Limit Distractions
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 8:00AM 
One key element to getting a good portrait is limiting the amount of distractions. This is for the subjects piece of mind as well as the photographer's. It won’t help at all if your Grandmother is behind the photographer taking pictures while the photographer is trying to put you at ease and get you to “be yourself.” This happened to a photog friend of mine during a recent senior shoot. She didn’t get the look she wanted because the senior was much too uncomfortable with Granny taking pictures and a young child running around playing, not to mention Dad barking orders to wipe off her “fake smile.”
Posing for the camera doesn’t come naturally for everyone and there can be a certain degree of discomfort associated with someone getting you “at your best.” Add a bunch of distractions to that equation and it very well could be a recipe for photos you won’t be happy with.
Personally, I don’t mind having a parent nearby and I certainly don’t mind the occasional input they may offer, but I’m focusing on putting the subject at ease to get a good shot. If I’m limited in what I can capture, the results won’t be as good as they could have been.
The picture above is from a recent senior shoot. Her mom was there, offered suggestions when she thought they were appropriate, but didn’t allow any distractions to get in the way. The result was plenty of great images.