C/D Posing for photos by grinning at the camera

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It's a hangover from the 19th century, people. They had to back then, it took hours for the image to take.

It's now the 21st century. Photography is instant. Don't stare at the lens pulling a fake smile because YOU LOOK LIKE A GIT. Also when you're dead and people look back through your photo collection they'll think all you ever did your whole life was grin like a big spanner.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:23 (twenty years ago)

Also dud is the people who DEMAND you pose with a big fake grin and crack the shits if you don't.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:23 (twenty years ago)

http://achieve.utoronto.ca/achieve/grin.jpg

― Site Admistrator (deangulberry), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:27 (twenty years ago)

Well said.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

I do it because I tend to look less ugly when smiling.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman v1.0 (Ferg), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

Smiling is fine. Posing is unnessecary most of the time (well unless oyu want to gather up a group or something I guess). I sadly have way too many over posed pics in my collection and not enough natural, interesting ones.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:44 (twenty years ago)

Adam? Smile
It'll look fake
I don't care, smile
Why?
Because I'm taking your photo
It'll look ridiculous
No it won't. Smile
It'll look fake
It won't. Smile <click> God Adam can't you smile properly? I asked you to smile
I SAID I CAN'T FAKE SMILE FOR FUCKING DUMB PHOTOS YOU ROCKIST
Let's do it again, come on Adam, smile
I AM SMILING
Not like that, do it properly
I AM DOING IT PROPERLY
No you're not, it looks fake
I ALREADY TOLD YOU IT LOOKS FAKE WHEN I PRETEND TO SMILE
Do it properly then <click> Why aren't you smiling?
I AM I AM I FUCKING AM
But it looks fake, see? Do it properly this time
AAAAGGGGHHHH <stab stab stab>

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

Wait -- how is the smiling a hangover from the 19th century? It took ages to take the photo...which is why no one was smiling in the photos.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 03:04 (twenty years ago)

you've got him.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 03:07 (twenty years ago)

Whoops.

Odderviously people thought looking glum was a bit, well, glum, so they thought they'd spruce it up a bit by pretending to be happy.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 03:09 (twenty years ago)

I overcompensate by putting on a big cheesy grin and putting my thumbs up and stuff. That'll learn 'em!

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Odderviously people thought looking glum was a bit, well, glum, so they thought they'd spruce it up a bit by pretending to be happy.

But what has this to do with the time it took to take the photos? And I think Roxy is right, in 19th century pictures people smile less than today. I think smiling in pictures wasn't a trend back then, and also, taking a photo was rare and expensive, so people probably thought they'd have to look more official, i.e. more stern, in them.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.eyecandyforthebrokenhearted.com/vintagephoto.jpg

Everyone in this photo of mine is looking pretty glum except the mother whose smile can only be described as wry.

― papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

damn, i'll try again:

ihttp://www.eyecandyforthebrokenhearted.com/vintagephoto.jpg

― papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

grrrrrrr.....click the link i guess.

― papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

It took ages to take the photo...which is why no one was smiling in the photos.

The people posing were also often kept in place by a metal brace on their head and neck. The stand for this would usually be concealed behind them in the photo, but in some early pictures of children you can see that they are too small to hide the bottom of the stands. Having these things holding your head in position was apparently very uncomfortable, hence another reason for the expressions in early portraits.

― sgs (sgs), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

By the way Kate, that's a great photo! Is it of your family? I love their clothes, especially the dress of the girl second from right.

― sgs (sgs), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

Wow, I never knew that. Interesting!

xpost

Haha, no. I collect vintage photos particularly Civil War era, although this is one of my favourites, and yes, that dress is gorgeous!

― papa november (papa november), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I do it because I tend to look less ugly when smiling.

The opposite applies in my case

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

The girl on the far right has that small-mouthed, consumptive look so fashionable in early daguerrotypes.

I look like a double-chinned, tiny-eyed gappy fool when I smile, and a round-faced, sullen dullard when I don't.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

That's because you're bald and ugly.

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

Who isn't these days?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

Too true, too true.

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:52 (twenty years ago)

Phoebe and Dada OTM.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

He may be bald, but he's not ugly. Mark C. is the Yul Brynner of ILX.

― mark c.'s secret admirer, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

The girl on the far right has that small-mouthed, consumptive look so fashionable in early daguerrotypes.

so they actually put braces in people's mouths in order to constrict them??

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

N.B.: "Phoebe Dinsmore" is not "me." Nor is "mark c.'s secret admirer" me. Tina Baker off Celebrity Fit Club is more in keeping with my tastes in that particular area of lethargo-carnality.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

I thought you were about to confess to being Tina Baker off Celebrity Fit Club there.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Andy the darts player more like.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

this all seems kinda anal.

― g-kit (g-kit), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 15:20 (twenty years ago)

in the 19th century people grimaced for the cameras!!!!

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

Your search - 19th century anal photography - did not match any documents.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

helluvan xpost there

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

Argh you're missing my point. I spend my life doing things. Sitting down. Going to the fridge. Sitting down. See? Yet nearly every photo of me is of me grinning at a lens. I DON'T DO THAT. That's not me. That doesn't represent me in any way shape or form.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 01:11 (twenty years ago)

Presumably you're all the same.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 01:12 (twenty years ago)

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