The Anti-Smile Argument

A recent article takes issue with the practice of smiling on-camera. While the author makes some valid points and lays out how grinning for portraits came to be expected — an unquestioned social contract — he mistakenly concludes that smiling can generally be dismissed as disingenuous in every instance, which I find ridiculous.

It depends, of course, on the individual. For some, an engaging smile is one’s default setting and projects as genuine. Not so for others, including many professional models whose quintessence is subverted by smiling, genuine or otherwise. In fact, the author’s premise can apply for those who overcompensate by affecting a tough guy scowl for pictures, every bit as disingenuous as a fake smile. —JH