How to Get a Personality Picture

If you're anything like me, when you first started photographing anyone or anything with a DSLR, there's a good chance you simply hoped your photos were clear and maybe that your human subjects were looking at the camera.

If your photography journey has taken you past this point, congratulations! You should feel proud of yourself just for moving forward. How do you evoke a sense of connection, though, and capture those coveted "personality pics"?

Below are a few tricks I've learned over the years.

1. Make 'Em Laugh

If you aren't getting the image you want, this almost always works as a quick fix. Belly laughs from children only require the simplest of things: a silly joke, a rude noise, a reference to the potty, or asking them something ridiculous like, "Did Daddy just toot? Ew!" The shots of the family or kids laughing are wonderful keepsakes and the split seconds following the outburst of laughter are genuine and natural.

2. Create Connection Using Light

The moods of kids can change incredibly quickly, which can making planning a certain shot tricky. This doesn't mean you can't still 'see' a vision for the image, but light can help us.

Think about how much light affects the emotion within a photo, then apply this to your images and editing.

3. Use a Call-to-Action

Help them forget about the camera and get them focused on a contest, sport, running, hunting for treasure, a game of red rover, or pretty much anything you can think of that makes them move and will bring out who they are.

Remember, it's okay to guide your subjects. For example, suggest the children of a family play in a certain area where the scenery is best.

4. Think Outside the Straight Shot

Photograph your subjects at different angles. Your images will be more interesting and you may also find that children are more willing to participate when they see you in a 'funny' place!

5. Body Language

Of course, as photographers -- whether hobbyist or professional -- we place a lot of stock in the face. Don't forget how important body language is, too, though!

How people use their bodies is indicative of personality in many ways. We can tell a lot about our family and friends by the way they position or use their bodies. Are they self-conscious? Shy? Bold? Harsh? Little children use their bodies to express how they are feeling (often without holding back, haha!). Capture the way they caress, stand, tumble ... these are the moments you want to remember.

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