Why don’t European women (especially French?) smile for photos?

[Anonymous]

You smile with your eyes, my grandmother used to say.

[Anonymous]

I have relatives and close friends from Bosnia, sweden, Uk, Czechia, and Germany. None of them smile in photos. I’ve actually seen them go from smiling/laughing to straight face in order to take a picture. Like they purposefully don’t want to smile in the photo. I generally think it’s because they prefer a more natural/neutral look in photos to something that could be taken as fake or disingenuous but I do think it’s odd that you wouldn’t still at least *sometimes* be smiling in photos. Smiling is natural too for most people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have relatives and close friends from Bosnia, sweden, Uk, Czechia, and Germany. None of them smile in photos. I’ve actually seen them go from smiling/laughing to straight face in order to take a picture. Like they purposefully don’t want to smile in the photo. I generally think it’s because they prefer a more natural/neutral look in photos to something that could be taken as fake or disingenuous but I do think it’s odd that you wouldn’t still at least *sometimes* be smiling in photos. Smiling is natural too for most people.

Eastern asian people smile a lot in photos. Interesting that we may be culturally more similar to Asia than eastern Europe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have relatives and close friends from Bosnia, sweden, Uk, Czechia, and Germany. None of them smile in photos. I’ve actually seen them go from smiling/laughing to straight face in order to take a picture. Like they purposefully don’t want to smile in the photo. I generally think it’s because they prefer a more natural/neutral look in photos to something that could be taken as fake or disingenuous but I do think it’s odd that you wouldn’t still at least *sometimes* be smiling in photos. Smiling is natural too for most people.

Eastern asian people smile a lot in photos. Interesting that we may be culturally more similar to Asia than eastern Europe

I don’t agree that we are more culturally similar to Asia at all, I think Americans are smiling for different reasons than Asians maybe. I feel the American smiles are superficial and posed, I’m not sure that is why Asians are smiling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have relatives and close friends from Bosnia, sweden, Uk, Czechia, and Germany. None of them smile in photos. I’ve actually seen them go from smiling/laughing to straight face in order to take a picture. Like they purposefully don’t want to smile in the photo. I generally think it’s because they prefer a more natural/neutral look in photos to something that could be taken as fake or disingenuous but I do think it’s odd that you wouldn’t still at least *sometimes* be smiling in photos. Smiling is natural too for most people.

Eastern asian people smile a lot in photos. Interesting that we may be culturally more similar to Asia than eastern Europe

I don’t agree that we are more culturally similar to Asia at all, I think Americans are smiling for different reasons than Asians maybe. I feel the American smiles are superficial and posed, I’m not sure that is why Asians are smiling.

I'm sorry but the phrasing of this just had me rolling

[Anonymous]

Asians are smiling to show they are happy and welcoming- same reason Americans do. So yes, in that sense, the two regions are more similar.

[Anonymous]

During my summer abroad, we got teased in France by a bunch of French girls. They were grimacing and stretching their faces in the widest of smiles to imitate the Americans. It was hilarious when we realized what was happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Example of the French / Euro rich girl no smile pose

These women are smiling. These look like natural, normal expressions to me.

lol no they're not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Example of the French / Euro rich girl no smile pose

These women are smiling. These look like natural, normal expressions to me.

lol no they're not

Yeah, that is smiling. We have such a skewed perception of what happy can and should look like.

[Anonymous]

Most of my daughters' friends do the REALLY exaggerated open mouth OMG!!! smile in the photos they typically put on social media -- and I have to admit, it makes me side-eye. It's way too over the top and they look like lunatics. But apparently they think it projects they're fun and social and they want to show off their $10,000 smiles? Because that's how they choose to curate their social media uploads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asians are smiling to show they are happy and welcoming- same reason Americans do. So yes, in that sense, the two regions are more similar.

No, not so much. Just look at instagram/social media influencers with the huge smiles. Do you really believe they are smiling because they are welcoming and friendly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Asians are smiling to show they are happy and welcoming- same reason Americans do. So yes, in that sense, the two regions are more similar.

No, not so much. Just look at instagram/social media influencers with the huge smiles. Do you really believe they are smiling because they are welcoming and friendly?

yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Example of the French / Euro rich girl no smile pose

Sorry to derail: where would I get a shirt of the same color/hue that girl on the top picture is wearing. Is indigo?

[Anonymous]

So, in conclusion, Americans and some European women have a difference definition os smiling.

[Anonymous]

Americans are not smiling in photos, they are grinning with an open mouth to see who can stretch their mouths more.