How To Smile for a Photo .. no cheese Please!

Does anyone really ever say cheese when they  smile? No, yet inevitably photographers continue to ask people to say “cheese”  before they click. 

I have searched for the source of why the word cheese is invoked before picture taking, and except for the reference to a photographer once cutting the cheese, the repeated use of this word to create a perfect grin remains a mystery. However, the 'long e' sound in cheese, does produce the desired effect of opening up your mouth and turning up the corners for a smiling look. Any 'long e' word will work for this … from fleur-di-lis to just peachy, which may explain why I didn’t hear the word fromage uttered alot in front of the lens when I traveled to France.

Is a smile just a frown turned upside down or is there more to it? A model is constantly asked for different expressions and moods in a photo, but when it comes to smiling for real, you cannot fake it. You must be able to draw upon a happy feeling, whether in your memory or a funny joke, for a believable grin.

If you were asked to describe this star's emotion in this photo, although upside down, it would still be easy to do .... as happy.

Even upside down our brain identifies this as a smiling mouth when in reality, turning it around you would see it is actually a frown.

When you genuinely smile, it causes natural wrinkles around your eyes, but when your smile is insincere only the lips smile. If only the mouth turns up at the corners of a smile, it instantly reads fake.

Smiling without her eyes

But when the muscles of the eyes and the mouth are both pulling upward, this is when a smile becomes believable. 

The real deal!

Another way to achieve a genuine, natural looking smile is by lifting your tongue up behind your front teeth. This results in raising your chin ever so slightly and helping to open up your mouth a bit.

It was reported in a New York Times interiew that Tyra Banks has  275 smiles.  She said that “Smiles come naturally to me, but I started thinking of them as an art form at my command. I studied all the time. I looked at magazines, I’d practice in front of the mirror and I’d ask photographers about the best angles. I can now pull out a smile at will.” Like a star athlete who has perfected a jump shot or a curveball, Banks has studied, honed and mastered the smile. In her arsenal are the ''surprise smile,'' the ''angry but still smiling'' smile, the ''flirting with boyfriend'' smile and the ''commercial'' smile. We know one thing, her smile sells. It sells magazine covers, perfume and clothing! 

Speaking naturally or uttering any verbal cue can also help. It was reported that Linda Evangelista is said to have yelled “Hey” at photoshoots before every frame was taken. So take a moment and yell, or just shake your head out to regroup if you begin to feel glazed over or stiff.

Research also shows that in the coutroom when an apology is offered with a smile, the penalty is less than an apology without one. So your grandmother was right when she told you a smile goes a long way and that practice makes perfect!

By the way, never force a smile by showing all your teeth in a joker grin. We know you have teeth, we just don't need to see them all at once! Smiling with your lips closed can be authentic too, as long as you are conveying a real emotion with your eyes. 

The model's secret to smiling is that we know "real smiles are produced with the eyes." The eyes are where you can tell if a smile is genuine or not. Tyra banks invented a word for it ... "SMIZING"... smiling with your eyes. Smize away girls for your best photos yet!

Now that you've got that down check out another post on {How to move for a Photo the way a Model does} ... it never hurts to know it all! And How to Banish double Chins in your Photos!

Shelley Goodstein is a model with Ford Models in AZ and Silver Models in Paris. and Founder of Hidden Crown hair extensions. 

She shares the secrets. tips and tricks that models learn behind the scenes from professional makeup artists, photographers and other people in the industry.

Holiday Dress Up Games ... What to Wear!

Thinking about what to wear to make your best impression for Santa and everyone else this year? 


Soon it will be time to shine as the holiday season arrives and invitations start rolling in for cookie exchanges, office and cocktail parties, holiday open houses, family get togethers, straight on through to New Year's Eve. It's always a good idea to plan ahead so that you are perfectly pulled together. You'll be happy you did when you run smack into your ex looking GORGEOUS and effortlessly radiant!

Hues of red are always popular this time of year and if you are out shopping for something to wear, you will have tons of options for that LRD, little RED dress. Lace is also a super big trend and I love this dress, in red lace, seen on Miranda Kerr at the opening of David Johnson's flagship store in Sydney, Australia.  Get a look-alike dress on the right, at janenorman.co.uk for $85.

Sequins, Shimmer and Glitz ...  Oh MY! Embellished choices are everywhere and perfect for dress up games! I was surprised to see such a great and beautiful selection of high shine at Express.com ... available at price points around $100 to help you sparkle. 

Old Hollywood Glam is another big trend this year with longer pencil dresses back in fashion alongside one shoulder styles.  Also, color blocking in all the right places can make you look 10 pounds thinner using optical illusion ... think vertical or keep the darker colors on bottom to help diminish width. 

Remember to finish off your holiday look with some great accessories. Sparkly shoes like these blue satin rhinestone peep toes from VinceCamuto.com for $139 are perfect to turn up the volume on a ho-hum dress. Add a bold cuff or stacked bracelets to draw attention to your wrist like this Roman holiday design for $39 from Shopruche.com. And don't forget about adding a festive clutch ...  with a chain if you want to be hands-free to eat and be merry! Glitter metal bag, $76, from TopShop.com.

Photos ... Better Than You Remember!

You’re More Beautiful Than You Think

Why you'll eventually love the photos you hate today.

by Grace Gold : Source YouBeauty.com

Getty images (2)Bette Davis before and after

As women, are we ever really happy with the way we look?

Whether the grievance is skin, hair, weight, or even face shape, it seems we’re always harping on some perceived problem. In fact, a YouBeauty survey of over 15,000 women found that 49 percent were “not happy” when they looked in the mirror, while an additional 24 percent said they felt “neutral” at best. 

Yet there seems to be a catch-22 that emerges later in life for most women; those photos that made you wince with self-consciousness in your earlier years can suddenly look pretty darn good when you view them in hindsight.

QUIZ: How Satisfied Are You with Your Face?

In one of her last televised interviews, cinematic icon Bette Davis explained the phenomenon to journalist David Hartman. “I had always loathed my face—I would be haunted by this hideous person,” said the actress of her young days in Hollywood. “And to get to this age, and to look at those shots. No doubt about it—I was the best looking thing that ever lived! Just beautiful,” reminisced the 73 year-old star.

But here’s the conundrum: Is it possible to get to that moment of self-actualization, without having to first wait out a lifetime of feeling miserable about a litany of imagined flaws?

Beauty brand founder and makeup artist Bobbi Brown—whose successful “Pretty Powerful” campaigns celebrate real women of different ages and ethnicities—says that even she was struck by feelings of ugly duckling in her younger years.

STUDY: Others Rarely Notice Our Flaws

“When I first started out as a makeup artist, I didn’t exactly feel confident. I was surrounded by models that were very tall, skinny and blonde, and I was short and brunette, so it was a challenge,” Brown tells YouBeauty.

“I learned that I was never going to compete, and I shouldn’t have to. I created a brand inspired by the idea that every woman is beautiful. It’s about being who you are and appreciating what you have. Instead of focusing on the negative, enhance what you like about yourself, which will make you feel prettier and more confident in the end,” advises Brown.

That transformation in confidence may even launch the most exciting chapter of your life yet. It wasn’t until makeup artist-turned-model Cindy Joseph decided to go gray naturally at the age of 49 that a model scout made an entrance. Joseph has since modeled (gray hair in tow) for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Anthropologie, and has started her own beauty brand—Boom! By Cindy Joseph.

The beauty expert attributes the success to a change in attitude—not packaging.

MORE: The Spirit Junkie's Secret to Loving Your Body

“My persona changed when I let go of my self-consciousness and started loving myself. I took care of my health and wellbeing, and I started living according to what pleasured me,” explains Joseph. “When you see photos of yourself you like, try and remember how you felt at the time. You may realize it was your joy that had you looking so good. Taking joy in living is truly a woman’s best cosmetic.”

Looking for inspiration to conquer those negative-Nancy thoughts? Here’s how real women have done it.

Courtesy of Shelley GoodSteinShelley GoodStein before and after

Name: Shelley GoodStein

Age: 47

What were you hard on yourself about in the past? I always thought my face was too round with chubby cheeks back then, and I was self-conscious of my derriere.

What’s your perspective now? When I was in my 20s, I defined my beauty directly by what I saw looking back at me in the mirror. It was a flat, one-dimensional view of myself with no room for interpretation. I was hard on myself, full of self-doubt and insecurity. Now, at age 47, I realize those imperfections that haunted me existed only in my hyper-critical mind. When I look back through those photos from 20 years ago, I think, ‘I look a lot better than I remember.’ The round face I hated, I now see portraying only a youthful beauty. I am actually in love with the idea that I have some curves, and wonder why I was so self-conscious about it for all those years. It’s one of the parts of my body that my husband—who is nine years younger than me—finds incredibly sexy!

Time gives us such great perspective. I understand now that I am multi-faceted and I bring much more to the beauty equation than a lifeless reflection on the flat surface of a mirror. The image I project also includes my joys, my accomplishments, my dreams and my confidence.

Shelley is the author of "Face This: Real advice from real models, photographers and makeup artists on how to become picture perfect."

Courtesy of Rhonda M. SmithRhonda M. Smith before and after

Name: Rhonda M. Smith

Age: 50

What were you hard on yourself about in the past? My hair, in terms of length and color. I felt that having long hair and the absence of any gray would help me stay young-looking.

What’s your perspective now? I feel completely liberated with short hair, and not worrying about having to color it every few weeks, or having to spend a lot of time doing my hair before going out anywhere, for any occasion. I receive far more compliments on my short hair with my natural hair color than I ever did with the longer, darker hair. It’s about choosing what to do based on what feels most comfortable for me, rather than doing what I felt I needed to do based on people’s expectations when I was younger.