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You are here: Home / Photography Tips / 4 Tips For Photographing People Laughing

4 Tips For Photographing People Laughing

Updated on March 17, 2020 by Lauren Lim

4-tips-laughing

I love to photograph people laughing. It’s such a happy, unguarded moment that, if shot well, can put on a smile on your face for years and years to come. But shooting people laughing isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. It takes a bit of thought to do it really well. Here’s the scoop.

1. Balance Emotion With A Flattering Image

There’s a careful balance to be found between capturing a genuine emotion, and presenting a flattering image of someone. Like many aspects of photography, there’s no hard and fast rule here. You’ll have to learn to judge the balance for yourself! But here’s a tip. Wait it out.

When a laugh starts, it’s a bit hesitant. Then, when your subject just gives over to it, they can sometimes laugh *big*. Photos at this stage of a laugh can be intense! Then, as the laugh dies down, it looks more like a huge smile. This is where the magic happens. Some people look great at the peak of a laugh, some don’t. But everyone looks great on the downswing!

Upload from October 17, 2011

So, to capture this, try shooting throughout the laugh. You’ll be able to see just how someone’s face changes as they laugh. As you practice, you’ll be able to time your shots with the most photogenic part of the laugh, and produce shots with genuine emotion that are super flattering!

Bonus: If you wait even longer, as the laugh dies completely down, you’ll often get some simple pure smiles. The beautiful little aftershock of a laugh.

Upload from October 17, 2011

Most of all, be patient when shooting laughs. There’s a lot to capture if you wait it out, and shoot the whole experience. Don’t start checking your screen halfway through!!! Keep the camera up, and stay focused. You’ll get something pretty special.

2. Get Them Close

Whether you’re shooting a couple, family, or large group, you’ll want folks to get close for a great laughing shot. If everyone is spread out, it’s hard to capture the connection between individuals that happens when they laugh together.

So just prior to a laughing shot, make sure everyone snuggles in really tight. Bring heads close together. If you’re shooting a family, where height can vary wildly, getting them to all sit down really helps! I think laughter is more contagious when you can see the people around you laughing.

3. Get Yourself Close

I’m shy, so I always have to push myself to get close to people while photographing them. But laughing folks are perfect to get close to! They’re happy, and not really focused on the photographer, so there’s less awkwardness as you move in close.

What’s so great is that when you’re right in tight you can get some really amazing shots. Like I mentioned, people aren’t too focused on the camera when they’re distracted by laughter, so the emotions you capture are real. Shooting close also gives the photo a feeling of being there, and heightens the happiness generated by the image.

Upload from October 17, 2011

Tip: For close up portraits people look better when photographed from eye level, or above. So if you’re tall, then you’re golden. If you’re a bit shorter, like me, this will work particularly well if people are sitting (on a bench, the ground, whatever). Or stand on your tiptoes for a while, which I find myself doing quite often.

4. Make ‘Em Laugh

At this point you’re probably wondering how on earth to get people laughing so much to capture all those awesome emotions! Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up.

Tickling: It’s a cheap trick, but it works. I probably use it so much because I’m not ticklish. But a few tickles really gets everyone laughing!

Crazy Faces: A great crazy face makes you, and everyone around you, laugh. And who doesn’t love pulling a crazy face? Adults. That’s who. Parents have re-learned the fine art of the crazy face, but many adults are a little too uptight to let loose. If that’s the case, start them off with something easy. “Sad face! Angry face!”. They can handle that, and then crazy face doesn’t seem so silly. This is guaranteed laughs if you have them make crazy faces at each other.

Bum Wiggling: This is a new one I learned this year. I sometimes get some resistance (from those pesky adults), but gosh it’s funny. Just get everyone to wiggle their bums. It keeps your pose in place, but gets folks moving, loosened up, and usually laughing. And who doesn’t giggle when you say “Bum”. I’m giggling right now.

Have A Couple Great Jokes: I have a KILLER knock knock joke that I tell all the time, and is guaranteed laughs. But I can’t tell you here. It has to be in person. Feel free to ask me about it if we meet in real life. But I highly encourage you to find a couple solid, all-ages jokes that you can tell. Always easy laughs.

Fake Laugh: This is my biggest secret to getting people to laugh. Works. Every. Time. Get everyone to give their biggest, silliest, fakest laugh on the count of three. But here’s where patience comes into play. The fake laugh won’t be very photogenic. It’s fake. What makes for the great photos are the real laughs that come after hearing everyone else being so ridiculous with their fake laughs. Seriously try this out. It’s magic.

So there you have it! Quick and easy tips to take better photos of people laughing. Oh, you want a bonus reason to take more photos of people laughing? Well, laughing is a form of exercise, reduces your blood pressure, and helps relieve stress! PLUS it releases endorphins and contributes to group bonding. Holy smokes, talk about awesome side benefits from a photo session!!

Your Turn

How do YOU make people laugh? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Filed Under: Photography Tips

About Lauren Lim

Hey friend, I’m Lauren! I’m a photography ninja here at Photography Concentrate. I’m downright obsessed with photography, and love sharing it with super cool folks like yourself. When I’m not shooting, or writing, you can find me cooking (and eating!), traveling, and hanging out with wonderful people.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael Stephens says

    August 3, 2012 at 2:57 am

    Great Tips! Love the Bum wiggle! I like telling people to make a puffy face. ;) You have a great blog here as well as some great images.

    Reply
  2. Remington John says

    October 28, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    I do a lot of photography and I’m comfortable around people, when I want someone to laugh or a group to laugh, I tell them, “Imagine you’re wearing red lipstick, I want your smile to be so big that I want red lipstick on the bottom of your ear lobes…” People usually start laughing and if there are some guys in the picture, they ask, “What about us?” I look at them and say, “Same rule applies…” Usually that gets them laughing really hard…

    Anyway, great tips!

    Reply
  3. vandy says

    May 2, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    Love this article. I am getting ready for a couple shoot, hope to achieve happy clicks :)

    Reply
  4. Jane says

    July 5, 2013 at 6:47 am

    I’ve actually said (to adults) ‘I want you guys to imagine me photographing you without my clothes on…’ they always look a bit stunned for a second, then burst out laughing! works every time!!

    Reply
  5. row says

    July 21, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    I just ran in to your site. I love it. Thank you for sharing!!! Happy Shooting!!

    Reply
  6. Jessany says

    October 21, 2013 at 1:56 am

    BUM … lol . Nice one! Yes I giggled a little … 28 years old …

    Reply
  7. BENEDICT MENEZES says

    November 15, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    Its great to photograph laughing kids or senior citizens

    Reply
  8. Fabrizia says

    November 16, 2013 at 1:40 am

    I get families and children to scream. I say “now I want you to scream at me as loud as you can… one two three SCREAM!” and the first scream is really feeble and tentative, and I say “what! Is that a scream? come on, try harder…” they start getting into it and really start screaming and of course the shot is right after the scream, when they’re really laughing. It also really frees them, and after that they have fun whatever you do. It works every time, especially with large groups, because even the shy ones will chip in a scream when everybody’s louder than them… and then they all laugh of course. Not good for a public place, then they get too self-conscious and feel silly, but great in their own location.

    Reply
    • lynne says

      July 26, 2015 at 10:42 am

      Love this!

      Reply
  9. Nadia Watson says

    March 7, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    Great everything

    Reply
  10. alayna says

    August 11, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    Fantastic.. !! Thanks :)

    Reply
  11. Jenn Davies says

    February 11, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    Every photographer really should know a few good knock-knock jokes. So many shoots require people to be happy. Some couples might like the intense look for their engagement or wedding photos, but I would say the majority of people prefer to be caught laughing. Thanks for the tips! http://ScenicLasVegasWeddings.com

    Reply
  12. Schwpz says

    March 27, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    You guys have the most delightful writing style I’ve come across in a long time. Your blog is a true pleasure to read! So fun and relaxed, yet packed with useful information and to-the-point advice, and this article was no exception.
    Keep up the good work! :D

    Reply
  13. stato says

    June 16, 2015 at 5:59 am

    Hello Lauren :
    I find your articles very casual and refreshing to ponder on. To date I’ve become quite bored at having to cheer people up in front of the camera. And that’t besides some people who are determined to ruin one’s shoot (I do weddings too).

    But reading your stuff gives one that positve, bright angle and the reading is actually easy for a non-English (OK, second laguage) peson.

    Keep up the good work. If you ever need to enquire anything from northern South Africa (Johannesburg, Gauteng), I’d be extremely delighted to oblige.

    Thanks once again and kind regards,
    Stato

    Reply
  14. Amanda says

    November 20, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    This is BRILLIANCE!!! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  15. Cat says

    December 4, 2016 at 6:36 am

    Great article for us newbies!! Thanks so much!!! :)

    Reply
  16. Dacia says

    September 21, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Such great tips! I love reading your posts, so many amazing insights. Thank you for sharing, you’re awesome!

    Reply
  17. Sandy says

    January 26, 2018 at 1:37 pm

    Great info and everyone is just so positive LOVE this we need more of it :)

    Reply
  18. David Mike says

    June 11, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Wow great info, I just love your blog. I learn a lot from this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Kaitlyn Luckow says

      July 30, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      Thank you for all of your kind comments, David!

      Reply
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