05-05-2010, 05:43 PM
This is what I was about to say as well. It's an ingrained reaction.
More correctly, some people are conditioned to smile at a camera, regardless of the circumstances.
And there's the possibility that some people don't feel they've done anything wrong.
The middle picture of the Smilee makes be think that at that second, for whatever reason, he was indeed reacting to the camera without any thought of his situation. But that's rare. He may have been reacting to something somebody said that helped, even for a moment, to mitigate the severity of his situation.
Then there are those who affect a smile out of rebellion, railing against The Man.
The overwhelming majority of people photographed for mug shots are not happy about it, and it shows.
More correctly, some people are conditioned to smile at a camera, regardless of the circumstances.
And there's the possibility that some people don't feel they've done anything wrong.
The middle picture of the Smilee makes be think that at that second, for whatever reason, he was indeed reacting to the camera without any thought of his situation. But that's rare. He may have been reacting to something somebody said that helped, even for a moment, to mitigate the severity of his situation.
Then there are those who affect a smile out of rebellion, railing against The Man.
The overwhelming majority of people photographed for mug shots are not happy about it, and it shows.