ZBB member photos, part 5. (Something for the weekend, sir?)

[Aszev]

Nah, Viktor wasn't drunk when that was taken (by me, for the record), and just having met him, I can't say that I find his facial expression peculiar at all.

The name of that drink was le Sang du Dragon, [lə sã dzʏ dʁagɒ̃ɔ̃] or somesuch.

[Ossicone]

That looks like good fun times!

[finlay]

Nah, Viktor wasn't drunk when that was taken (by me, for the record), and just having met him, I can't say that I find his facial expression peculiar at all.

Sure, in real life... but every single other photo he ever posts here involves the same inane fake grin.

[Pthagnar]

bank manager

[The Count]

Goblin

[Terra]

There are those who disagree.

I wonder what she'd think if she ever saw a prism.

* * *

Skomakar'n, how much time does it take you to get ready in the morning?

[Radius Solis]

Nah, Viktor wasn't drunk when that was taken (by me, for the record), and just having met him, I can't say that I find his facial expression peculiar at all.

Sure, in real life... but every single other photo he ever posts here involves the same inane fake grin.

That's because being instructed to smile every time a photo is taken is something that becomes ingrained in you as part of expected behavior because of course the Prevailing Wisdom is that people look better in pictures when they are smiling. The Prevailing Wisdom is stupid. Certainly many people do look best when smiling, but not everyone! When I smile for the camera the results are uniformly dorky-looking as all hell, whereas if I resist the Smile Compulsion I can sometimes get a decent picture taken.

Which reminds me it's been a few years and probably time to do that again... bwuh.

[MisterBernie]

That's because being instructed to smile every time a photo is taken is something that becomes ingrained in you as part of expected behavior because of course the Prevailing Wisdom is that people look better in pictures when they are smiling. The Prevailing Wisdom is stupid. Certainly many people do look best when smiling, but not everyone! When I smile for the camera the results are uniformly dorky-looking as all hell, whereas if I resist the Smile Compulsion I can sometimes get a decent picture taken.

Plus, the fake photo grin often just looks... unsettling. For me, if someone catches me during an actual smile/laugh, the result is nice, but if I smile for the camera... let's just say there's a reason most of those pics end up in the bin.

[jal]

That's because being instructed to smile every time a photo is taken is something that becomes ingrained in you as part of expected behavior

That may well be, but my youngest (9 months old currently) starts smiling as soon as a camera is pointing at her. It may be just instinct!


JAL

[Jipí]

IME babies smile more easily than older children and adults, though. Just look at them friendly and they'll beam back at you.

[Viktor77]

That's because being instructed to smile every time a photo is taken is something that becomes ingrained in you as part of expected behavior because of course the Prevailing Wisdom is that people look better in pictures when they are smiling. The Prevailing Wisdom is stupid. Certainly many people do look best when smiling, but not everyone! When I smile for the camera the results are uniformly dorky-looking as all hell, whereas if I resist the Smile Compulsion I can sometimes get a decent picture taken.

But it's a terrible position to be in for you have to weigh the two sides, A) If I smile, even if it's not a good smile, at least people will remark I smiled or B) If I don't smile, everyone will remark that I didn't and ask why. Our society is so stigmatised against non-smiles for some reason. The first thing everyone notes when looking at staged photos of their great grandparents isn't their dress or how similar they look to their relatives but their lack of a freaking smile!

[jal]

The first thing everyone notes when looking at staged photos of their great grandparents isn't their dress or how similar they look to their relatives but their lack of a freaking smile!

But that's because early photos took several minutes to take, so smiling was just not an option, and later generations copied that. Although it would probably have seemed frivolous to smile at a camera anyway.


JAL

[Viktor77]

The first thing everyone notes when looking at staged photos of their great grandparents isn't their dress or how similar they look to their relatives but their lack of a freaking smile!

But that's because early photos took several minutes to take, so smiling was just not an option, and later generations copied that. Although it would probably have seemed frivolous to smile at a camera anyway.


JAL

I know this but most people I meet don't and so they don't put reasoning with their reaction against the lack of smiling.

[jal]

I know this but most people I meet don't and so they don't put reasoning with their reaction against the lack of smiling.

Fwiw, I have never noticed you smiling funny on any of the photos. Quite a neutral smile, iirc.


JAL

[Jipí]

No really, he does look kinda strange. My brother uses the same weird kind of expression on photos. It's kinda like showing your teeth without the drawing apart and up the corners of your mouth that are characteristic of a smile or grin. Plus, real smiles also involve stuff with the outward corners of the eyes. You don't get 'laughing creases' around the eyes for nothing.

[finlay]

It's not too bad, but it's exactly the same face in every photo, bar one or two.

[patiku]

IME babies smile more easily than older children and adults, though. Just look at them friendly and they'll beam back at you.

That's because they're imitating you, it's like a parrot laughing with you when you hear a great joke.

[Torco]

Best argument for a condom commercial ever

[Bristel]

Since I was young, I guess in 3rd or 4th grade, I would smile in all my photos without my teeth showing.

I still do this, but I've learned that my smile that shows teeth isn't so bad.

(it's not that I had bad teeth, but I guess I was really nervous or got used to smiling that way)

[Kereb]

Plus, the fake photo grin often just looks... unsettling. For me, if someone catches me during an actual smile/laugh, the result is nice, but if I smile for the camera... let's just say there's a reason most of those pics end up in the bin.

yeah totally ... sometimes it looks like the person with the camera said, "grimace!"

[Timmytiptoe]

I did some stalking research, and out of the 11 photos (with a visible mouth) Viktor has in this thread, on 9 he has the same smile.

• http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/imag ... 155b01.jpg When he was young
• http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4225/erik1q.jpg While he is exercising
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=30 While he is a zombie
• http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1012/aboveworld.png While he is standing on glass
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=169 While he is standing in the snow
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=267 While he is sitting on a couch
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=380 While he is hugging
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=439 While he is in Vegas
• http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4052/60100817.png While he is ringing a bell

[Shrdlu]

That's called be insecure on what to do.

[Viktor77]

I did some stalking research, and out of the 11 photos (with a visible mouth) Viktor has in this thread, on 9 he has the same smile.

• http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/imag ... 155b01.jpg When he was young
• http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4225/erik1q.jpg While he is exercising
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=30 While he is a zombie
• http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1012/aboveworld.png While he is standing on glass
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=169 While he is standing in the snow
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=267 While he is sitting on a couch
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=380 While he is hugging
• http://zbb.spinnwebe.com/download/file.php?id=439 While he is in Vegas
• http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4052/60100817.png While he is ringing a bell

First, creepy much?

Second, this just gives me so much more motivation to maintain my diet.

[Torco]

timmy: come on, man, there are so many things in this life more worth your time.

[Timmytiptoe]

It's actually quite easy: At the bottom of a page there is a line that says

Sort by [Post time] [Ascending]

You change it to [Author] [Descending] and go to the pages where Viktor's posts are. It's quite easy, actually, and you don't need to read through 120 pages of photos for the third time!