To Capture a Smile...

I don’t know how many Americans know this, but most of the world does not like to smile in photos. This was true in South Korea, and it is true here in Uganda as well. If you show the average person two pictures of themselves – a serious one and a smiling one – nine times out of ten he or she will choose the serious one as the favorite.

Americans, however, have an obsession with smiling. Serious photos give us the wrong impression – making us think the person is angry or sad. The non-smiling face hides how much life and joy abide in a person.

I went to Hope Alive!’s Saturday club yesterday, and one of my main objectives was to get updated photos of all the students so that we can issue the kids new Hope Alive! id cards and also send photos to their sponsors. Usually we take two photos – the kids can be serious in one, but in the other they have to smile. We do all kinds of things to get them to smile – make faces, tickle, laugh, etc. Sometimes the kids that are watching are the best help. However, the cameraperson aka me has to be ready to catch the perfect moment when the beauty of a genuine smile shines through.

Here are a few photos to illustrate my attempt: