How uncomfortable is it to stand in front of a camera and smile? Well I, for one, find it extremely uncomfortable! I HATE having my photo taken. I put on stupid poses, and I try to angle my face so that as few chins as possible are visible.
What about when people say “cheeeese” to try to get you to look like you’re happy? Yeah, you end up looking like you’re saying “cheese”, right? (Actually I prefer “grannieeees undieeees“, but that’s another story…)
It has taken me a long time, and over the years I have taken a lot of dorky photos of people saying cheese, but it has finally dawned on me that people don’t like to stand and look at the camera to have their photos taken. It makes them feel uncomfortable!
Now, instead of photographing people posing and looking at the camera, I enjoy photographing you while you are doing something. Do you play guitar? Do you enjoy reading? Do you play a sport? Do you enjoy gardening? Whatever it is that you do, I’d love to photograph you doing it. For farming families, that often means doing things on the farm.
![Photo of family and sheep in sheepyards](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/171006-1440.jpg)
![photo of young farmer in yards with sheep in the wheatbelt](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170818-4223.jpg)
![Photo of two young blokes drinking outdoors](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170405-0209-546-1.jpg)
![portrait photo of a man and his pet parrot by caro telfer, photographer](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170823-6013-848.jpg)
![photo of a kid wearing bike gear riding a pushbike](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170328-9812-502-1.jpg)
![Photo of young boy with his grandmother having a cup of tea](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170202-4025-368.jpg)
![photo of kid on a skateboard by caro telfer, photographer](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/171014-2557-911-1.jpg)
![photo of an older couple painting in art studio. photo by Caro Telfer.](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170606-5351.jpg)
![photo of a man playing a guitar, by caro telfer, photographer](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170527-3635.jpg)
![Photo of a child reading a book with his grandfather](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/150212-7996-375-1.jpg)
![photo of teenage girl avoiding sand thrown at her on the beach. Photo by caro telfer.](http://carotelfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/170605-4828-726.jpg)
In this post I’ve shared lots of different things you could do during a photo shoot. You don’t have to stand in front of the camera and smile. Give your photos meaning by doing something that you love, with someone you love, and it won’t hurt a bit!