How do you get people to loosen up and be themselves?

I would imagine that there are many different approaches. Myself, I just keep a conversation going throughout the session.....the actual session almost seems like an afterthought as we talk about school, jobs, family, sports, etc....

Ratjack wrote in post #15853771
So the thing I am having the hardest time with is trying to get people to feel comfortable in front of a camera and just loosen up and be themselves. I know it is awkward when they are being photographed by someone they do not know very well.

But, what do you guys do to make them feel more comfortable and get them to be happy and smile?

I start out by being happy and smiling myself. I communicate a lot, encourage them, compliment them, and generally talk them through it. I tell them exactly what I want them to do, and ask them if there's anything they had in mind.

I show patience and understanding. I don't get frustrated, let alone show it. I tell them everything is going well and they're doing great. I show them the back of my camera. We compare what we got with what we want. We reference previous images to get better images later. If they make me laugh, I actually stop shooting and laugh. I pick on them a little when a photo is terrible, because friends pick on each other all the time. Once that happens, we're golden. Friends are relaxed with each other.

jra wrote in post #15858783
I would imagine that there are many different approaches. Myself, I just keep a conversation going throughout the session.....the actual session almost seems like an afterthought as we talk about school, jobs, family, sports, etc....

Yeah I think the best sessions are ones where the photos are just part of a "nice day out."

Go to your location, relax, hang out and take some photos every now and then. I'm not a fan of trying to cram a session into 15 minutes. My absolute minimum for high school seniors is an hour, and it's usually 2 or even 3.

DC Fan wrote in post #15854690
To start, the photographer needs to have the social skills to put people at ease.

This sums it up really well. The photographer needs to be able to put the people at ease. I do think it can be learned, but most of the best photographers have a natural ability to relate to and communicate with the subjects.

RMTac wrote in post #15862388
This sums it up really well. The photographer needs to be able to put the people at ease. I do think it can be learned, but most of the best photographers have a natural ability to relate to and communicate with the subjects.

If I'm any example, it can definitely be learned ... or successfully faked. Fake it 'til you make it, as they say. Seems like banquetbear is another good example.

This reminds me of another little related anecdote. I'm involved with the wife's dance troupe: Often as the official photographer, occasionally performing on stage, and regularly as the barker/talker outside to pep up and entertain the crowd before the show. I'll put on stilts and a silly hat, and walk along the sidewalk chatting with strangers and passing out flyers, trying to drum up business and fill the seats. That's SO out of my comfort zone - If left to my own devices, I'm quite the introvert - but it's a job that has to be done .. and with a little practice, and a year of doing it, it's starting to come easy to me. The stilts are like Frosty the Snowman's magic hat; they bring out a whole different person that is usually hidden away. And it seems that after a certain amount of time wearing that mask, it's not a mask any more, it's just a different facet of who I am.

Anyway, practice, practice more, and fake it until it gets easy enough that you don't have to fake it.

DC Fan wrote in post #15854690
To start, the photographer needs to have the social skills to put people at ease. If the person behind the camera has any sort of neuroses or emotional issues, that will be reflected in the way the photo subjects are treated.

Effective people photography requires two types of experience, the technical experience to handle equipment, and life experience where you have learned how to deal with real people. If you insist on total control of a situation, or are uneasy with strangers, you'll never be able to deal with these situations. Social skills can't be learned from a forum posting. It starts with not being in the isolation that many photographers find themselves. Sometimes, it takes a lifetime to be able to make small talk and to generate the empathy to understand how potential subjects will react. You may need to spend a few years getting out and dealing with real people.

In all my years of lurking on this board, this is probably some of the best photography advice I have ever seen on here. DC Fan is 100% right and this applies to not only portrait photography but all aspects of the medium.

don't tell them to "smile"

trust me on this, if you do 9 out of 10 people will make a really nervous smile..

come up with a mood breaker joke, it all depends on your client which one you choose