Beyond the Smile: Why Honest Expressions Matter in Portraits
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I can still remember being a kid and hearing the word that shaped almost every photograph from my childhood: “Smile!”
It didn’t matter if I was tired, upset, or just not in the mood. The expectation was clear - a good photo meant a smiling photo. I learned quickly how to plaster on a grin, even when it didn’t feel real. And for years, I carried that lesson with me: that in order for a photo to be acceptable, I had to look happy.
I think most of us have a version of that story. Maybe you’ve been told, “You’re so much prettier when you smile,” or coached to “say cheese” even when it felt completely fake. It’s such a deeply ingrained expectation that many people walk into my studio already carrying the weight of it. They assume the only way to look good in a portrait is to stretch their face into a smile, no matter what’s happening inside.
But here’s what I’ve learned after photographing thousands of people: the most powerful portraits come from authenticity. From honest expressions that reflect who you are in the moment — sometimes soft, sometimes bold, sometimes emotional, sometimes serious.
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The pressure to smile runs deep. It’s woven into family portraits, school photos, even professional headshots. Somewhere along the way, many of us absorbed the message that a serious expression is cold, that a neutral face is unapproachable, and that joy, even when it isn’t real, is the only acceptable expression.
But what happens when smiling isn’t how you actually feel? What if you’re moving through a season of grief, or reflection, or deep change? Forcing a grin in those moments doesn’t tell the truth of your experience. It hides it.
I’ve had so many people step in front of my camera and immediately try to hold a smile, even when their eyes reveal something completely different. You can feel the disconnect. The face is saying one thing, but the energy underneath is saying another. And the camera always picks up on that.
As Brené Brown once said, “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” That’s why forced smiles fall flat - because the most powerful portraits come from truth.
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That’s why, in my work, I’m not chasing happy. I’m inviting soulfulness. What I want to capture in a portrait has very little to do with a specific emotion and everything to do with presence.
It’s about the moment you take a breath and allow yourself to relax into the truth of who you are. It’s about letting the mask go, even for a second, so the energy of your soul can shine through. That’s what makes a portrait powerful - honesty.
Authenticity always reads. You can feel it in the images. A quiet, serious expression can carry more beauty than a forced grin. Because when you see that honesty reflected back, it reminds you of your own depth, your own humanity.
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I remember working with a man who came into the studio insisting he was “terrible” at photos because he hated his smile. He told me he always felt awkward, like he was faking it, and every picture seemed to prove his point. I told him he didn’t have to smile at all. I asked him to just breathe, to sit with himself, and to let whatever was real in that moment come through. At first, he looked unsure, but slowly, he relaxed into the moment. His eyes grew steady, almost contemplative. There was no big performance, no forced grin, it was just him.
When I showed him the image, he paused. “Wow, that’s me,” he said. Not the version of himself that had been taught to pose, but the version that carried quiet strength and depth. That’s the difference. The photograph becomes something more than an image, it becomes a reflection of your soul.
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That moment stays with me because it’s what this work is really about. You and I have been conditioned to perform for the camera, to show the version of ourselves we think will be accepted. But when you strip away the performance, what’s left is something far more powerful. Presence. Soul. Truth.
The portraits that move me most are the ones where you can feel the energy of the person - the steadiness in their gaze, the softness in their breath, the quiet strength that doesn’t need to prove anything. That’s where the real beauty is.
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I’ve seen this again and again. Someone comes in thinking they need to put on a show for the camera, but what ends up moving them most is seeing themselves authentically. It’s often the subtle, in-between expressions that hold the most truth - the hint of emotion that shows up when you feel safe enough to relax into the present moment and just be.
Those are the moments people tell me they recognize themselves. Not the curated version. The real one. And that recognition can be life-giving, because it reminds you that you don’t have to force joy or hide your truth to be beautiful.
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That’s why I believe the most moving portraits aren’t about perfect smiles. They’re about honesty. They’re about giving yourself permission to show up exactly as you are and allowing that truth to be witnessed.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s okay to put down the mask and be seen in your full humanity, maybe this is it. I’d be honored to create portraits that reflect your depth, your presence, your soul.