How to make your brand shoot more personal with Kylie Wright | Boston Photographer

One of the many parts I love about personal brand shoots is the opportunity it creates for you, the client, to reflect on your brand and how you want to be seen. Kylie, CEO of a tech company, has had many “corporate” headshot sessions to show the serious professional side of her job, this time opted to go for a more personal approach with her session.

I loved this approach, as it allowed us to highlight Kylie’s life outside her Back Bay office, creating a very genuine “total package” image of her. She lives near her work, and if you haven’t been to Back Bay, it has so many photo opportunities with the brownstone buildings, Newbury street, restaurants, and green spaces. Pretty much quintessential old town Boston. In capturing her less corporate side, we focused on what she appreciates outside of the office such as her favorite walks in the neighborhood, or her favorite restaurants in the area (which I don’t know how you can pick), rides her Blue Bike to the office, and one of my favorite moments, spending some time engaging with her family and pups. 

For a more casual professional vibe, we concentrated on what she would post to a blog or LinkedIn about, such as how she can take work calls walking down Commonwealth Ave. As a leader, she loves working with her team and considers that one of her happy places.

How to get natural expressions from kids | Boston Photographer

Nothing compares to a genuine, heartfelt smile from your kids. Throughout the years I have discovered some of the best ways to get authentic emotions out of kids, and I’ll let you in on my secrets. It’s not as difficult as you think, just get ready to be a little goofy!

I absolutely love working with kids. They typically don’t fake how they feel, especially the younger ones, and kids tend to wear their expressions very honestly; creating a light-hearted atmosphere can give you the genuine look you want. When I’m on a shoot, I am always ready for those candid shots to capture them in their natural setting. 

Try kissing them. Babies and toddlers can be the most unpredictable, as one moment they may be laughing then the next it's like a little rain cloud is over them. But one of my favorite ways to bring joy to their faces is having mom, dad, brother, sister, you fill in the blank here, kiss different body parts. Their eyes, nose, fingers-try it all! 

Another safe option to melt those serious expressions is Peek-a-boo. You’ve got to love a classic. This one works best on kids under the age of 2.

Here comes the tickle monster! If you know your child is ticklish this can be a great secret weapon to turn any frowns or discomfort into a toothy grin. 

Toss your child up in the air! (safely)

Who doesn’t love a good dance party and sing along? Dancing can help a child relax and get out any jitters. Young ones love songs, so bonus if you sing in a silly voice. For upset babies, try putting on their favorite song to see if that can crack a smile or at least change the mood.

Make everything a game. See who can jump the highest, or if they can pop out from behind a nearby prop on the count of 3. Play Simon Says-but add an accent! Or tell them to hold a serious face and keep it as long as they can.

Break out the jokes! (Yes, even dad jokes) This one can work on both younger and older children. Maybe it’s a knock-knock joke, or a family inside joke. Perhaps you might even use some bathroom humor for the younger ones-whatever gets them cheesing!

Connection is key for older kids. Teenagers will whip out their phones if they have the chance. Ask them if they have any photo requests so they feel more invested. Find out their interests by taking some time to chat.

Make a funny sound. I tend to use this one for babies and younger children to grab their attention, but you can also make an older kid laugh this way as well.

Take. Breaks. Period. An hour can be a long time for any kid (and parents too if we’re being real here). If anyone needs a break, we take it. Taking 5 quiet mins in exchange for a happy 10 mins is always ok with me. .

Next time try one of these tactics to get a real smile, sometimes it just takes a little trial and error.