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Question: In the olden days why was it custom to pull a straight face in photos!?
I say the olden days in general because this went on for many era's!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Two reasons:

1!. As many people have already answered, because exposure times in the early days of photography were so long; you couldn't hold a smile for long enough!. (In the really early days you might have to sit for half an hour, and portrait photographers would put your head in a clamp to make sure you didn't move and spoil the - very expensive - sitting!. Try holding a cheesy grin for half an hour!.)

2!. When photography was an expensive and elaborate business, having your photograph taken was like sitting for your portrait!. You dressed in your best for it, and you tried to project an air of gravity, respectability and dignity, just as you would if you had commissioned an artist to paint you!. It wasn't a casual occasion!.

also, it's really only in the last 50 years or so, since we started to idolise young beautiful celebrities like singers and film stars, and see their smiling pictures everywhere, that we have acquired the assumption that people should be shown smiling!. Before that, the portraits we saw most of were paintings, engravings and photographs of monarchs, statesmen and the like, who naturally looked grave and dignified, and we assumed that was the way to look in your portrait!. Many people from the undeveloped world are quite puzzled when they see Western people's family photographs, and say "Why are all these people laughing!?"!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

personal photos where attached to each individual personal file, files are carried out until person dies, there after the file and picture goes to be archive!. the reason for picture to be straight is to prevent any disk-yes, and miss representation over the years!.
i can also judge from your photo your personal characteristic with out even ever talk to you!. romantic mellow type, more reserved,possessive with and general wisdom!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

When camera's were first used the shutter needed to remain open for a long time!. It's difficult to smile for that long while remaining perfectly still!. Relaxing the face will produce a much clearer picture!. People probably continued to keep a still face as cameras improved because that's the way they had always done it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In the early days of photography the sitter had to sit still in front of the Camera for maybe up to 30 seconds or sometimes even a minuet for the photo to taken and set!. Thus very early photos of people show them staring at the camera with eyes fixed open wide and mouths shut tight!.

Below is a link to some photographs of veterans of the American Revolutionary War!. All of these men were very old when the photos were taken in about 1850 - the very early days!.

http://www!.historicamericanprints!.com/hi!.!.!.

The most magnificent early photographs I have seen so far on the Internet, were of about 12 French Officers who had fought at the Battle of Waterloo with Napoleon!. The photos were taken in the 1850s when all were then in their 70s!. They're wearing their original Waterloo uniforms!.

Here are some photos of Napoleonic wars veterans!.
http://derniersveterans!.free!.fr/napoleon!.!.!.

Here below are the French officers, veterans of Waterloo wearing their magnificent French uniforms of the Napoleonic period!.
http://dl!.lib!.brown!.edu/libweb/collectio!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In the olden days, I think people liked to be seen as serious god fearing people!. If they were smiling and acting silly people would think they were possessed by the devil or something!. I've seen some old timey photos of my relatives in Virginia in the 1800's nobody was smiling!. It was weird!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

cameras were a little lower tech!.!.!. needed longer exposure time!.!.!.
any movements would come up as blurs in the finished product!.!.!. since it's easier to hold steady with a straight face then hold a fake smile for that long, it was the way to goWww@QuestionHome@Com

Film back before more modern times (let's say before about 1930 ish) was not instant or very fast, and holding a smile was very tiring while waiting for the film to finish the exposure!. A relaxed face was easier to hold!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you had to stay still for a very long period of time because the film was less sensitive to light so the exposure had to be longerWww@QuestionHome@Com

It took a long time to take a picture so you couldn't hang there for 10 minutes grinning like a fool!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

My face would hurt if I had to smile that long!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Same reason it was practical to actually search for an answer yourself, rather than Google it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com