Smiles - Photos

[rjh01]

Something odd I have noticed about looking at many old photos of people posing for photos. Before the 1960s it was rare for someone to smile. Since the 1960s most people smiled if they knew their photo was about to be taken.

The only explanation I have been given is that exposure times were long and it was hard to maintain a smile. This may have been true in the 19th century, but exposure times in the 20th century were at worst only a few seconds. It is easy to maintain a smile for a few seconds.

My explanation is that this has something to do with society. But that cannot be the whole story.

Why is this so? Any other ideas?

 

[bluesjnr]

I would say that photography was relatively expensive back then and getting your photos developed would have been too. From that I postulate that it was a case of "don't muck about, I'm taking your photo" that caused people to pose more formally.

That said, I really don't have a clue!

 

[richardm]

I would say that photography was relatively expensive back then and getting your photos developed would have been too. From that I postulate that it was a case of "don't muck about, I'm taking your photo" that caused people to pose more formally.

That said, I really don't have a clue!

Yeah, I think that for a long time photography was seen as an expensive and serious business. You were getting your portrait done to be viewed by your descendents in perpetuity; of course you wouldn't want to be seen as frivolous. As time went by photography became cheaper and more accessible, and getting your photograph done was much less onerous - but even then old fashions would die hard. Even today you get some pretty serious faces on people who are getting formal photographs done; you get some pretty glazed looks on some professional wedding groups. And that's not just because a sinking realisation is setting in

 

[Wrathernaut]

Exposure times were much longer back then.

It was hard to hold a smile properly.

 

[bluesjnr]

Exposure times were much longer back then.

It was hard to hold a smile properly.

Somebody hasn't read the entire OP

From the OP -The only explanation I have been given is that exposure times were long and it was hard to maintain a smile. This may have been true in the 19th century, but exposure times in the 20th century were at worst only a few seconds. It is easy to maintain a smile for a few seconds.

 

[marplots]

I think it has to do with 1958 -- the year cheese was invented.

 

[rjh01]

Thanks for the idea. The ideas so far are
1. Exposure time
2. Professional photos. Expensive. Be formal. Do not be frivolous by smiling.

But even then I do not think that is even close to being the whole truth.

 

[commandlinegamer]

People didn't have anything to smile about in the olden days.

 

[Delscottio]

Poor dental hygiene.

 

[zooterkin]

Off the top of my head, since you're talking about posed photos, I'd say it could have been a hang-over from when it was necessary to hold a pose for a few seconds due to longer exposure times. The idea of a posed (professional?) photo being serious may have been current, and if it cost a fair bit of money some people wouldn't have been laughing about it. What changed? When did cheap cameras and processing become widely available and used? I'd guess that once people were more used to having their picture taken in an informal setting, the idea of smiling in a posed photo became more acceptable.

Do you have more details of the sorts of photos you've been looking at?

 

[richardm]

Thanks for the idea. The ideas so far are
1. Exposure time
2. Professional photos. Expensive. Be formal. Do not be frivolous by smiling.

But even then I do not think that is even close to being the whole truth.

Well, so far we've got technical considerations and social convention. What else do you think might come into it?

Re: Teeth: You don't have to show your teeth when you smile.

 

[rjh01]

People didn't have anything to smile about in the olden days.

I wonder if this is close to the truth? Many people would not have much money, or were badly treated by others. The ones who did may want to indicate they were always serious.

Poor dental hygiene.

I think it is a weak smile if you do not show your teeth. But if your teeth are yellow or have had visible dental work, then you might not want your teeth to be in the photo.


Maybe no-one thought that people should smile in a photo?

 

[Soapy Sam]

There's a newspaper shot of a girl whose boyfriend has just been killed or seriously injured, in which she is smiling reflexively for the camera. I saw it in a book of photojournalism pics.

 

[rjh01]

Off the top of my head, since you're talking about posed photos, I'd say it could have been a hang-over from when it was necessary to hold a pose for a few seconds due to longer exposure times. The idea of a posed (professional?) photo being serious may have been current, and if it cost a fair bit of money some people wouldn't have been laughing about it. What changed? When did cheap cameras and processing become widely available and used? I'd guess that once people were more used to having their picture taken in an informal setting, the idea of smiling in a posed photo became more acceptable.

Do you have more details of the sorts of photos you've been looking at?

As an example look at the photo in this post
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=6492138#post6492138. I have seen heaps of old photos and it was not until the 1960s that people began to smile in posed photos.

I will have to find out when the first mass produced cameras were available for the home market, but I am sure it was in the 1950s or before. It can be hard to tell if an old posed photo was done by a professional or someone who had a camera.

 

[Alareth]

Smiles are the gateway through which the camera steals your soul.

 

[richardm]

I have seen heaps of old photos and it was not until the 1960s that people began to smile in posed photos.

I'm just not sure that is totally true; if you look at studio portraits from the 1920s it's not hard to find ones where people are smiling. Conversely, if you look at studio portraits from today you'll find ones where people are not smiling. If you're looking at snapshots from any era you'll find people grinning like loons at the camera.

There are fashions in how you want to look in an expensive studio portrait then and now.

 

[ThatSoundAgain]

Haven't you heard? Smiling to the camera is so last century.

 

[JihadJane]

Dunno, but my dad took so long adjusting the light meter, shutter speed, aperture etc that we usually wanted to kill him by the the time he took the actual photo.

 

[Tiktaalik]

I have a whole book of photos from the late 1800s & early 1900s of people in formal studios with their dogs.

Point is, the people may have taken the occasion seriously (best clothes, etc.) but not so seriously that they didn't want their dogs in the pics. In many cases the dogs are being held up, propped up, dressed up, cuddled, or asked to do a trick. The exposure couldn't have been that long as the dogs are in clear focus in most cases. But the people still aren't smiling, for the most part...

 

[I Ratant]

As an example look at the photo in this post
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=6492138#post6492138. I have seen heaps of old photos and it was not until the 1960s that people began to smile in posed photos.

I will have to find out when the first mass produced cameras were available for the home market, but I am sure it was in the 1950s or before. It can be hard to tell if an old posed photo was done by a professional or someone who had a camera.

.
Kodak Brownie cameras were introduced in 1900.
There were lots of them around.
Formally posed and smiles all around!
I'm the cute one...
For my Dad who was in England preparing for the invasion at Normandy..