Putting People at Ease

I’m Jessica Sterling, the portrait and event photographer based in Los Angeles. And today I wanted to talk about helpful tips to put people at ease when you’re photographing them.

First thing, know that very few people enjoy having their photo taken. So you have to make it as quick an experience as possible. It doesn’t mean you have to put out a nervous energy but just that you need to know your tools and keep moving.

A lot of people say, “oh, I hate having my picture taken.” There are a couple of things I say to that: I say “me too! Why do you think I’m on the other side of the camera!?” Or I just say, “You know what? It’s so common. Most people don’t like having their picture taken.” Not that you’re degrading what they said when they say it, but I do think it can be helpful if you tell them they’re not alone.

Some photographers make the people they’re photographing uncomfortable on purpose. They call them their “subjects.” They make them ill at ease uncomfortable, worried, concerned, irritated, upset. There’s a lot of classic stories about that type of thing.

But here’s a little trick: find something that you actually like about what they’re wearing or something about them and compliment them about it. Whatever comes natural and doesn’t come off fake or too heavy or put on. But just put the shoe on the other foot, if you’re worried about how you look and somebody says,”Hey, I like your sweater!” It makes it you feel good.

Another thing, if you get people talking about something that they really like or listening to music that they enjoy, it’s a more pleasant experience for them.

All these things help bring out their best.

Smile and Genuinely Like Them

I think smiling and being genuine in your smile and really honestly liking people the people that you’re photographing goes a long way to making them feel comfortable. They’ll feel like you like them, and who doesn’t like to be liked? They know they’re going to have a nice time because you seem approachable. Allowing that person to tell you stuff and listening to them opens it up a bit, and lets them feel that they can communicate stuff to you.

In a way, you’re two people sharing a space for a period of time. It’s a much more pleasant experience if it’s friendly. I love Will Rogers saying, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” And I think that if you honestly like people and you are honestly interested in them, people blossom and they enjoy being photographed. And I think that they bring their best to you. And they’re their most beautiful and handsome that way too.

Be Confident

It is very reassuring to see somebody who is confident. And if you are stressed out in your shoot or worried about something, it makes the person you’re photographing feel like maybe things aren’t going to go well. That calmness that you’re projecting and putting out there is super important, and go a long way to putting them at ease.

This is not brain surgery, this is not life and death. This is creating something wonderful. And so you don’t have to have your game face on. This is a joyous experience. Even if you have to think hard about the shoot or you’re going, “oh, I don’t know what I’m doing.” Just realize that this is something cool. I always think about Cary Grant and his relaxed, casual demeanor. With him everything is totally fine and silly, and even if the worst things happen, it’s not like it is a huge deal. I think that is the type of understated elegance I try and bring to my shoots… LOL!

Directing

Some photographers get into really directing people that they’re photographing. I think that can be a good thing. But it’s important to be clear about what you need and want from the person you’re photographing. If you get too cerebral, too many words, it’s just too much… “I want you to think about seahorses like you’re under the sea,” and so forth. It’s way too much to think about. It is better to just say “turn your head to the right a little.” Give them physical directions. It’s much more effective than giving them a mental exercise that hopefully they’ll kind of figure out.

Sometimes if you direct people a lot while you’re photographing them, they can just relax since they know that you’re going to make them look great. And you really do need to make them look great. And if you’re not getting the shot that you want, keep shooting if you can. Keep moving it, adjusting the lights or whatever you need to do to make it better. You can tell them, “hey, we’re going to take a ton of shots and we’re just going to keep going until we get lots of good ones.” Always keep it positive and take the stress off of each image.

So those are some thoughts on how to make people a bit more at ease. I hope you found it helpful and be sure to subscribe to our channel and keep up with the blog for all our new content. Be sure to put any comments or questions you have down below. And remember to get out and capture your own images of life. Thanks for watching.