8541RB Reading for Me Level 4 Part A

Factual
Say Cheese!
We all know what to do when we
are in a photo; slap on your widest
grin, show your pearly whites and say,
‘Cheese!’
People were not always smiling in
photos. In the 1820s, only the rich
could afford to hire a professional
photographer. People believed that
they looked dignified when they stared
solemnly at the camera.
Most people only sat for one or two
photos in their lifetime. Cameras did
not capture people living their lives
as they do today. Back then, it was
almost only portrait photography. If
you only get one chance to immortalise
yourself in a photo, you have to look
as dignified as possible. A toothy grin
might just make you look very foolish.
Before the age of the camera, the only
way to have an image of yourself was
to be painted. Artists wanted their models to sit very still for a very long
time. Holding a smile for so long is difficult. People were used to sitting
solemnly when having their portrait done.
Another reason for the serious faces in old photos could be traced back
to dental health. People’s teeth were not as well looked after in the past.
Maybe they didn’t smile because they didn’t want to be remembered for
their rotten teeth.
The invention of the Kodak instant camera in the 1900s brought a change
to the world of photography. Kodak marketed the instant camera as a way
to remember happiness. People now had the opportunity to take their own
photos. They started taking spontaneous photos. They could experiment
with different poses and expressions.
Having your picture taken is no longer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Most people carry a camera with them wherever they go, as they are now
conveniently located in phones. We smile in photos because that is how
we want to be remembered: happy.
112 Reading for Me Level 4 (Part A) 978-1-922843-63-0 R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing