As I become further immersed in this hobby, photographs speak to and inspire me every day. I find that I look at the world a little differently, too. I pay more attention to all of the details that surround me and help me tell my story.
 
So, it was an honor to speak with Jill Enfield, a consultant for takegreatpictures.com, this afternoon. Jill has been a professional photographer for more than 20 years, and her work is in several collections. You can see some of her pieces and read more about Jill at her Web site, jillenfield.com.
 
During our talk today, Jill shared valuable tips for better capturing the personality of photo subjects. I’m pleased to share these tips with you, here, on the Memory Makers blog. (And I can’t wait to put them into practice myself.)
 
1. Posed pictures aren’t always best. If you’re getting ready to photograph a group, snap a few shots while the group is getting assembled, Jill suggests. This way, you’ll capture spontaneous photos, in addition to the posed shots.

2. Put your subject at ease. If the person you’re photographing is uncomfortable in front of the camera, give him or her something to hold. (This tip especially is helpful when photographing children.) By giving your subject a ball, baseball mitt, flowers, etc., you will help him or her relax.

3. Encourage silliness. Encouraging silly behavior—in both children and adults—also will help your subject(s) relax. Ask your subjects to go cheek to cheek to bring out the playful sides of their personalities.

4. Place yourself in the background to capture natural smiles. If your subject is having a conversation with someone, for example, stand off to the side, unnoticed, and observe for a few minutes, Jill says. Then, with your camera ready, call out your subject’s name. When your subject looks at you, take the picture. You’ll get a wonderful smile that’s not a camera smile. “It’s part of what her personality will say, not what she thinks the camera will want to see,” Jill says.

5. Watch what’s in the background. When framing a shot, make sure there’s nothing distracting in the background, such as a pole behind your subject’s head.

6. Use a fill flash. Even on the sunniest of days, a fill flash will smooth out your subject’s complexion, resulting in a nice, even lighting effect, Jill says. This setting often is called slow sync, and it usually can be found on even the simplest of the new digital camera models.

7. Try capturing your subject with his eyes closed. People with their eyes closed can be quite beautiful, Jill says.

8. Don’t shoot from just one spot. “It’s not all about the camera or the lens,” Jill says. “You also have to move your feet.” Try shooting your subject from above. Or, get on your knees to shoot children at eye level. You need to think about different kinds of positions, so you can get different looks to make your scrapbooks more interesting, Jill explains. Avoid shooting someone from underneath, however, as that usually makes for an unflattering portrait.

9. Be prepared to capture action. Many point-and-shoot cameras have a delay between shots. To combat the delay, Jill says to “think about what the proper moment is going to be.” It’s all about timing. If your child is playing a sport, for example, practice with your camera before the game. Know how long your camera’s delay is. Then, while at the game, get the camera ready in advance. You almost want to pre-frame the photo before your child comes into view.

10. “Really shoot like crazy.” This final tip applies to all of the others. When people admire a professional photograph, they often forget that the photographer probably took hundreds of photos to get that one, perfect shot.
 
Visit takegreatpictures.com for an entire archive of helpful photo tips from Jill and other photography professionals.
 
And if you try any of the above tips, please let us know. Post your experimental shots, here.

—Katie