The Cheek to Cheek

How to set up The Cheek to Cheek

1. Set the frame before anyone moves. The Cheek to Cheek wants a close frame filled with faces, with 2 people already close enough to touch. Siblings press their cheeks together for a tight portrait. Works for any age gap and shows closeness.
2. Get them into the standing shape, then say this once and stop directing: "Squish your cheeks together like a sandwich!"
3. While they hold it, make one flatter change and shoot again. Put the shorter child slightly in front and tilt heads toward each other.
4. If the first frame feels stiff, do not rebuild the group. Try this next: Both close eyes and smile.

Who it suits

The Cheek to Cheek is a sibling pose. Contact matters more than lining up by height. It suits 2 people and a standing shape. It is beginner: one clear sentence is enough direction. Because the frame is tight, a small lean changes the picture more than a new backdrop would.

Where to shoot and how to light it

The Cheek to Cheek works indoors or outdoors. Outside, use a simple background. Inside, use a window and clear the clutter behind the heads. The pose does not depend on a specific place, which is why it is marked for either.

For The Cheek to Cheek, the rule is the same in either place: open shade outside, a window and no ceiling light inside. Keep the light on the faces rather than on the background. A close-up frame has nowhere to hide a squint.

The usual miss on The Cheek to Cheek is a gap, a straight line of heads, or a face waiting for the next instruction. Put the shorter child slightly in front and tilt heads toward each other. Then take the frame before anyone resets.

Variations

• Both close eyes and smile
• Older sibling hugs from behind
• Silly faces