Purple Prose + photography tips

Tip # 32: Please Leave the Cheese on the Pizza

We’ve all been there. The photographer tells you to say “cheese,” and you end up looking totally phony. Your mouth might be smiling, but your eyes are saying, “Hey, get on with this would you!” Yep, you remember the photo, don’t you? A few of you are even cringing at the memory of it.

Now make this promise to yourself: I will never, ever, tell anyone to say “cheese” again. Okay?

So what can you do so your friend’s smile looks natural? That’s easy. It can be something as simple as a word or a name, like the guy she has a crush on. Anything that has a special meaning for her. One teen I shot—not literally—was in love with Edward Cullen (Twilight books, if case you don’t know). Just say the name and her face would light up. Actually Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward in the movie, had the same effect whenever I mentioned his name.

Or maybe you can recruit your other friends. They can say or do something comical behind you, or wherever you want your subject to look. The main thing is to have your friend laughing while you’re snapping the photos. And don’t take just one picture. Take a whole bunch. The first one is usually not the best one, and you’ll have lots of great ones to choose from.

If you’re taking group shots, just let your friends goof around. You’ll end up with those great candid shots you see in teen magazines. And again, take lots of pictures.

Assignment: Take some pictures using my suggestions, and take some using the “cheese” method, then you decide which ones look the best.

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Tip # 32: Please Leave the Cheese on the Pizza + photography tips