Smile...You're On Candid Camera!

There are cultures around the world that believe photographs essentially “steal” your soul by capturing the image on paper. As such, people in these cultures are loathe to having their picture taken.

Then there’s me.

I don’t really care if someone snaps my mug. I don’t believe that my soul is “captured”. It’s just that there are people who are photogenic-and then there are those, like me, who look like an ape after the cage door slammed on their foot. Kind of a deer-in-the-headlights thing, but with some measure of pain included.

This is not about handsome or not. I know that I haven’t been mistaken for Brad Pitt at any time in my life. It’s more about “affecting a look” for the lens. For me, the smile is plastic-and often (especially in bright sunlight or if there is anticipated flash) I have my eyes half closed.

Very attractive.

Add in red-eye and you have the complete “perfect storm” of photographic hell. Looking “natural” and “posing” are polar opposites in my world.

Some people always look good-completely natural-in front of the camera. I look like a doofus. Enter Alan Funt.

The only thing better than photographing people who are not professional models-is to FILM them without their knowledge making fools of themselves. Top it off by showing it to a national audience and you have “Candid Camera”-the original “catch them unaware” TV show, hosted by the aforementioned Mr. Funt. Going through life with that last name may have contributed to his sadistically funny affection towards making other people look like idiots. This was the guy in high school who snapped the wet towel in the locker room, endearing himself to one and all, I’m sure.

“Candid Camera” debuted on this date in 1948, running until 1950—and then again from 1960-1967. Here’s a vintage clip-you have to click the link as embedding has been disabled:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCpx0yHK7g0

I would be such a great candidate-for being unsuspecting—and looking goofy!
If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Just leave your camera at home!