Amanda the Great by Amanda El-Dweek for October 09, 2024

try “frown!” – as a man myself I’d say some men are just programmed to oppose whatever suggestion thrown at them shrug

Is he an old biker by any chance?

Looks like he’s thinking deeply about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

“I am smiling”

The raised eyebrow is telling.

Not uncommon for folks of my generation. In general I think it’s a reaction to the world in general. This is NOT our parents world by far. Besides, we have our lives to look back on at this age, and I can find few people who thinks it’s better than the last generation. Aside from some technologies, and our abilities to communicate with others. I’m sure there are more, but it’s still far from perfect.

The great thing about the digital age: you never have to take just one picture. Keep talking to the subject, keep shooting before and after you ask them to smile. Better yet, take high resolution video and grab the best frame for sharing. (Really, nobody wants to watch all that video)

What I found works is when you say “don’t laugh.” They can’t seem to help laughing.