Superhero's Muscles

When a superhero with a great facial expression asks you to take his picture, don't pass up the opportunity.

Junior superhero shows off his muscles in Tewksbury, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo: 
I was walking to my car, and this young boy was pleading with me to take his picture and put it in the newspaper, but I struggled to come up with an interesting photograph of him. I noticed his t-shirt and asked if he was playing any superhero games. He responded, “Yeah, I was playing Spiderman. Want to see my muscles?” As he flexed his muscles, he gave me this great personality pose with a smile that showed off his missing teeth, and I shot a few outstanding pictures. He got his wish, as his personality picture ran big in the newspaper the next day.

3 Tips: 
1) When the subject looks at your camera, it communicates that this is a portrait, and more effectively conveys their personality to the viewer.
2) Find a unique physical feature, expression, gesture, or prop that illustrates the person’s unique character. 3) Often the subject will display what makes him/her unique for you, so be ready to shoot.