Did you know that you can predict how long someone will live by looking at their high-school yearbook photo?
It sounds nuts, but according to health entrepreneur Ron Gutman, scientists have found that the broader people smile in photos, the longer they tend to live.
I’m bringing this up today because, of course, I want you to live longer and be happier… but also because taking photos of people who are smiling and having fun can help you sell more images, too.
Stock agencies, magazine editors, and even families and headshot clients all want photos that look real. Asking someone to smile or “say cheese” only results in forced smiles and awkward-looking photos. Recently, I asked Bonnie to set up a little photo shoot with my friends. I figured I could tag along and work on my photo skills while she took stock photos…
But my biggest stroke of genius was to do it in a wine bar, where we could all unwind and find some genuine smiles. It was so fun!
Here are a few of Bonnie’s shots that are selling in her stock agencies:
There’s nothing like spending an hour shooting with friends in a wine bar and calling it “work.”
Stuff like this is easy to put together… especially if you know someone who owns a wine bar, a café, or a boutique. You could even invite friends over to catch up over tea and do the same thing in your house.
Or, follow Lise Gagne’s advice and just ask the owner of a shop if they’d mind. That’s what I did with this wine bar owner. I just asked and then sent her some photos afterwards.
And if you still don’t want to take photos of people, that’s ok! These easy food and wine shots we took there are selling as stock, too:
This month, I’d like to encourage you to take your camera with you wherever you go and just shoot. No pressure to be perfect or know everything about your camera. Just go out and experiment. Have fun.
And continue to push forward just a little bit toward your goals every day.