‘I hate my smile in photos’

Dear Daniel,

I really hate having my photo taken. You see, I can’t seem to smile naturally for the camera. My friends always look so beautiful, glowing and happy – and then there’s me, either totally forced and maniacal, or dead behind the eyes. I just can’t get it right, and I dread getting tagged in photos. Do you have any advice?

Daniel says:

This is a common problem, and one that I receive many letters about. Thankfully, there is a simple solution. Have you ever noticed how in early photographs from the Victorian era, most people look miserable? This is because in those days, people weren’t familiar with the concept of the camera, let alone smiling for one. Indeed, before the photograph, portraits took a very long time to produce – nobody could be expected to sit and smile for days (or even weeks) as an artist slowly painted them.

I suggest you adopt the Victorian approach; that is, act as though you have never seen or even heard of a camera. Whenever somebody tries to take your photo…