December 2013. I was on a photography trip to Bikaner, in the deserts of Rajasthan, India. Near the busy train station, I saw a man I wanted to photograph. I hesitated. The look in his eye and his stony, stern look intimidated me. It's always that moment of hesitation that kills a shot! I ended up avoiding him and photographing other subjects until I heard his jovial voice, "Take my picture too!".
Camera lens focused, my finger poised to fire. 'Smile', I called out. And he was transformed. His face radiated warmth, his eyes sparkled with a humor I had completely missed. Even his posture softened. I knew then what my next photo series would be. So 'I asked them to smile' was born. I wanted to document the effect of the human smile on a stranger's face.
In the days, months, and years that followed, I asked random people on my travel photography adventures (mostly on the streets of India) to pose unsmiling and with a smile. These beautiful photos are the heart of my project. Its goal is to recreate the mindset from which we view a stranger, and then witness as our assumptions transform with their smile.
So there are no names. No occupations. No confirmed religions or ethnicity. No intriguing life lessons or heart strumming anecdotes. Just one human face. Before and after. Without, and with a smile.
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Kakhsar Village, Gujarat, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tyrna Village, Meghalaya, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
He wears his smile in his eyes, even in the first picture... that's a joy filled man.
This man has something... He inspires me kindness, fun, cheekiness, peace and so many other things ! And most of all : I feel like at home, safety. Thank you <3
What a great photo project! The beautiful transformation of a smile. Definitely reminds one to not judge too harshly and keep our assumptions in check.
Danda Village Jetty, Mumbai, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Juhu, Mumbai, India
Hampi, Karnataka, India
Kisama, Nagaland, North-east India
Bandra, Mumbai, India
Kakhsar Village, Gujarat, India
That metal thing is two containers full of water for which she has probably walked half a day !
Ral Village, Uttar Pradesh, India
Near Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Bagru Village, Rajasthan, India
Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India
Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India
Khonoma, Nagaland, North-east India
Danda Village Jetty, Mumbai, India
This one is my favorite. He looks so sad in the first picture that I was glad to see him smiling in the second.
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Kisama, Nagaland, North-east, India
Jagannath Puri, Odisha, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tyrna Village, Meghalaya, India
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
Outside St Xavier's College, Mumbai, India
Even when he is smiling he looks a little sad to me. I wonder what his story is.
Ral Village, Uttar Pradesh, India
Pune, Maharasthra, India
Kohima, Nagaland, North-east India
Latikynsew Village, Meghalaya, North East India
Traveling around the world & living with people in many cultures, I've learned this: a genuine smile opens doors & hearts around the world.
Your smile is a reason for many others to smile... it's the one gift which costs you nothing and you both benefit. :)
bored panda, without a doubt, has some of the most interesting, funniest, heartwarming things. no other website compares!! thanks and keep it up!
Jay, these are truly wonderful photographs. I'm glad that first frowning man asked you to take his picture, too, and started you off on such a fascinating journey. A smile transforms every one of those faces. And each pair of pictures hints at an intriguing story in that person's life. Well done. Bravo!
THIS SHOULD HAVE NAMED "These Photos Will Change The Way You Look At INDIANS"
How many of us smile just to look good while taking a selfie. the smile may not even be genuine, but you can see that these people live a hard life and all the smiles are real.
"If you see someone without a smile, give them yours." ~ Dolly Parton #quote
A message to all those beautiful people in the pictures : "WHEN YOU ARE SMILING ,THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU"!!!!!
why there are only people from India? And I think it's okay when a person doesn't smile, it's her/his choise. It's annoying when someone asks you: "You, why don't you smile&! Smile!" I don't like it.
I just couldn't stop smiling myself when seeing their smiles :D
Pretty awesome! Especially the eyes show you that all these smiles are genuine, not forced(/faked). Stunning photographs :)
i didn't find the smile changed anything. there were faces that seemed trustworthy, and faces that seemed dubious, smiling or not !
Im that kind of person that smile to everyone I pass and when people smile back you can just see how their faces transform. I love it.
everyone look so much friendlier if he/she smile. so.... why don´t we smile much more?
Everyone looks better with a smile. Smile and make someone's day better.
I love to see the smiling faces, but anyone looks "mean" when they have their 'out in the world' face on. I think BP did this same type of thing once before, with people wearing 'gangster' clothes and then business suits. Like it or not, appearance (clothes, smiles) make a difference in perception, especially with strangers.
Traveling around the world & living with people in many cultures, I've learned this: a genuine smile opens doors & hearts around the world.
Your smile is a reason for many others to smile... it's the one gift which costs you nothing and you both benefit. :)
bored panda, without a doubt, has some of the most interesting, funniest, heartwarming things. no other website compares!! thanks and keep it up!
Jay, these are truly wonderful photographs. I'm glad that first frowning man asked you to take his picture, too, and started you off on such a fascinating journey. A smile transforms every one of those faces. And each pair of pictures hints at an intriguing story in that person's life. Well done. Bravo!
THIS SHOULD HAVE NAMED "These Photos Will Change The Way You Look At INDIANS"
How many of us smile just to look good while taking a selfie. the smile may not even be genuine, but you can see that these people live a hard life and all the smiles are real.
"If you see someone without a smile, give them yours." ~ Dolly Parton #quote
A message to all those beautiful people in the pictures : "WHEN YOU ARE SMILING ,THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU"!!!!!
why there are only people from India? And I think it's okay when a person doesn't smile, it's her/his choise. It's annoying when someone asks you: "You, why don't you smile&! Smile!" I don't like it.
I just couldn't stop smiling myself when seeing their smiles :D
Pretty awesome! Especially the eyes show you that all these smiles are genuine, not forced(/faked). Stunning photographs :)
i didn't find the smile changed anything. there were faces that seemed trustworthy, and faces that seemed dubious, smiling or not !
Im that kind of person that smile to everyone I pass and when people smile back you can just see how their faces transform. I love it.
everyone look so much friendlier if he/she smile. so.... why don´t we smile much more?
Everyone looks better with a smile. Smile and make someone's day better.
I love to see the smiling faces, but anyone looks "mean" when they have their 'out in the world' face on. I think BP did this same type of thing once before, with people wearing 'gangster' clothes and then business suits. Like it or not, appearance (clothes, smiles) make a difference in perception, especially with strangers.