Against Cheese!

"Make a face, J!" I called out, camera ready and aimed downwards.  He readily complied with the most ferocious look he could muster.  And so it went, for the next few minutes; every time the lens was fixed on him, he'd strike a fierce pose.  I couldn't have been happier.

If you're like me, you don't ever ask anyone to say "cheeeeeese!" when you are photographing them.  If you're REALLY like me, you try not to let your subject even see your camera as you shoot.  Sometimes, however, you'll want to make contact between your subject's eyes and your lens, and on those occasions, telling them to "Say Cheeeeese!" will probably not result in the authentic image you were hoping for.

By asking J simply to make a face, I gave him the freedom to express himself as he wished instead of trying to manufacture an image based on my own idea of how one should look in a photo.  I think the resulting image was much more satisfying than a big forced toothy grin.

Share with us today your most genuine faces, authenticity of the moment unencumbered by cheese.

Comments

[Judith Shakespeare]

While "cheese" never comes out of my mouth, I confess that I sometimes beg my kids for a normal smile... Most of the time, when they see a camera coming, I get stuff like this: http://flic.kr/p/8sbyaj

[Marcie]

I know exactly what you mean. The 'candid' faces and expressions are what most intrigue me:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1244

[Jen D]

I'm usually just begging them to make a normal smile. When they see the camera coming they do this weird closed eye head tilt smile :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplyinspired/4604773255/

[claudia]

kids! they move so fast - all the time, sometimes I do just want them to stop, especially when they have the best eyes :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/4892803682/

[Hannah]

This one kept giving a me a cheese-esque grin each time he saw the camera, but making him laugh was a sure bet :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahmayo/4560122431/in/set-72157623557338857/

[Aia]

what a priceless shot! in this instance, i told my kids to say 'mom is a boogerhead!' and it worked like magic to get great smiles!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aclamp/4883906653/

[mosey]

I love the angle in your photo.
When the kids I know were younger, I'd say "whatever you do, DON'T smile!" and I'd usually get a chuckle (or sometimes an eye roll) that got captured. This is just one of those, where the llight was so fantastic in a café, and my daughter finallly burst out with "just take the picture!". It captures her personality perfectly.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a-la-mosey/4369594910/in/set-72157622988686452/

[Sarah]

Whahahahah I love that!! I so love taking candid shots!! So much fun. Here is one of my very favorite shots of my daughter. She had gone walking with me on a photoshot around town..by the time we got to this sign..she had had it with posing for me..giggle..grumpy bear!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cottagegardenstudios/3984428046/in/set-72157622988553136/

[Humbird]

Great photo! I love the furrowed brow~Here's two:

One of my boy many years ago at the beach. He has a very stern look on his face because I was working a new horse that was just a bundle of nerves as it had never seen the surf before. My boy has a lead rope ready to go and the look of a 4 year-old that means business.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/humbirdhum/4893860831/

The other is of my niece, holding a new lamb that was intrigued by her ears ~ the look says it all!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/humbirdhum/4733109739/

[Lisa G.]

my littlest tends to OVER-cheese, so I've started just saying "look at me!" when I want to get his face in the frame. he ends up giving me completely stoic faces, like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yarnattacks/4883491565/
it's either that or he shows me every single tooth in his mouth.

[Vanessa]

no cheese here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/4839285414/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/4638226937/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/4779852728/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/4626161377/

[Katie]

This was a "Give me a crazy face!" moment! http://www.flickr.com/photos/smohrs/4895843588/

[Jennifer]

Cheese is nowhere to be seen in either of these:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardboardsea/4869229627/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardboardsea/4690777789/

[nikkole]

my nephew hold the cheese
http://www.flickr.com/photos/_nikkole/4880337103/

[Jessica]

He didn't want to have this picture taken; he wanted to play peek-a-boo :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/goaliej54/Misc#5505835851642385602

[kristin]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/4861395510/
i have a teenager. she is all about the anti cheese. :)

[Sherralee]

I love photographing this little one while she is absorbed in climbing on a play structure.

http://flic.kr/p/8qYrv5

[iluska.ikeda]

Yep, no cheese here either. I much prefer her crazy expressions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iluskaikeda/4643663212/in/set-72157623372821473/

[Jenny]

Hi There,

Here are a few recent ones...

[Jenny]

opps...forgot the link...

here it is: http://www.jenniferblaauw.com/2010/08/captive-audience.html

[Sarah]

No cheese - and really, not even looking at the camera, but this expression sums her up in so many ways...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48624302@N03/4842605626/in/photostream/

[BlessedMess]

I love it when loud and crazy comes from something so sweet and cute...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/4828475600/in/set-72157624456193935/

[neva]

he's nice)))

[strawberrygoldie]

Cheese-free wedding photo...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/4869496225

Cheese-free post-tantrum...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/4648950668

Cheese-free snowball...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/4205155260

Cheese-free wonder and amazement...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/2407650444