‘Smile, smile!’ and then it’s totally forced,” Trygstad said.

Snapping photos when people are actually laughing and smiling appears natural in photographs because it is natural.

Allowing smiles unfold organically is important, she said.

2. Keep the camera out.

“At a certain point, after the camera’s been out a long time, everyone’s going to ignore it and just be themselves,” Trygstad said.

3. Be energetic.

“You’ll get more smiles than if you’re dictating how people should smile,” she said.

4. Take photos before something fun.

Trygstad recommends gathering for a family photo before opening gifts or eating a holiday meal.

“After that, everyone will want to go off and do their own thing,” she said. “Get them while they’re excited for what’s to come.”

5. Take it outside.

“Fresh air makes everyone feel good and relaxed,” Trygstad said.

Tags: family, shesays