Anybody who has taken any photos of children knows that fake camera smile so many children have. Once they know you are taking their photo, they produce this “smile” which comes across a little different than they intend. Actually, adults’ photo smiles are not all that great either, but having a little more practice (and a little more self-perception), many adults have made it look much, much better.
Basically, you have to catch kids in their natural habitat. Well, this principle is really applicable to any portrait, unless you just have a photogenic subject. Just do not tell the adults you are using a kiddy photo how-to to take their picture. Here is an example.
Ok, no offense to the parents, because the majority of children go through the “horrid camera smile” phase, but this kid had a…well, a horrid camera smile. I did not even bother shooting when he was smiling at me, because I knew I would not want the final product. So, I waited till the right moment.
And that is the answer to the how-to: wait till the right moment. Just shoot when they are not trying to smile for you. Let them get used to you aiming the camera at them, and if you make them wait long enough, they give up trying to smile and make some other face.
I was on a hike with this little man, and he was picking up shells. So, needing to get him into a natural pose, I just asked him to show me his shells. And that is the photo. I had already figured out the background I wanted, I already had him basically in the right place to shoot, I had it focused and framed. All I needed was that natural moment. And there you see it.
