Genuine Expressions

"Say Cheese!"
Say this, and you'll get exactly what you asked for... a cheesy processed smile.
I'm not talking refined Sharp Tilamook Cheddar here folks, I'm talking about a processed "American Cheese Singles" grade of cheesiness. I've had photo sessions almost ruined by these smiles elicited by parents insisting their child smile for the camera. "No, not that smile, a REAL smile. Come on, you need to give Ben a REAL smile...show less teeth... more teeth!...Do this! Don't do that!... etc., etc."

If you want genuine smiles and expressions from your kids, the first rule to obey is to strike the "Say Cheese" phrase from your vocabulary (or any phrase with the same meaning). For some it's a long road to recovery, but the rewards are great. Trust me.

"If I can't tell them what to do, then how will I get them to smile?" you may ask.

Well, that leads us to our second rule which is:
Kids Rule, Babies Drool.
You can control a child's expression about as easily as you can stop a teething baby from drooling - i.e. You have no control. When it comes to kids, they run the show. You're just there to set the stage and capture the performance.

Setting the Stage:
There are several things you can do to set the stage for great expressions. Here are a few:

1. Feed the kid. A hungry kid is an unhappy one.

2. Make sure they're well rested. A child that needs a nap is a grouchy child.

3. If they wear a diaper, make sure it's clean. (hint: Babies don't like dirty diapers.)

4. Place them in a familiar environment. Some children can feel uneasy in a place they don't recognize, and this can show in their expressions.

5. Take out the camera before you're ready to take the real shots. Everyone needs some warm up time in front of the camera. Most people will either shy away from it, make faces at it, or try to give you the smile you're looking for at first. The longer you have the camera out, the more accustomed they'll be to it and the more natural their expressions will become. Some forget you have it after a while. Reality TV has shown us that most everyone starts acting like themselves when the cameras are on long enough. ;) (*Note: Turning off the camera's sound effects can help them forget you're there as well.)
6. Get your settings right. When your child is giving you great expressions the LAST thing you want to be doing is changing your settings. "Can you do that again? I had it set to movie mode." doesn't fly. Once the moment's gone, it's gone. Make sure you're ready before it happens.

Guiding the Performance
Ultimately your child will do what they want to do, but here are some things you can do to elicit some expressions:

1. Talk to them. This is my most powerful tool I have to get kids out of their shells. When you ask kids (or adults) about their lives it gets them involved and thinking about other things besides smiling for the camera. This is where the real expressions are found. "What's your favorite food?" Child stops to think... *CLICK* "Pizza!" she says with a smile. *CLICK* "What's your favorite dessert?" Child thinks of sweets, yum! *CLICK* "Is it chocolate-covered monkeys?" Perplexed look *CLICK* "Nooooo! You don't eat a monkey!" *CLICK* You get the idea. A tripod is PERFECT for this situation since it will allow you to escape from behind the camera and actually have a face-to-face conversation. It's hard to convince a child you're trying to talk to them while peeking to see if the shot is framed correctly.
2. Play with them. This should actually be #1b. Tickling children is extremely effective. you can use a feather duster, or just pretend you're the tickle monster and you're going to get them. Place a stuffed animal on your head and ask where it went. "Have you seen my duck? He was here a minute ago!" The game will depend on the child and the situation of course. Once again, this technique works extremely well when you're using a tripod.

3. Give them something to do. This is my third most powerful tool. When your child performs an action, you can get a great expression immediately after or during the time they've done it. Sometimes I will ask them to spin around in a circle. The moment immediately after they've done it they'll usually smile and that's when you get the shot. I like to follow that up with, "OH! I missed it! Can you do that again?" for another shot of their expression.

4. Give them something to interact with. This is my fourth most powerful tool to get a great expression. When you have a rowdy child an ice cream cone, cool toy, or book will completely redirect their energy toward a task other than escaping the camera. This is also the ultimate tool for capturing genuine moments or gestures of your child. You may have controlled when the treat was available, but the chocolate ice cream on their face and running down their arm is 100% genuine... and cute. This is a win-win situation for both sides!
5. BRIBERY! Along the lines of giving them something to interact with, bribery can be a powerful tool. I only use this as a last resort, and try to treat it as more of a hostage situation than a payment for services yet to be rendered. What do I mean by that? Don't hand over the whole bribe up front. Make a deal that if they release some hostage expressions then you'll meet some of their candy demands. As they produce the hostages they gain credits towards a grand reward. "Oh good one! You're up to 5 pieces of candy now! You're going to get a lot of candy!" You may have to simply show the goods to some kids, while others may need a tiny sampling from time to time (one that doesn't show in their teeth), but this can produce results in a pinch. Of course, I won't guarantee the expressions are going to be 100% genuine in this situation, which is why I only use this as a last resort. Actually, #s 1-4 are so effective, I rarely even reach the point of bribery.

In review, there are several ways to get a genuine expression from your child.
Rule #1: Don't use the "C" word, "Cheese!"
Rule #2: Kids Rule, Babies Drool
Rule #3: Set the Stage
Rule #4: Guide the Performance

When you learn to work with your child instead of against them, they'll give you expressions and moments greater than you would have ever imagined. If you still can't figure it out, your best bet is to hire Ben to do it for you.