For the photo on the left, the subject and I were engaged in conversation the full session.  It flowed amazingly well.  He was just a talkative as I was, so we both felt very comfortable during the whole session.

The Role of Environment

Sometimes, people relax more easily when they are in a familiar environment. That’s one of the things that I like about doing on-location shoots. If you want to capture a particular side of someone’s personality, think about the setting where you are taking the photo. Sometimes, people show a whole different side of themselves with a change of environment. You can find a lot of different environments without going too far—even just trying some shots indoors and outdoors can show different sides of a subject. Even lighting and props can bring out an element of spontaneity.

Start Talking

Sometimes people can freeze up a bit from standing still in silence. I am usually pretty good at striking up conversations with people when they come into the studio for a headshot, so this part comes naturally for me. If you are taking a picture of someone and they seem stiff or constrained, starting a conversation might help them loosen up. People are more likely to relax when speaking. That’s one of the reasons why photographers traditionally ask people to say “cheese” when taking a picture—by focusing on speaking, you become distracted for a split second—just long enough for the camera to capture a natural pose.

Move Around

I will sometimes have people cross and uncross their arms, lean against a wall, turn and face different directions, or even just move around a little bit. Some positions are more natural than others for people and you have to experiment a bit to find out what works. But it’s less about finding the right position and more about letting the subject move. People loosen up when they move.

I have said before that I specialize in shooting people when they are not “posed” for photos. While I do prefer to shoot “candid” shots of people interacting in natural scenes, this isn’t always an option. But I have learned that if you employ these simple techniques, you can get people to warm up in front of the camera.

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