The wake-up call came when a friend Whatsapped the following message to me the other day: "I always get a kick out of your greeting every time it pops in in our digital photo frame!"
And there I am, in a group shot with a bunch of other people, some of whom I had met for the very first time, all beaming away for the camera. And I’m extending the middle finger… which pops up periodically on their family photo frame and apparently has been doing so for the past few years. (I’ve blurred out the others in the above shot to protect the innocent, though I don’t think the dog will mind.)
And it’s not just limited to flipping the bird to spoil an otherwise perfectly nice photo. I make rabbit ears behind the heads of unsuspecting nieces. I secretly gurn away to the camera as I’m posed with the in-laws. I pull all manner of stupid faces, and I just can’t help it. Point a camera at me and I have to do something to ruin the shot. I don’t even realize I’m doing it half the time. It’s almost like having the photographic equivalent of Tourette’s syndrome.
Things are absolutely tickety-boo when I’m the one taking the shot. I compose carefully to ensure there’s no unnecessary clutter and everyone’s framed correctly, I adjust my exposure settings, check the histogram, and review the shot to ensure I’m happy with everything before I allow people to unfreeze from their enforced poses.
So what is it that makes me feel I have to do something to spoil the shot? Why can’t I just sit there and grin and bear it like everyone else?
I guess it’s the old photographer’s excuse to cover our discomfort of "I'm better at the other side of the camera!"
Here's my guide to the best digital photo frames – but try to behave when you're having your shot taken to display on one. Take a look at the best cameras for portraits and the best lenses for portraits, and avoid these kinds of shenanigans with these portrait photography tips!
