How to get people to relax

[SJH Foto]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

"Clench your butt cheeks"
always a fav thing of mine to tell a subject, gets a chuckle best if you just completely deadpan it while giving them other instructions.

I don't know if its because I live in conservative Lancaster County (for those not in the know, that's where the Amish are), or if you are used to working with "worldlier" people, but a lot of the advice you give will get me in SERIOUS trouble! Remember, I do mostly schoolage portraits! If I tell a girl, "clench your butt cheeks", I'll wind up either fined or blackballed. Here we just don't say that to young ladies, or young men for that matter!

But, I can see how it may get a laugh, and cure a tense moment for some.

[curmudgeon_01]

Who said anything about giving it to the subjects? Seriously, a key to getting people to relax is for you to be relaxed. If you are nervous, they will tend to be nervous. I think it is as important to be mentally prepared as it is to be physically prepared.

If you are not going for a paparazzi feel to you photos (which may be an idea depending on the situation) let the people see you and the camera as much as practical, don't have it hanging around your neck if you are sitting across the table from them eating, but you keep the/a camera visible. I have found that as a rule, the more people see something, the more they get used to it, the more relaxed (or the less anxious) they tend to be.

Please bear in mind that the last time I was hired for my "people skills" was as security/bouncer at a local bar.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by SJH Foto

I don't know if its because I live in conservative Lancaster County (for those not in the know, that's where the Amish are), or if you are used to working with "worldlier" people, but a lot of the advice you give will get me in SERIOUS trouble! Remember, I do mostly schoolage portraits! If I tell a girl, "clench your butt cheeks", I'll wind up either fined or blackballed. Here we just don't say that to young ladies, or young men for that matter!

But, I can see how it may get a laugh, and cure a tense moment for some.

Heh.. well, considering it's a comment I made to people when photographing for my church's directory photos... I don't know, I'm sure there are better and worse ways to word it but it seemed to work out alright. The trick for the young kids was to just distract them.. Seemed to have a bit of amusement by adding a Pez dispenser to the hotshoe..

[SJH Foto]

The Pez dispenser is a good idea. Any little funny gag!