If you are trying to get away from the ordinary poses, you might try having your subjects move around bit. Usually we are asking them to “hold it” while we compose, focus and take the shot. You can get some really interesting photos, however, when you speed up your shutter speed and catch your subjects mid-action.
Freezing the action is a great technique to use when you are photographing kids. For instance, you could have the kids put on their suits and set up a bunch of sprinklers for them to run through and play in. Catch them right as they are jumping through the sprinkler. You could also have several kids all jump in the air at the same time for a really cool effect. If you have a big bed, have your kids jump on the bed and take their picture mid jump. The best part about this style of portrait taking is that you never have to worry about fake smiles, because everyone is having so much fun!
Freezing the action is not just for kids. It can also be used for adult portraits, too. If you are photographing a couple, you could have the man swing the woman around so that her hair will be lifted up in the photo. If you are taking a teen’s picture, you could have him jump off the back of his car or do a trick with his skateboard. I once saw a really neat portrait of couple in which the man was riding a bike and his fiance was riding on the handle bars in front of him. The movement of her hair blowing in the wind was pretty and romantic.
The action doesn’t always have to be done by the subject, it could be the prop. Anything that is tossed will look cool in a photo if it appears frozen in time. It could be rose petals tossed over a bride and groom, bubbles blown into the breeze, or a deck of cards flipped up over a poker game