The #1 secret to natural smiles:

Photos are fun!

Unless someone is yelling at you to smile. Or if you don't like having your photo taken. Or if you are self conscious of yourself. Or if... Or if... Or if...

There is one secret that I have for getting real smiles out of anyone. It is so simple, yet many photographers forget about it. It is so easy to overlook because we get tied up in all the other parts about the portrait session. It is easy. BUT - it takes a little time.

You want to know this magical secret right? Of course. Why wouldn't you want the person in front of your camera to smile beautifully, as if they were smiling with you instead of for the camera?

Oh gosh.... I just said it! I let the secret out!

People will smile for real when they are smiling with you. As the man with the camera, I know there are thousands of things that go into making a good image, but there is one thing that trumps all: expression. Without expression, the best exposure & lighting techniques matched with world class composition & color harmony mean nothing. Take away all of those things, add beautiful expression, and now the image has meaning.

So how do I do it? I get to know the person I am photographing. We'll spend time chatting, getting to know each other and sharing stories. Once we are comfortable with one another, then the camera may come out.

Comments

So You Want To Be A Photographer?

Are you interested in becoming a photographer? Do you want to turn your passion for creating images into a source of income to support yourself and your family? Tim Walck Photography will soon be offering online courses in photography training, and portrait business training. Each course will span 4-8 weeks. Every student who participates in all classes will gain the tools necessary to succeed in the wedding and portrait photography business. ---- I started my photography business with only $2,000, which I had saved from working as a tele-marker, social services provider, and substitute teacher, all while being a full time graduate student at Mansfield University. That was enough to buy a camera, lens, and flash. I poured my heart and soul into photography, read everything I could get my hands on, and began to build my business. After 3 short years of juggling multiple jobs, and being a photographer on the side, I made the leap into phot...

Black and White - Conversion VS Infrared, See the Difference.

Digital Black and white photography can be created through many techniques. You could use the Instagram app and click a pre-made filter, use a more advanced software program like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, convert it directly inside your camera body, screw on an infrared filter to the front of your lens and convert it to black and white post production, or convert a camera to only capture infrared light. Today I'm just going to explore my two favorite methods: 1) Using an infrared converted camera. 2) Converting images in Adobe Lightroom. So what is the difference between the two methods? A color image that is converted to black and white allows you lots of control over each color channel. This is handy if you want to make different colors stand out by being brightened or darkened in your final black and white image. An image that is captured from infrared light has much less control over colors as the only colors captured are tones of red. Ho...

Nepal Relief Project

Mission : Raise $10,000 to aid in the Nepal relief effort. Where is the $10,000 going? – We are channeling funds through Plan International USA , a global organization established in 1937 with a mission of ending poverty for children and developing solutions to ensure long-term sustainability. Plan has had members on the ground in Nepal for many years working in rural areas outside Kathmandu and is in position to effectively deliver help and relief to families in need. How will we achieve this? We will sell fine art pieces and accept donations. Each piece sold is a member of a limited collection, where only 35 prints will ever be made. Each piece of art is hand signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity. From each sale, 100% of the net profit will be donated. When will the funds be sent? After each sale or donation, we will immediately transfer funds to Plan . Where can I view the art available? http://www.timw...

Walck Portraits Blog

Search This Blog