To smile for pictures, start with your face at rest, breathe out gently, and try a small smile just before the photo is taken. If it feels stiff, pause and start again. You can show your teeth or keep your lips closed—choose the expression that feels like you.
If you're taking the photos, give your subject time and something to respond to. Below, you'll find a short routine for your own smile, followed by 21 ways to help willing subjects feel at ease.
How to Smile Naturally When You're in the Picture
Try this before a selfie, group photo or portrait session:
- Rest your face first. Let your shoulders drop, unclench your jaw, and take an ordinary breath. Keep your lips resting lightly together rather than pressing them tight.
- Start small. Lift the corners of your mouth a little. Try one photo with your lips closed and another showing teeth, without stretching your mouth wider than feels comfortable.
- Give yourself something to react to. Think of a funny moment or someone you're pleased to see. Look towards the lens as though you're greeting that person. Don't force your eyes into a squint.
- Reset between photos. Let the smile go while the photographer adjusts the camera. Ask for a cue when they're ready, then smile again for the next shot.
A short mirror practice can help you compare a slight smile with a broader one. For selfies, start with the phone around eye level, then try a small turn of your head. Review a few photos together rather than deciding from one frame.
How Should Women Smile for Photos?
Choose the expression you like in the photo, rather than trying to copy someone else's face. A small closed-mouth smile and a smile showing teeth are both options for a woman's portrait. Try each, then ask the photographer to show you the results. You don't need to hide your teeth or make your smile smaller to meet a rule about femininity.
The same approach works for anyone: choose a comfortable expression and adjust it with the photographer. If you're also unsure how to stand or sit, ask the photographer to demonstrate a comfortable starting pose.
If Your Smile Still Feels Forced
Put the camera down for a moment. Have a conversation, take a break or try a neutral expression before returning to the smile. You don't have to smile in every portrait, and a photographer should respect that choice.
For photographers, the 21 prompts below are options to try, not a checklist to complete. Tell your subject you'll take photos during the activity, and stop a prompt if they look uncomfortable. Set your framing and focus before asking for an expression so they aren't waiting with a held smile.
21. Get to Know Your Subject First
The best photos of people smiling are taken by people who know their models well. When you get to know your subject, you’ll have a few inside jokes or stories. You can share these during your photo shoot to entertain your model.
Before you lift the camera, have a conversation. Ask what your subject wants from the photos and whether they enjoy being photographed. Explain how the photo shoot will work, including when you can take breaks.
You don't need to become close friends in a few minutes. Listen for a topic they're happy to talk about, then return to it while you shoot. For example: "You mentioned your dog—what's the funniest thing they do?" Give them time to answer before you take the next photo.
20. Help Them Feel Comfortable in What They Wear
Ask your subject to choose an outfit they can sit, stand and move in comfortably. Check whether a collar, shoe or accessory is distracting them before adding more posing instructions.
Makeup and hairstyling are choices, not requirements for a smiling portrait. If they're part of the planned shoot, ask what look your subject wants. Offer specific encouragement about the photo—"That angle works well with the light"—rather than making judgments about their body.
19. Choose a Location They Enjoy
During your conversation, ask where your subject feels at ease. A familiar garden, quiet café or room at home can give you something to talk about and an activity to build the portrait around.
Check the practical details too: permission to take photos, space to move, and whether the place is noisy or crowded. A favourite location may be less comfortable during its busiest hours. If the light is making them squint, move to a different spot instead of asking them to hold their eyes open.
18. Give Them an Activity They Like
Hiking is a great way to take beautiful photos of people smiling. You can walk, have discussions, and take spontaneous photos at the same time!
Build a few photos around something your subject enjoys. Ask a gardener to show you a favourite plant, or photograph a walker on a familiar path. Keep the activity simple enough that you can talk while taking pictures.
Watch for a smile during the conversation, rather than interrupting every moment to ask for one. Don't assume an activity will distract everyone from the camera; ask whether they're happy to continue.
17. Include Someone They Feel at Ease With
One of the best ways to get your model to smile is to photograph them next to their significant other. If both people enjoy being photographed together, their conversation can give you relaxed expressions to capture.
If your subject wants company, invite a friend or family member. Let them talk or do something they enjoy together while you take photos.
A prompt such as "Tell each other about the best part of your weekend" gives them a starting point. Watch for candid expressions between the posed frames. If another person makes your subject more self-conscious, return to photographing them alone. For more ideas for photographs with someone you enjoy spending time with, see our best friend photography guide.
16. Take a Few Group Selfies
If everyone is happy to join in, take a few group selfies before the portrait session. You can demonstrate a silly expression yourself, then invite the group to choose their own.
Treat these as optional warm-up photos. Ask before sharing them or including them in your portfolio.
15. Try a Playful Word Instead of "Cheese"
If "cheese" produces the same held expression every time, try a word your subject finds amusing. You might ask them to choose a food or invent a ridiculous phrase. Photograph the reaction after they say it, once their mouth is no longer forming the word.
When working with children, let them pick the silly word. There is no magic word that gives everyone the same smile. Nikon's family-photo advice suggests funny phrases, jokes and conversation as alternatives to simply asking for "cheese".
14. Tell a Gentle, Cheesy Joke
A simple joke can give your subject something to respond to. For an engagement or wedding detail shot, you could try: "Let me take that again—your hand blinked."
Keep the humour kind. During a couples shoot, ask about a shared funny memory instead of joking about their relationship. If a joke falls flat, move on without telling anyone they should be laughing.
13. Give Them Enough Personal Space
Ask before moving the camera close to someone's face. Show them the framing you want, then check whether they're comfortable with the distance.
For a tighter portrait, you can step back and use a longer focal length on a zoom lens, if your lens and space allow it. Leave room for your subject to move between poses, and explain when you're changing position.
12. Invite an Impression, If They Enjoy Performing
If your subject likes being playful, ask whether they'd like to do an impression of a familiar character. You can demonstrate one first so they aren't the only person performing.
Keep the invitation optional and avoid mocking another person's appearance or identity. Watch for the expression after the impression finishes; that may be the frame they prefer. If they aren't interested, switch to conversation.
11. Let Them Rest Between Directions
After a few posed frames, say: "You can relax your face while I check the camera." Give them a quiet moment instead of filling every pause with another instruction.
Let them know when you're ready to take photos again. A pause is for their comfort, not a way to make them awkward enough to laugh. If they want to talk, keep the conversation going.
10. Give Them a Choice of Where to Look
Ask your subject to try looking towards the lens, then just to one side of it. Show them the difference and ask which they prefer.
If direct eye contact feels awkward, have them look at a friend standing near the camera. For pairs, invite them to look at each other if they want to. Don't make a no-blinking contest a condition of getting the photo.
9. Leave Room for Silliness
Keep posing instructions simple: show one position and let your subject try it without pressure. Make it clear that an outtake doesn't mean the session has gone wrong. If your subject enjoys props, offer a pair of oversized glasses or another item they've agreed to use.
Take the playful photo, then invite them to put the prop aside and try a smaller smile. Let them choose how far to take the joke. Avoid reacting to an expression as though they've done something embarrassing.
8. Put on Music They Like
Ask whether your subject would like some music. If they want to dance, give them room to move and let them choose the pace.
For children, a familiar song can become a short game with a parent or caregiver. Keep the volume low enough to talk, and offer a seated version or another activity if movement isn't comfortable. Photograph the pauses as well as the dancing.
7. Ask a Friend to Help Behind the Camera
With your subject's agreement, ask someone they know to stand near the lens and talk to them. An inside joke or familiar story gives them someone to respond to while you concentrate on timing.
Explain where the helper should stand, then let one person give directions at a time. Too many people calling for a smile can make the session confusing. Let your subject decide whether the helper stays.
6. Offer a Breathing Pause or a Break
If your subject seems tense, ask whether they'd like to pause. They can take an ordinary, comfortable breath and let their face rest; you don't need to prescribe a breath hold or a breathing exercise.
Use the break to show your mood board, review a frame they like, or talk about something unrelated to photography. Ask before offering food or drink. Resume when they're ready, rather than using the pause to push for a bigger smile.
5. Try an Exaggerated Smile as an Optional Game
If your subject enjoys a playful prompt, ask: "Want to try the most exaggerated smile you can, then let it go?" You can do it with them.
Keep photographing briefly after the pose changes, with their knowledge. You may catch a laugh or a quieter expression. Don't promise that a pretend smile will turn into a real one, and stop if the exercise feels uncomfortable.
4. Take a Portrait Without a Smile
Try a neutral expression as part of the session. Say: "You don't need to smile for this one—let your face rest." Take the photo without immediately asking them to change it.
A smile may follow, or your subject may prefer the serious portrait. Both are valid choices. A neutral expression isn't a failed attempt to get them laughing.
3. Include a Familiar Pet
If your subject wants their pet in the photo, photograph them doing something familiar together. Let a kitten or puppy settle before asking anyone to pose with it.
Follow the owner's lead on handling, and allow the animal to move away. The shared activity may give you smiling moments, but don't force an interaction for the camera.
2. Play a Simple Game Together
Choose a game your subject enjoys: a round of charades, a board game or a short follow-the-leader activity. Tell them you'll photograph it, then watch for expressions as they play.
Keep the space suitable for everyone taking part. Ask before using confetti, and avoid throwing anything at someone's face. If the game becomes tiring or distracting, finish it and return to a quiet portrait.
1. Make the Countdown Playful
With a subject who enjoys jokes, try a playful countdown: "Ready? One, two, three... four, five!" Take photos through the reaction rather than waiting for a held grin.
Use the prompt once, then judge whether they enjoyed it. Don't keep extending the count if they're waiting uncomfortably. A plain countdown and a small smile are enough when that's what your subject prefers.
Conclusion
Start with a comfortable expression, take a few photos, and let the smile rest between them. If you're behind the camera, choose one or two prompts that suit your subject and give them time to respond. Conversation and breaks can matter more than asking for a bigger smile.
Keep a mix of small smiles, laughter and neutral portraits so your subject can choose the photos they like. For another session built around spending time together, see our tips for mother and daughter photoshoots.