Smiling for the camera.

Erisad

I suck at it, a lot. As you can see with most of my pictures, I have the closed lipped smirk going on. Not because I'm not happy but because every time I decide to show teeth in my smile, I look like I wanna kill the Batman. I want to learn how to smile in photos and have it look like I'm naturally happy. Even when I'm happy, as soon as someone points a camera at me, I freeze my face and body a bit. I'm just worried that one day I'm going to get married and all my wedding photos will be horrible because I don't know how to smile right. Mom says it'll get better after I lose the weight because I'll be more confident, I've lost 56 pounds so far and I still look awkward in front of the camera. Suggestions? >.<

ChcolateLady11

Practice, practice, practice!

Fatal1ty2k5

Practice smiling in the mirror?

Erisad

That's the thing, I've been smiling in the mirror and it seems that I always look better in the mirror than I do in photos. And I've been sucking at this for a while...like all my life. All my school photos look like crap. I'm just not very photogenic. >.<

britlocs

my smile looks awkward unless its genuine,never been good at it.

genuinelyfrans

I love to smile. I don't know why I just do it a lot lol. This can be seen in my profile pic

tuppance

Me too..... as you can see in my profile picture, it always looks awkward

Good luck, practice I suppose is the only answer

Erisad

my smile looks awkward unless its genuine,never been good at it.

Neither have I. My bf is awkward in front of the camera too. Maybe it's genetics? Lack of confidence? I'm also diagnosed with Aspergers so I tend to look creepy when I smile. My mom gets so frustrated with me ruining family photos by not being able to smile correctly. >.<

twistofcain

My wife has to make me laugh to actually get me to smile. If I try and smile otherwise it looks forced.

Jbjessi

agreed i hate my big toothy smile. but i have learned to except this is me when im really happy in a picture this is me trying to look pretty

littleworm23

One of your pictures shows you smiling (showing teeth) and I think it looks nice. If anything I would say you look nervous and that's probably because you are focused on how you are smiling. I smile a ton in everyday life so I usually do it without thinking in pics, that being said I have a lot of pics where I look totally dorky smiling or not. lol

Like others have said just keep practicing, even when there isn't a camera involved. And don't stress on it to much, your beautiful in your pics anyway.

ChcolateLady11

My wife has to make me laugh to actually get me to smile. If I try and smile otherwise it looks forced.

yep same here...

Erisad

My wife has to make me laugh to actually get me to smile. If I try and smile otherwise it looks forced.

This usually helps too. I feel like a baby with the cameraman having to make funny noises with a puppet to make me smile. :laugh:

Also, I get the dreaded double chin but that go away if I get skinny right? I hope sooo. >.<

Lesley2901

It's probably because you are trying to smile for the camera rather than smiling naturally. I rarely like any photos that I'm in because I always have a really forced looking smile, my best photos are ones that have been taken when I wasn't trying to 'pose'.

Erisad

One of your pictures shows you smiling (showing teeth) and I think it looks nice. If anything I would say you look nervous and that's probably because you are focused on how you are smiling. I smile a ton in everyday life so I usually do it without thinking in pics, that being said I have a lot of pics where I look totally dorky smiling or not. lol

Like others have said just keep practicing, even when there isn't a camera involved. And don't stress on it to much, your beautiful in your pics anyway.

That picture I thought was okay but probably would have looked better from a distance, lol. I work in a warehouse so I don't have to smile for people. I smile a lot though on my days off (who wouldn't?) but without a camera on me. I get really self conscious and stiff and I just hope that the picture turns out okay so we don't have to take it again. :laugh:

Erisad

It's probably because you are trying to smile for the camera rather than smiling naturally. I rarely like any photos that I'm in because I always have a really forced looking smile, my best photos are ones that have been taken when I wasn't trying to 'pose'.

Well it's kinda hard to smile naturally when someone is asking you to smile. Senior photos from high school were a nightmare as it took hours to get enough photos for us to choose from that were any good. I only got 2 printed out of the portfolio and I really only like one of them. I'm so picky. :laugh:

britlocs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq6br4KU9e4

Erisad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq6br4KU9e4

This is me to a T. Poor Chandler. :laugh:

Jain

Girl I feel you. My nickname at work was 'Smiler' yet stick a camera in my face & I look like a freak. Yet my wedding pics turned out fine. With everything thats going on around you, you'll hardly notice the photogapher.
Relax & enjoy your day.:flowerforyou:

And don't judge me by my avitar, I was VERY drunk when that was taken (by a profesional photographer):laugh:

Erisad

Girl I feel you. My nickname at work was 'Smiler' yet stick a camera in my face & I look like a freak. Yet my wedding pics turned out fine. With everything thats going on around you, you'll hardly notice the photogapher.
Relax & enjoy your day.:flowerforyou:

And don't judge me by my avitar, I was VERY drunk when that was taken (by a profesional photographer):laugh:

Oh, I'm not engaged or anything yet. I was just looking for the future as I would like to have this art perfected (or at least get better at it) by then as my friend spent like $600 for a photographer and I wouldn't want to spend that kind of money only for the pictures to look like crap.