Digital Photography

Every family’s got one: A “blinker.” This is the person who, in 9 out of every 10 photos, is captured with eyes closed, having blinked at the exact moment the picture was snapped. Our family, in fact, has more than one (you know who you are).

Some newer digital cameras offer so-called “blink detection,” a feature that alerts you if the camera thinks one of your subjects has closed eyes in a picture you just took. That’s great, but how do you get better results on your next shot? Here are a few things to try:

• Shoot without flash if possible. The bright pop of the flash light is the main cause of the blink reflex, so try to shoot without one. You can pose your subjects near a sunny window, turn on lots of room lights, or, weather permitting, move outside and shoot by daylight.
• Take several shots in a row. If you’re using flash, people’s eyes will be more accustomed to the light burst by the time you get to the third shot, so you’re more likely to get open eyes.
• Consider poses that show your subject looking away from the lens (and flash). You can shoot two subjects looking towards each other, as here. Or you can photograph a single subject engaged in a favorite activity, such as a guitar player with head slightly bent, glancing down and strumming the strings. Not only are subjects less likely to react to the flash light when they’re looking away from it, but the photo still looks natural even if the eyes are slightly closed. As a side benefit, you usually get more interesting pictures than you do with formal, ”look at me and say cheese!” poses.