genuine laughter and family photos

Genuine laughter is always more beautiful than the contrived smiles people put on for photographs. It’s a good thing an “in between moment” was captured before this Dad and Son duo flashed me what they thought were their best proper smiles. Sure, it may not be pure photojournalism since they’re laughing at a really funny joke I told (or laughing at me). But what’s achieved is a picture displaying genuine happiness (that’s the photo on the left).

On a side note, I’ve come to the conclusion that family photos make me extremely nervous, more nervous than wedding photos. And as this anxiety manifest itself in my head, I’ve rationalized my fear to the simple fact that family photos are just that…family photos. There’s no event, party, or even food to help disguise the main objective of family photos. Not everyone wants to be there but everyone has to be photographed. And everyone has a heightened awareness for the photographer making those money-maker, candid shots, ten times more difficult to get. Yeah, I’m sweating bullets. But by the twentieth frame, when the subjects have relaxed, we’re a well oiled machine and nothing but epic shots left and right. Well, one would hope.