Making couples laugh

[Propi]

The question is simple - what do you say to the Young Couples to make them laugh during a photoshoot? And I do mean "laugh", not just "smile" - that kind of laughter that makes everyone look "radiant" on a photograph...

My method goes something like this:

"Errmm... I'm sorry that you have to do this, but right now I'd like you to kiss. Yeah, I know you don't like it, just try to pretend you're enjoying this"

Might not work for every couple, but thankfully works for the ones I work with :) The results look pretty much like this:

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2976/img4272rg4.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2456/img1592gi6.jpg

Go ahead and post your own pictures!

[egordon99]

Our wedding photographer (back in 2002, he used MF film :) ) just told lots of BAD jokes. Worked for us :)

[NYC2BGI]

Go to one of those "jokes" websites and memorize a few. It works if you can deliver the joke well.

[Robert16]

Make it natural. I can't think of anything more offputting than someone - quite awkward - trying to tell bad jokes. Be yourself.

[cdifoto]

I usually whisper to the guy "kiss her ear when I give you the signal."

It works like a charm, and it's not limited to weddings. She laughs from being caught by surprise, and he laughs in reaction to her laughter.

[timrocks311]

we were quite happy at our wedding, so any stupid joke would have made us laugh. i just remember our photography telling us to smile, we would, then he would say "come on guys, you can't be that miserable, you just got married!" i thought it was funny.

[Exit]

Be funny :D

[egordon99]

Wonder if you had our photographer :)

We used James from Phase2Photography (back in 2002) :)

Shot on medium format film...Good stuff :)

we were quite happy at our wedding, so any stupid joke would have made us laugh. i just remember our photography telling us to smile, we would, then he would say "come on guys, you can't be that miserable, you just got married!" i thought it was funny.

[shaggymatt]

We actually had the wedding party making US laugh so hard this past weekend. They were a blast to work with. I can't repeat on here what things were being said, if I said them in front of my mom, she'd probably pass out!

[JasonRussell]

At a wedding I shot this weekend, I had a groom who did not want to smile at all. When it was time for formals with the family, I told every person next to him to grab his butt :) That got a few funny pictures to use and after that he got comfy with the idea of being infront of the camera.

He was just as much trouble during the e-session.

[razyl]

I agree, the grab his/her butt thing works quite well :) You can tee the bride or groom before hand on their own and have a signal that unleashes it....

[tim]

I quietly tell the guy "whisper something really dirty in her ear" sometimes, if they seem like the right soft of couple. You can get some good expressions from that!

[Dermit]

One thing I've used is I tell them to kiss and hold it until I tell them... after like 20 seconds or so and shooting away I tell someone nearby loud enough for the couple to hear that I like to see how long they will do this. This usually makes them laugh.

Or in a group shot after everyone is in position I tell them to now wet their lips. After they do I tell them to now wet the lips of the person standing next to them. That gets them sometimes.

[JasonRussell]

haha those are good ones Ron.