1, 2, 3, Smile!
Many years ago, when I photography a wedding day event, a junior photographer tag along with me. I let him take some group photos, such shots most wedding photographers will just pose people and shoot it without second thought, however I happen to see how it done as a bystander.
As I observe him taking the shots, I notice he will say “Yi, Er, San, Xiao!” (One, Two, Three, Smile in mandarin) for every shots he took, and not only group photos, even pose couple or solo photos he also saying the same thing. I got a big headache on that day after hearing countless “Yi, Er, San, Xiao!” during the wedding. It can really make people “Ki Xiao” (go nuts).
Such incident make me think more deeply about wedding day photography, to be exact is about photography people, can a photographer expect good photos by asking people to smile when prompted to? Yes? No?
When photograph people, I interact, engage with my subjects, sometime even tell them jokes, the expression I get is genuine, many couples commented they are very glad that engaged me as photographer, as their friends and relatives really enjoy and it shows on their photos.
Beside engage your subject when photographing them, sometime you can also photograph them at a distance as an observer. But do remember your subject is not a dispenser machine, press a button and their smile will pop out.
