Pulling Faces

[tlitody]

I've always been curious as to why so many photographers pull faces when they take pictures. All the images you see of someone looking through an eyepiece or viewfinder or rangefinder seem to show the photographer looking like they've been poked in the eye. There seems to be some uncontrolable urge to screw up your face when taking a photograph. Why is that and who can come up with the best/funniest answer?

 

[JoeV]

It's caused by closing one eye, makes you squint.

~Joe

 

[bolohead]

Squinting helps you focus your eye on something that is close, such as a rangefinder patch an inch from the front of your eye or the ground glass in a TLR.

 

[Keith]

It's like one of those vests with lots of pockets ... part of being a photographer!

 

[tlitody]

But squinting distorts the shape of your eyeball and its lens thereby making focus wrong. Its just the way I see the face completely contorted seems extreme to me when all you need to do is close your eyelid. Some people screw up their nose and drop their jaw too.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

This kind of makes me long for another strap thread. 😉

 

[sjw617]

It makes the people you are photographing smile.

Steve

 

[tlitody]

This kind of makes me long for another strap thread. 😉

Just take it in the spirit it was intended😛