At my brother’s wedding last week, I realized the major role that photographers play. The cheerful lad, upon whom rested the onus of making people look good while getting their pics clicked, lay hidden behind the huge lens, for most part of the wedding. The only words he would mouth at regular intervals were, Say cheese,” which he would use to orchestrate the retinue to all count simultaneously, and utter a perfectly-synchronized “Cheese.”
A random question to my father as to why people say “cheese” while getting snapped, when the alternative “whiskey” would do equally well, and also force the face into a smile, brought about a predictable frown from him.
Hushed temporarily, I couldn’t help but think as to how people, even if they were fighting, would crease their faces into uncharacteristic, bordering-on-fake smiles – and all to get that elusive happy face on that Polaroid.
My mother is an exception to this rule of blinding-smile-while-getting-clicked. She will smile for a picture only if she genuinely feels like. All pleas to her to flash one of them elusive smiles(only during clicking sessions), fall upon deaf ears, and the photographer will be rewarded with a grin, only if he catches her in a good mood. Otherwise, an au naturel look is all that he will get. Besides the polite “Thank you,” that is.
I, on the other hand, am her exact opposite. Every time a camera makes an appearance near me within the vicinity of half a kilometer, my eyes light up and crinkle, and there – all my pearlies are on full display, ready to be immortalized in yet another pic with the exact glazed, happy (but fake) smile, that you can see, in photo upon yet another photo. Shameless I am, when it comes to getting clicked. Some of my goofy smiles have been compared to Garfield's, when he sees a piping-hot plate of lasagna. Burppppp!
Some, like my entire family, believe in a half-smile, showing a few teeth. There are others who consider a full smile, without any display of teeth, their most flattering self. Some like me, believe in going all the way, and flashing brilliant, sunny smiles.
For the rest, there is always the option of the brown paper bag tied tightly around the neck…;-)
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