smile, you're on candid cameroon island

i have been thinking, today, that we are become a less candid society. the mercury in the BS thermoometer is rising, folks. i attribute some of it to clouding transparency with which our government operates, with how we communicate (less person to person, more text, email, chat, etc), with the ever-increasing obsession of celebrity culture. but the factor that i feel like has most affected the "regular person" begins or is exacerbated by the advent of the digital camera.

the frequency at which we pose and take pictures has increased to such an exponential degree that even in our off-camera lives, we are more posed, more styled, more aware, more apt to conforming to the big brother theory that someone is always watching.

it used to be that only girls and guys who came out of the collegiate greek system really perfected their camera smiles and poses. after attending and being photographed in 147 crush events, 16 formals and countless smokers, tailgates and bid days, who wouldn't be? but now, in a peculiar and unfortunate fashion, everyone else is too. not only are we arranging our body parts in the most advantageous visual arrangement, we are experimenting with "candid" faces that are at their derivative, a variation and progression of the above mentioned smile.

in effect, the whole psychology behind picture taking is changing. it's strayed away from a more introspective, sentimental "let's make memories" mindset to a more extroverted, ephemeral "i can't wait to post this on facebook so people know how fun my life is" perspective.

i don't think it's necessarily bad, just different. most people who were adults before digital cameras became the norm (and didn't adhere to the collegiate greek delineation i mentioned earlier) still have awkward smiles no matter what, with no matter how much practice, in every kind of lighting situation.

my personal favorite that i like to practice is to make my eyes look bored/serious and my mouth happy/content looking. i like this face because it's ambiguous and i feel it is my quiet rage against the superficiality machine.

i'll admit, my fear in having a rehearsed smile or pose is the idea that maybe one day i will have perfected it and end up looking more attractive in pictures than i do in person to the point that my camera persona is an inaccurate representation of who i am. don't think i'm making any sorts of claims on either state. luckily, i don't think i have much to worry about, i fit into the awkward-smile-no-matter-what category.

on another note, i cannot stand mischa barton. i think she looks like a cocker spaniel and should absolutely not be considered a style icon.