Natural expressions in portrait photography and the feeling of being naked

Portrait photography is extremely intimate and that is why it can be intimidating, scary even. Most people feel butt naked when they are being photographed. This is a reason why you see so many fake looking and tense face expressions on portrait photos. As a portrait photographer I have to enter a private zone of my model, and connect with them emotionally. Trust is and feeling of safety and relaxation is essential for capturing great portraits. time is limited and no matter what I have to get through to them.

model: Mina

There is no recipe or specific things that you can say to make it work. Asking people to smile to the camera is like asking a girl if she wants to kiss. You do not fucking ask, you make it happen and keep your feelers on the right moment. You ambush the shit out of your models with your genuineness, wit and spontaneity. It is actually in tune with how photographs should be taken. You react to light, how it falls and how it changes the shapes. you should feel when to click not think when to click. Evoking or being able to capture honest reaction or emotion is, regardless whether it is a smile or a disconnected far stare, is probably the most important key element in portrait photography. It will define fluidity of body language and the energy flow throughout the photo, only enhanced by the aesthetically logical connection between the elements of the composition. It is not about what you say, but how and when. That is really vital. Human face has 43 muscles. That is a lot of strings to pull, and they all have to be activated naturally and and stay interconnected or entangled with the emotion. It is a symphony of all face features that creates an expression the viewer can relate to, an expression that speaks for itself. If you want to capture smile or laughter, make it so that whoever looks at the photo smiles back.

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