Why Counting 1, 2, 3 Doesn't Work in Headshots

One of the challenges of a headshot photographer is how to capture a natural smile. The most common smile captured on camera is the frozen smile. This is the type of smile where you just show your teeth for the sake of showing it. Counting doesn't help, as far as taking headshots and portraits are concerned. In fact, it is a big factor in capturing those frozen smiles. When a photographer counts, we all tend to smile at the start of the count or at the '2' count. By the time, the photographer gets to '3', the smile is already frozen. If you try to smile just before the '3' count, more often than not, you will have an unprepared or a half-baked smile, which still looks frozen.

That's why getting a beautiful natural smile is not easy to get. I always say to my clients that it's not your responsiblity to give that beautiful smile but it is my responsibility to capture it. Natural smiles can only be captured by proper directing and perfect timing.

So how does a frozen smile look like? Check out this Before and After below. The 'Before' smile is a classic frozen smile. I took that photo two years ago where I just asked her to smile. Nowadays, I know better.

Note: Identity Headshots was formerly called Fotojorno.